Frenchtown, New Jersey facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Frenchtown, New Jersey
Borough
Harrison Street in Frenchtown
wordmark
Location of Frenchtown in Hunterdon County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Frenchtown, New Jersey
Frenchtown, New Jersey Location in Hunterdon County, New Jersey Show map of Hunterdon County, New Jersey Frenchtown, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Frenchtown, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Hunterdon
Incorporated	April 4, 1867
Government
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	1.23 sq mi (3.18 km2)
• Land	1.13 sq mi (2.92 km2)
• Water	0.10 sq mi (0.26 km2)  8.05%
Area rank	481st of 565 in state 20th of 26 in county
Elevation	220 ft (70 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,370
• Estimate  (2023)	1,472
• Rank	519th of 565 in state 22nd of 26 in county
• Density	1,214.2/sq mi (468.8/km2)
• Density rank	359th of 565 in state 6th of 26 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	08825
Area code(s)	908
FIPS code	3401925350
GNIS feature ID	0885227
Website

Frenchtown is a small town, called a borough, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It sits right next to the Delaware River, about 32 miles northwest of Trenton, the state capital. In 2020, about 1,370 people lived here.

A Look at Frenchtown's Past

How Frenchtown Got Its Name

Over the years, this area had many different names. People called it Alexandriaville, Sunbeam, and Frenchtown. The name changed often because of the many ferry operators who helped people cross the river.

Frenchtown officially became a borough on April 4, 1867. This happened when the New Jersey Legislature passed a law to create it from parts of Alexandria Township. Later, in 1876, more land was added from Kingwood Township.

Bridges Connecting Frenchtown

The very first bridge across the Delaware River in Frenchtown was a wooden covered bridge. It was built in 1841 and had six sections. The five stone supports you see today are from that original bridge! This bridge made Frenchtown an important way to get to Pennsylvania.

Today, the Uhlerstown-Frenchtown Bridge is a steel bridge that connects Frenchtown to Uhlerstown, Pennsylvania. It's free to cross and is managed by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission.

Early Settlers and the French Connection

The Lenape Native Americans lived in this area for a long time. Around 1750, European settlers began to move in.

Around 1725, a group of French Huguenot refugees settled in Hunterdon County. They were from the Picardy region of France and had to leave their home because of religious persecution. One important early settler was Luther Calvin, who owned land and operated a ferry. He also owned a hotel.

In 1757, three landowners started planning streets and building lots near what was called Calvin's Ferry. They wanted to name the new town "Alexandria" after one of the owners, William Alexander, Lord Stirling.

In 1794, a man named Paul Henri Mallet-Prevost bought the land. He was from Switzerland and had fled the French Revolution. He and other early settlers spoke French. Because of this, people started calling the settlement "Frenchtown."

Growth with Canals, Railroads, and Factories

Frenchtown grew a lot over the years. Trading grain and other farm products became important. Boatmen and river workers helped the town grow by buying goods and food.

After Henri Mallet-Prevost passed away, his sons sold off parts of their property. This meant the town was no longer privately owned.

The arrival of the Belvidere Delaware Railroad in 1853 brought even more growth to Frenchtown. Factories started using steam power, and by the 1860s, many water-powered mills became larger factories. At this time, Frenchtown had three main hotels.

In 1889, a store called Britton Brothers Big Brick Store opened on Bridge Street, selling many different kinds of goods. The railroad eventually became part of the Pennsylvania Railroad. It doesn't run anymore, but you can still see its tracks.

The Delaware and Raritan Canal was built next to the Delaware River in the 1800s. However, when the railroad arrived, the canal was quickly abandoned. Its old towpaths are now a popular trail for biking and hiking. It's part of the Delaware and Raritan State Park Trail.

In the early 1900s, Frenchtown continued to grow with the opening of Frenchtown Porcelain Works and the Warren Paper Company plant in nearby Milford. The poultry industry also became important.

Floods in Frenchtown

In 1955, Hurricane Diane caused the Delaware River to rise very high. This flooded the streets of Frenchtown and other towns along the river, causing a lot of damage. Frenchtown has experienced flooding from other hurricanes since then.

Frenchtown's Location and Features

Frenchtown covers about 1.23 square miles (3.18 square kilometers). Most of this is land, with a small part being water.

