Pottersville, New Jersey

Pottersville, New Jersey
Census-designated place
Pottersville Reformed Church
Pottersville Location in Hunterdon County Show map of Hunterdon County, New Jersey Pottersville Location in Somerset County Show map of Somerset County, New Jersey Pottersville Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Pottersville Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°42′49″N74°43′19″W / 40.71361°N 74.72194°W / 40.71361; -74.72194
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Hunterdon and Somerset
Township	Bedminster and Tewksbury
Area [1]
• Total	0.92 sq mi (2.38 km2)
• Land	0.91 sq mi (2.36 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km2)
Elevation [2]	213 ft (65 m)
Population  (2020) [3]
• Total	467
• Density	512.06/sq mi (197.61/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
FIPS code	34-60750 [4]
GNIS feature ID	879465 [2]

Pottersville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) ^[5] split between Bedminster Township in Somerset County and Tewksbury Township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. ^[6] The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07979. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 07979 was 589. ^[7] In 1990, most of the village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Pottersville Village Historic District.

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, the population of the area was 467. ^[3]

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	467		—
U.S. Decennial Census [8] 2020 [3]

Education

The Purnell School, a private all-girls boarding high school founded in 1963, was located in Pottersville. ^[9] In February 2021, Purnell School announced that it would cease operations upon the completion of the 2020–2021 academic year. ^[10] Later that year, Pingry School purchased the 82-acre campus ^[11] to use as an extension of its existing campuses in Basking Ridge and Short Hills.

History

Pottersville was first called Lamington and afterwards Potters Mills. There were mills here as early as 1756 built and owned by William Willet. One Mill still stands on the left side of County Route 512 heading towards Califon. It was originally used for weaving woolen goods and later turned into a grist mill. The first grist mill was built along the Lamington River (Black River), but no longer stands. A commemorative plaque has taken its place.

William Willet owned a day book in which he recorded sales to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. His main consideration became supplying the Continental Army. He was paid in Continental currency which around 1780 became worthless. He was ruined financially and was forced to sell both mills to Serrin Potter in 1783, which led to the community's name.

In 1887, upwards of 200,000 baskets of peaches were shipped from Pottersville and New Germantown (Oldwick) by wagons to Chester, Whitehouse and other area communities. The profitable peach growing industry led the Rockaway Valley Railroad to build a spur to Pottersville in 1888.

Black River Falls in Pottersville prompted the railroad to run excursions to the falls. The land around the glen were made into picnic grounds and an amusement park. There was a merry-go-round, dance pavilion and refreshment stand. Some visitors came from Jersey City, N.J. and usually stayed at the Pottersville Hotel. Failure of the peach crop eventually resulted in the end of the Rockaway Railroad. One town resident remembers the park open as late as 1920.

Historic district

Pottersville Village Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Queen Anne style house
Location	Properties fronting on Black River, Pottersville, McCann Mill and Hacklebarney Roads, Fairmount Road East and High Street
Area	85 acres (34 ha)
Architectural style	Italianate, Queen Anne, Vernacular Victorian
NRHP reference No.	90001475 [12]
NJRHP No.	1633 [13]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 18, 1990
Designated NJRHP	August 9, 1990

The Pottersville Village Historic District is a historic district encompassing the village. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1990, for its significance in industry, commerce, architecture, settlement, and archeology from 1750 to 1924. It includes 44 contributing buildings, 4 contributing sites and 2 contributing structures. ^[14]

Gallery

• 
  Upper Mill, now a residence
• 
  Lower Mill site, with commemorative plaque
• 
  Lamington River by Lower Mill site
• 
  Former Pottersville Store and Post Office
• 
  Italianate style house
• 
  Federal style house
• 
  Victorian Style House

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Pottersville include:

• Harriet Adams (1893–1982), author of some 200 books, including nearly 50 in the Nancy Drew series. ^[15]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Morris County, New Jersey
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Somerset County, New Jersey

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
2. "Pottersville". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
3. Census Data Explorer: Pottersville CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 15, 2023.
4. Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed June 9, 2023.
5. State of New Jersey Census Designated Places - BVP20 - Data as of January 1, 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022.
6. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed June 9, 2016.
7. DP-1 - Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010; 2010 Demographic Profile Data for ZCTA 07979 Archived 2020-02-12 at archive.today , United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 9, 2014.
8. Census of Population and Housing, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 1, 2023.
9. Purnell at a Glance ^[usurped] , Purnell School. Accessed June 9, 2014.
10. Makin, Cheryl. "Pingry plans to open campus at former Purnell School in Bedminster". Courier News. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
11. "Pingry completes Purnell purchase in Bedminster for $5M". New Jersey Hills. October 26, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
12. "National Register Information System – (#90001475)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
13. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Somerset County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. September 30, 2020. p. 1.
14. Matherly, Polly A. (January 31, 1988). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Pottersville Village Historic District". National Park Service. With accompanying 18 photos
15. Chira, Susan. "HARRIET ADAMS DIES; NANCY DREW AUTHOR WROTE 200 NOVELS", The New York Times , March 29, 1982. Accessed October 7, 2007. "Harriet Stratemeyer Adams, who wrote nearly 200 children's books including many of the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series, died Saturday evening. She was 89 years old, and lived in Pottersville and Maplewood, N.J."

External links

• Media related to Pottersville, New Jersey at Wikimedia Commons
• "Pottersville". The Historical Marker Database.