USA > New Jersey > Salem County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 2 > Part 38
USA > New Jersey > Gloucester County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 2 > Part 38
USA > New Jersey > Cumberland County > History of the counties of Gloucester, Salem, and Cumberland New Jersey, with biographical sketches of their prominent citizens, vol. 2 > Part 38
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Wood and Miller were two of the justices, and both ; Hall, which took fire in the night and was burn : lived at Greenwich, but Miller had taken up a sur- vey of four hundred and twenty acres at Cohansey Bridge, the Jot on which the county buildings were placed being a part of it, and his interest- coincided with those of the South Siders. There being some Second Court-House .- At a special meeting the ju-tices and frecholders held on Jan. 1, 1759. 5' John Keen's, who kept a tavern on the east side .' the river, all the freeholders present except Willie, Willi-, of Maurice River, it was agreed to build! non court-house of brick, thirty-four by twenty-fou feet in the clear, with eighteen-inch walls for the fi ?- story, and fourteen-inch for the second, the inside !. be finished like the former one except an addition ... question concerning the validity of his title, a bond to guarantee the title was executed by Miller and a number of the most prominent frecholder, re-iding on the South Side to a number of the frecholders of the North Side. In June, 1751, E10u were ordered raised by the 25th of December towards building a court-house, and it was agreed to build a court-house thirty two feet long and twenty-two feet wide, two
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52.
GENERAL HISTORY.
window over the judges' seat ; a cupola was ordered o be built on the roof in which to hang a bell, which was to be bought by subscription. This bell was not bought until several years afterwards; it was cast in Bridgewater, Mass., in 1763. For many years the court-house was used for religious meetings on Sun- jays and evenings. On the erection of the West Jer- sey Academy, this bell, which was taken down when the court-house was torn down, in 1844, and replaced by a large one in the present court-hou-e, was hung in the belfry of that building, where it still does duty although one hundred and twenty years old. Eben- czer Miller, David Shepherd, and Samuel Fitbian were appointed managers to build the court-house, and £200 ordered raised by tax.
They were authorized to build it anywhere on the lot the old one stood on, which extended across Broad Street. They located it in the middle of Broad Street, a little east of Franklin, between where the sheriff's house and the City Hotel now are, on the brow of the hill, which was much higher than at present. It was built during 1752 and 1760, and continued to be used until 1844. In 1766 a committee was appointed to secure the wall of the court-house from being hurt by the water washing the earth away; the hill being quite steep, every heavy rain gullied it. In 1775 a fence was ordered built at the west end of the court-house, and in 1777 une was ordered at the east end, "to prevent the playing of ball." In 1791, Sheriff Buck was ordered to procure a suitable stove for the court-house. Pre- vious to this the only method of heating it was by fires in open fireplaces. In December, 1798, "a close stove" was ordered for use there, and a year later a ten-plate stove was ordered.
Present Court-House .- The need of a new and more commodious court-house became more apparent as the county increased in population, and in 1832 inquiry was made by the freeholders as to the possi- bility of purchasing additional ground adjoining the jail-lot, but it could not be bought at that time. In 1836 it was offered to the board for sixteen hundred dollars, aud by a vote of eight to seven they resolved to purchase it, and a deed was made to them by Jere- miah Whitecar and wife, dated Oct. 7, 1$36. This is the lot on which the court-house now stands. . At that time there stood upon it a large three-storied house, built and used for many years as a tavern. The eastern part of the county, especially Millville, had increased rapidly in population during the pre- vious years, and a growing rivalry with the county- seat had been developed. The aspiration, of Mill- vilie and the opportunity of a new court-house, soon to be built, very naturally called forth an agitation to remove the county buildings to that place. The vote on the purchase of the court-house lot was the first publie development of this state of feeling, which rapidly increased, until the one absorbing question in the county was the location of the court-bonse.
The frechollers, at their inceting in February, 1887, were petitioned to take no action to build until au ap- plication could be made to the Legislature for an art to hold an election to determine whether it should be built in Bridgeton or some other place in the county, and a resolution to that effect was passed by a vote of nine'to seven. Such a law was passed March 4, 1837, directing an election to be held on July 25th and 26th of that year. From the passage of the law until the election the battle waxed warmer and warmer. Meetings were held, and the two newspapers of the county, both printed in Bridgeton, were filled with artieles advocating the claims of one or the other of the places. Fairfield also was advocated by some of the residents of that township. When it was found that some of the Fairfield people, who otherwise would have voted for Bridgeton, intended to throw away their votes on their own township, the advocates of Bridgeton became frightened, and claimed that the old court-house was good enough, and that the times were too hard to spend money for a new house. The result of the election was as follows :
For Bridgeton.
