Readingsburg, New Jersey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Readingsburg, New Jersey
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Stuccoed stone house with Colonial Revival embellishment
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 Readingsburg, New Jersey
Location in Hunterdon County, New Jersey
Readingsburg, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Readingsburg, New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Hunterdon |
| Township | Clinton |
| Named for | James Newell Reading |
| Elevation | 97 m (318 ft) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 883138 |
Readingsburg, also known as Stone Mill, is a small community in Clinton Township, Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It is located along the South Branch Raritan River. This area is known for its beautiful natural setting.
The community is found where County Route 639 meets Raritan River Road and Cokesbury Road. It is about 3.6 miles northeast of Spruce Run Reservoir. It is also about 4.5 miles east-southeast of Hampton.
Readingsburg is in the Highlands area of New Jersey. It sits in a narrow, wooded valley. This valley was carved by the South Branch of the Raritan River. The river flows through the first hills rising from the lowlands.
The small village is mostly on the east bank of the river. It has several houses clustered around the crossroads. There are also old mill sites along the river. The area is surrounded by woodlands. The town of Highbridge is about 1 mile south. The village of Cokesbury is several miles to the east.
Readingsburg, or Stone Mill, was once home to mills powered by water. These mills were active in the 18th and 19th centuries. The area was added to the State Register of Historic Sites in 1999.
The people who owned and ran the mill used to live in the stone house at 2 Stone Mill Road. The building at 450 Cokesbury Road was once the General Store.
History of Readingsburg
The community gets its name from James Newell Reading. He lived from 1808 to 1884. James was a great-great grandson of John Reading. John Reading was a colonial governor of New Jersey.
James Newell Reading built a saw mill here between 1847 and 1849. You can still see parts of the old mill today. They are right across the street from the stone house at 2 Stone Mill Road. The mill owners used to live in that stone house.
The stone house at 2 Stone Mill Road started as a smaller wooden house. This was the east wing of the current building. It had a porch on the second story that faced the river. In the mid-1800s, the left side of the house was added.
When the mill closed in the 1940s, the house was covered with stone. This stone came from the original mill across the road. The house has been through several fires. A big fire in 2013 almost destroyed it. Despite this, some original parts of the house are still there. These include deep window wells and stone walls.
Readingsburg Historic District
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Readingsburg Historic District
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Stone house with Greek Revival influences
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| Location | Cokesbury and Stone Mill Roads, County Route 639 |
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| Area | 25 acres (10 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000176 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | March 3, 2000 |
The Readingsburg Historic District is a special area. It covers 25 acres of the community. This district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 3, 2000. It is important for its architecture and how the community developed.
The district includes eight important buildings. It also has two important structures and two important sites. The house at 450 Cokesbury Road shows Italianate and Queen Anne styles. It has a low-pitched hip roof.
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Italianate style house at 450 Cokesbury Road
Fun Places to Visit
The Columbia Trail goes right through Readingsburg. This trail connects to the nearby Ken Lockwood Gorge. The gorge is in Lebanon Township. You can also reach the gorge by taking Raritan River Road. Raritan River Road continues from Stone Mill Road into the Ken Lockwood Gorge.