Frenchtown shares its borders with Alexandria Township and Kingwood Township in Hunterdon County. Across the Delaware River, it borders Tinicum Township in Pennsylvania.

Frenchtown is also home to Frenchtown Solar. This is a large solar farm with three groups of solar panels. It covers 110 acres and has 68,500 solar panels, making it one of the biggest solar farms in New Jersey.

Who Lives in Frenchtown?

In 2010, there were 1,373 people living in Frenchtown. Most residents (about 96.65%) were White. About 5.10% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

The average age of people in Frenchtown in 2010 was about 42.6 years old. About 20.9% of the population was under 18 years old.

Frenchtown's Historic Buildings

Frenchtown Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
The Frenchtown Inn
Location	Bounded by 12th Street, Washington Street, the Delaware River and Nishisakawick Creek
Area	100 acres (40 ha)
Architectural style	Italianate, Greek Revival, Federal
NRHP reference No.	94000438
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 19, 1994

The Frenchtown Historic District is a special area that protects many old and important buildings. It covers about 100 acres and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. This means its history, architecture, and development are recognized as important.

The district includes 401 buildings that add to its historical value. It also includes the Uhlerstown–Frenchtown Bridge, which crosses the Delaware River.

• 

  Uhlerstown–Frenchtown Bridge crossing the Delaware River

Some notable buildings in the district include:

• The Frenchtown Inn, built in 1832, shows off Greek Revival architecture.
• The Frenchtown Station for the Belvidere Delaware Railroad was built around 1853 and is now a cafe.
• The Nathaniel Shurtz house, built around 1865, has an Italianate style.
• The Oddfellows Building, built in 1879, features Romanesque Revival architecture.

• 

  Former Frenchtown Station on the Belvidere Delaware Railroad

• 

  Nathaniel Shurtz house

• 

  Oddfellows Building

Education in Frenchtown

Elementary and Middle School

The Frenchtown School District serves students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. These students attend Edith Ort Thomas Elementary School. In the 2022–23 school year, there were 105 students and about 14 teachers, meaning there were about 7 students for every teacher.

High School Education

Students in ninth through twelfth grade attend Delaware Valley Regional High School. This high school is located in Frenchtown and serves students from several nearby towns, including Alexandria, Holland, Kingwood, Frenchtown, and Milford. In the 2022–23 school year, the high school had 722 students and about 60 teachers.

There are nine seats on the high school's board of education, and one of these seats is for a representative from Frenchtown.

Vocational School Options

Students from all over Hunterdon County who are in eighth grade can apply to special high school programs. These programs are offered by the Hunterdon County Vocational School District. They provide training for different careers and technical skills. Students do not have to pay tuition to attend these programs.

Getting Around Frenchtown

View east at the west end of Route 12 in Frenchtown

Frenchtown has about 10.32 miles of roads. Most of these roads are maintained by the town itself. Some are maintained by Hunterdon County, and a small part by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Several main roads pass through Frenchtown:

• Route 29 ends here.
• Route 12 starts here.
• Route 513 also starts here.

The Uhlerstown–Frenchtown Bridge is a free bridge over the Delaware River. It connects Route 12 in Frenchtown, New Jersey, with Pennsylvania Route 32 in Uhlerstown, Pennsylvania. This bridge was rebuilt in 1931 and is about 950 feet long.

Fun Events in Frenchtown

Frenchtown celebrates "La Fete Nationale" on Bastille Day in July. This event has a different theme each year, celebrating the town's "French heritage and flavor."

Famous People from Frenchtown

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Frenchtown:

• James Agee (1909–1955), an author and poet who lived in Frenchtown for a time.
• Elizabeth Gilbert (born 1969), the author of the popular book Eat, Pray, Love.
• Shea Hembrey (born 1974), a conceptual artist.
• Lois Hunt (1925–2009), a soprano opera singer.
• Anne Kursinski (born 1959), a top competitor in horse show jumping.
• Harvey Spencer Lewis (1883–1939), an author and mystic.
• J. Linus McAtee (1897–1963), a thoroughbred horse racing jockey.
• Barb Morrison (born 1967), a songwriter and record producer.
• Billy Pauch (born 1957), a race car driver.
• Anna Pump (1934–2015), a chef, cookbook author, and baker.
• Nathanael West (1903–1940), a novelist and screenwriter.

See also

In Spanish: Frenchtown para niños