For
Millville.
For Fairfield.
Total.
Deerfiel.1.
457
.....
161
Hopewell.
401
3
1
405
Slow Creek
... ..
162
Greenwich
132
5
1
135
Millville.
...
4:33
.....
435
Maurice River
27
3.39
.....
300
Dawno
50
039
2
207
Fairfield
56
37
210
303
-
Total
1:264
10.9
214
2:57
The fight was not ended by the result of the elec- tion. A long contest was waged in the board of free- holders, the four lower townships voting steadily against the building of a new court-house, making an even division of the board ; at one meeting, in the absence of one member from Stow Creek, they passed a resolution to sell the lot purchased for the court- house, but nothing was done under that resolution.
At almost every meeting of the board the four upper town-hips brought up a resolution for building a new house, but they were all lost by a tie vote. Appeals to their sense of duty under the law re- ! quiring a new house to be built after the election and other devices were employed to induce the lower townships to yieldl, but without avail. One of the ludicrous devices, as it seems at the present day, was to cause a notice to be served on the board by the | overseer of roads in Bridgeton, notifying them "to remove the old court-house out of the highway." HIe failed to specify in his notice whether, in case they failed to obey him, he would forthwith tear it down (after >tamdling there eighty-four years), as a public nuisance and an obstruction to travel, or not ; perhaps the indefinite something which he might do was thought to be more potent than if he was more spe- cific. After six years of contest with no success a new plan was devised. A law was enacted March 8, 1:44, creating a new township out of parts of Hope- well and Stow Creck, the village of Shiloh being
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
about the centre of it, called Columbia township. This was done under the plea of a political ma- nousre, and the real object was not discovered until too late. At the meeting of the board in May of that year, with the aid of the new township, it was agreed to build a new court-house on the lot bought for that purpose, and Benjamin Sheppard, Joseph W. Wood- ruff, and Samuel Harris were appointed a builing committee.
The plan adopted was a brick building, forty by sixty feet in the clear, with lower story ten feet in the clear, and upper story eighteen feet in the clear ; lower story for use as jury-rooms, the upper as a court-room and vestibule ; the court-room to be forty by forty-eight feet. The citizens of Bridgeton were authorized to raise a clock-tower upon the bel- fry, and to place a clock therein, if done without es- pense to the county, and eight thousand dollars were appropriated for that purpose out of the surplus revenur received by the county in 1837. David F. Randolph was the contractor, and it was built that year. Mr. Randolph received the thanks of the board for the neat and workmanlike manner in which he had fulfilled his contract, a compliment time has shown to have been well deserved, few better court- houses existing in the State at this time, now thirty- nine years since it was created. The old court-house was sold for eighty-five dollars, and was torn down, and the highway cleared of the obstruction, and so the overseer of roads (above mentioned) at last had his notice complied with. Over thirteen hundred dollars were spent in materials, putting up fence, trees, furniture, and fixtures, and the total cost of ' the court-house, taken from the surplus revenue fund. wasten thousand six hundred and seventy-four dollars and forty- three cents.
In 1891 an addition was built to the south end of the court-bou-e for a back stairway and other con- veniences.
JAILS.
The First Jail was built by direction of the jus- tices and freeholders at their first meeting, the min- utes of which are as follows:
" Cumberland Changes Bridge Much y+ 251 971 -. At a Special County. Meeting of the Justices and Freeholdere they unani- motisly Agreed that the Sheriff of sabl County !) Build a Gont at the most Convenient place he Shall Think proper for the Benefit of Said County the demention of the Hours to be abonte Twelve foot Square. The above snid Goul to be for P'reset: L'ze.
" Justices I'resent
4. Richard Wood
" Johu Ogden " Joseph Reeves " John Hemngton " Jonathan Holmes."
The Sheriff, Ananias Sayre, lived at Greenwich, and he built the first jail at that place. This small jail was probably built of logs, and was insecure, sev- eral (-capes being made from it of person- imprisoned for debt, causing the county to pay the amounts for which they were imprisoned. This was used until
1754, when the jail of brick at Cohansey Bridge wa- erected.
This jail at Greenwich was probably built hy th. sheriff, on the street or the market-place, and re- mained until 1764. The board at their meeting, Der. 7, 1763, appointed Samuel Fithian and Thoma, Ewing a committee to sell it at public vendue, which they did, and at the meeting in May, 1761, they se- tled with the committee, and found a balance due the county of 23 5a arising from the sale.
Second Jail .- May 9. 1753, £100 was ordered raised toward building a jail at Cohansey Bridee. and it was agreed to build it twenty-two by eighteen feet in the clear, the dungeon to be in two apart- ments under ground, beneath the main part of the prison, the jail to be eight-foot story between floor and joists, with three rooms on a floor, and chimney- in each room. The dungeon to be built of stone if there could be any good stone obtained for that pur- pose, and the upper part of the jail to be of brick. Ebenezer Miller, Richard Smith, and Matthew Par. vin were appointed managers.
In May, 1754, the size of the jail was ordered to hr thirty-four by twenty-four feet from outside to ont- side, the dungeon to be seven feet in the clear between floors, and the second story of the jail to be eight feet in the clear, and Ananias Sayre and Ephraim Sechy were appointed managers. An agreement was ma le by the first managers with Matthew Parvin to make the brick for the jail, to be nine and a half by tour and three-fourths inches, and thickness in proportion. Jonathan Sayre was employed to dig the dungeon. move the stone, cart away dirt, and cart sand for it. and was paid $8 108. Beside Matthew Pervin, to whom was paid £33, the persons to whom the county collector paid large sums of money were Silas Parvin. $151, and Isaar Elwell, $45. They probably furnished materials or did work upon it. The brick having been made, work upon it was commenced in 1751. and it was finished during that and the succeeding year. This jail seems to have been not much more secure than the old log one was, as committees were appointed to repair it, and bills brought in almost as soon as it was finished, and so continued for many years. So insecure was it that when the first prison- ers charged with a capital offense were imprisoned, a special meeting of the justices and frecholders was called on June 30, 1758, and a petition was sent to the chief justice urging him to solicit the Governor for a special commission of the Oyer and Terminer to try them, atel Jeremiah Buck was sent as the messen- ger to carry the petition, and was allowed five shillings per day, and six days to do the errand in, as the jour. ney had to be made on horseback.
In January, 1765, the sheriff was ordered to mend the breach in the jail as he should think bost, and at the same meeting thirty thousand brick wore ordered to be made to build a jail-yard, and in May a yard was ordered built at the west end of the jail, the same
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529
GENERAL HISTORY.
» : Ih as that and thirty feet long, with stone founda- og and an eighteen-inch brick wall fourteen feet .. l upon it ; a well was also ordered dug in the yar l. In June, 1752, the prison-yard was ordered to be ouverted into a house one story high, to be divided mito three rooms below, with two fireplaces, two win- lows front, and the same back, to be plastered and ompleted ; and agreed to give Jonathan Ehner, the sheriff; £60 to complete the work.
Third Jail .- In May, 1788, Sheriff Buck presented a protest, setting forth the decayed condition of the ixil, and the board resolved to prepare to build a inew one, and appointed a committee to find where ·aitable stone could be had, draw a plan, make esti- mates, etc. In June a tax of $500 was ordered for at, and John Sheppard, David Bowen, and Ebenezer Elmer were appointed managers. In October the committee reported, and a plan was adopted; but in May, 1780, a new plan was agreed on, and it was re- solved to build it two stories high, uot to exceed thirty- four feet square, to be on the ground where the old one stood, and £375 more were ordered raised. But in May, 1790, the location was change?, and it was ordered to "Stand North of the old Goal between wiat and Main Street so as to bound on said Street," and a tax of $400 specie was laid. It was built dur- ing that year, and remained standing until 18C7. In May, 1793, an order was drawn " for $6 to pay for the third Lock made by Azel Peirson for the use of the Goal." The old key of the jail, probably of this very lock, is now in the possession of the editor of the Bridgeton Chronicle ; it is made of cast iron, weighs fourteen and a half ounces, and is eight inches long, and rusty with age ; it is certainly an interesting relie of the past.
In 1803, Jonathan Lummis, who owned the lot next Last, complained that the jail was built partly ou his 'ot, and after several other applications by him, the board took a deed from him, June 20, 1809, for a lot right feet front, covered by the jail, and one hundred and seventy feet deep.
In 180G the old jail, which stood a few feet in the fear of the new one, was converted into a yard by taking down the side next the new jail, and extend- ing its east and west walls so as to include in the yard the space between the two jails ; a door was opened in the south side of the jail to the yard.
In October, 1832, another story was ordered to be mai-ed on the county house, and it was done during that winter and the next spring, at an expense of .930.89. Originally built as a jail-yard to the oll jail in 1765, and converted into a one-story house in 1772, it was now raised to two stories. It was long occupied as the residence of the jailer, and was torn down in 1867, on the building of the present sheriff's re:idence and jail.
Present Jail .- In August, 1866, a committee was appointed by the freeholders to procure plans for a how jail, and in the next February the contract was
given to D. B. and W. C. Whitekar for twenty-two thousand eight hundred and thirty-nine dollars. The plan alopted is a fine residence for the sheriff, forty by twenty-two feet, two stories and attic high in front, and fifty-two by seventeen feet in the rear, and two stories high; a jail joining the sheriff's house in the rear, fifty by forty-three feet, with the cells built in the middle and a corridor separating them from the outer wall, and a division wall dividing the jail into two parts; the cells, twelve in each part, built in two tiers of six cells each, cach cell five and one-half by seven and one-half feet in size, and the same in height. The work was completed in the fall of 1867.
In 1879 an addition was built to the sheriff's resi- dence for a cook kitchen, twenty-two by eighteen feet, and two stories high, at a cost of over one thousand dollars.
County Offices .- The need of some public offices for the clerk and surrogate of the county became more apparent as their duties and the records in their charge increased, and in May, 1814, the freeholders resolved to build offices with fire-proof vaults for the preservation of the public records, and selected the lot now occupied for that purpose, belonging to Jobu Buck and Daniel P. Stratton, forty feet front and thirty feet deep, which was conveyed to them for the purposes of public offices for the nominal sumi of five dollars, by deed dated Sept. 1, 1815. . \ one-story building was at once ciceted for that purpose, at an expense of over two thousand dollars, John Buck and others, in consideration of the location of the offices on that jot, contributing three hundred all fifty dollars toward the expense. They were com- pleted in 1816. In IS45 another story was raised on the elerk's and surrogate's offices, at a cost of fourteen hundred dollars.
The size of the lot on which the offices stand being small, the board bought the lot in the rear and on the east side, making a lot at this time of forty-nine feet front and sixty-four feet deep. The county obtained a deed in fee-simple from the heirs of Daniel P. Strat- ton for their interest in the lot, on March 10, 1851. In 1860 the existing fire-proof record rooms were built back of the main offices at a cost of about six- teen hundred dollars.
In the spring of 1880 an addition was built to the fire-proof record vault of the elerk's office at a cost of six hundred and eighty-three dollars.
Poor-House .- The act incorporating the board of chosen freeholder-, passe:l Feb. 13, 1793, authorized them, if they should deem it necessary. to purchase or build a poor-house, at such place in the county as they should appoint, which poor-house should be under their direction and government, and they were authorized to appoint all needed officers. When such a house should be purchased or built, all the poor of the county were required to be sent to and kept in such poor-bonse at the expense of the county. Pre- viou, to this art each township had taken care of its
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HISTORY OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY.
own poor. The first account of any provision for them is found in the records of the court- at Salem at June term, 1715. when. on petition of Mary Hix. of " Grinedge," she being very poor, the e mrt ordered John Brick and Noal Moore, over-cers of pour of "Grinedge," to maintain her at the charge of the precinct.
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At the first meeting of the board of freehollers, May 9. 1798, a committee was appointed to inquire where suitable property could be obtained for the accommodation of the poor of the county. In August this committee reported that the annual expense of the townships in supporting the poor was: Green- with, $300; Hopewell, $200; Stow Creek, $150; Deerfield, $300: Fairfield. $260; Downe, $103; Maurice River, $103; total, 81426. They further reported that the people of the county, in general, seemed pleased with the idea of a poor-house, and that several places named were for sale, but no action was taken. In August, 1792, a further report was . made as to properties offered, and the subject post- - poned. Nothing more was done until May, 1800, when a committee was appointed to purchase a farm for a poor-house, and in June, on their report, it was re- solved to purchase the faris Known as Moore Hall, and Nov. 27, 1809. Alexander T. Moore and wife conveyed the same to the board for the sum of four thousand five hundred dollars. The buildings on it were altered, and it was ready for the reception of the poor ahont June 1, 1810. In 1830 and 'S1 at- tempts were made by the frechohlers frem some of the townships to sell the poor-house, and have the poor again maintained by the separate townships, but it was lost both time- by a tie vote.
In 1838 the amount of grain, pork, animals, hay, and other proluce raised on the farm and used in the institution was #973.05; amount of lime, marl, . rails, grass-seed, animals, harness, windmill, hay, earting timber for house, wage- of hands, etc., bought and used for the farin, 8725.38; gain to the house. $247.67 ; number of paupers, 65. In 1841 one hun- dred apple-trees were ordered put out on the farm.
Present Almshouse .- In February, leol, a new poor-house was ordered built, and a committee, con- sisting of Jonathan Elmer, Robert Sheppar1, Charles B. Fithian, Cornelius Lupton. and David P. Simkins, was appointed to procure plans and make contracts for it. It was built during that year, and, with the furniture and suitable outbuildings, the whole cost was 80129.73, all of which was paid from the surplus revenue fund. It is a brick structure, ninety-five by forty-six feet. three stories high, be-ide basement. On each floor are fourteen rooms, with a ten-foot ball running lengthways of the building. with the roots on cach side of it. The rooms are large with high ceilings, and well lighted and ventilated. In the basement are the dining-rooms, kitchen. store-rooms, etc. The building stands on quite an elevated site, and is a landmark for many miles.
In Isto a bailling for the insane paupers wa- bn .. at a cost of $200.
December, 1:5. present number of inmates. .. average for the year, off ; number admitted, “; .... charged, 28; births, 1 ; deaths. 7.
For year from May. 1876, to May, 1877, the ;r. .. expenses connected with the poor of the county w ... $12.125, of which $53-5 was for out-door relief.
In the winter of 1850-81, steam-heating appara:". was placed in the buikling, and proved an entire .... . ress.
STEWARDS OF THE POOR-HOUSE.
1-1417. Arthur Clark.
¡ 1:54-62. Richard B. Fithian.
1518. Andrew Miller.
1863-65. Charles Clark.
1513. I-aac Stathetu.
| 18cc-71. Seeley Shute.
1-20-24. John Swinney.
1 1:72 -; 3. Kilear shute.
1-25-27. John A. Moore. 1874-76. William H. Bounetr.
1525-40. Israel Garton. 1877-74. Ebenezer Whitaker.
184 -40. James Dalrymple.
1sats2. Sheppard Kotlins.
1. 1. Mitk Ayars.
1.$3. Ebenezer Whitaker.
1851-33. Jature Dalıymple.
ALMISHOISE PHYSICIANS.
1$11-13. Elo Oglen. 1.53. Oliver S. Prblen.
1-14. Charles Clark.
IS30-61. J. Buron Potter.
1915- 16. Samuel M. Shute. Robert W. Elmer.
1-17-25. E'phraira Buck.
1542. Robert W. Elmer.
1-20-34. Willlam S. Bowen.
184. Nathaniel R. Newkirk.
1 ***- 4, Willing Steling.
1.0-1-65. Robert W. Eha-r.
1-4 412. George Tomlin-ou.
. 1846-70. Joseph Sheppard.
1571 Charles 11. Dare.
1:434%. Ephraten Ruck. 1-19. George Tomlinson.
1:72-77. Joseph Shep pard.
is wr. William s. Bowen.
1878- 80. Charles II. Drr.
1/31-52. Elward "t. Porter.
15.1. Charles H. Due.
1:41-5. Ephraim Dick.
Joseph Sheppir.
1550-58. J. Barros Potter.
1862 George A. Ilarris.
1553. J. Barron Potter.
1583. Charles II. Dare.
CHAPTER LXXXIV.
COURTS, JUDGES, AND JUSTICES.
The first courts of Cumberland County were be !! at Greenwich, in accordance with the appointment ... Governor Belcher, on the last Tuesday in May. t .- ... 31st, 1748, and sat two days. Present, Richard Won i. John Ogden, Joseph Reeve, and John Reming:" julyes of the pleas, and Ebenezer Miller, John Brick. Jr., David Ogden, Ephraim Seeley, Joseph P'e.k Thomas Padgett, Jonathan Holmes, Job Shepherd. Charles Davis, and Samuel Barns, justice- vf ::: peace. On the next day John Brick, judge, av: Moves Shepherd. justice, were also present. At :2: time commissions were issued by the Governor a :- pointing julges of the Court of Common Plea-, and the ju-tices of the peace of a county, who were a. appointed by the Governor, constituted the Com !! . : Quarter Serions. At this first court com ....... appointing Ella- Cotting clerk, and Anania- Payf sheriff were read. On the next day the court- : at the Presbyterian meeting-house. The grand jir. brought in only one indictment. At the next to !..; ' in August of that year, Benjamin stratton, The :
531
GENERAL HISTORY.
ngden, and Jeremiah Parvin refused to be sworn on The number of capital cases in this county has the grand jury, and were committed to the custody of been suwell, and to the honor of the county it can be said that no white native-born citizen of the county was ever executed.
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