The ABBOTT FARM NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK INTERPRETIVE PLAN
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THE ABBOTT FARM NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK INTERPRETIVE PLAN CULTUral RESOUrcE TECHnical docUMENT HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, MERCER COUNTY BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP AND THE CITY OF BORDENTOWN, BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY Prepared for: COUNTY OF MERCER Prepared by: HUNTER RESEARCH, INC. AUGUST 2009 THE ABBOTT FARM NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK INTERPRETIVE PLAN CULTUral RESOUrcE TECHnical docUMENT HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, MERCER COUNTY BORDENTOWN TOWNSHIP AND THE CITY OF BORDENTOWN, BURLINGTON COUNTY, NEW JERSEY Prepared For: County of Mercer Prepared By: Richard Hunter, Principal Damon Tvaryanas, Principal Architectural Historian/Historian with David Byers, Landscape Architect R. Michael Stewart, Ph.D., Prehistorian AUGUST 2009 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The research undertaken in support of this document, and the production of the document itself, have been fund- ed by a historic site management grant from the Garden State Historic Preservation Trust Fund (administered by the New Jersey Historic Trust) and by a grant from the Mercer County Open Space Preservation Trust Fund. Compiling and analyzing the voluminous cultural resources data that pertains to the Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark (AFNHL) has been an exceptionally daunting task that would have been well nigh impos- sible to complete without the input and assistance of several valued colleagues, amongst whom are government officials, cultural resource and planning professionals, scholars and knowledgeable residents. Within Mercer County government we offer profound thanks to Lisa Fritzinger, Supervising Planner, and Marisa Wieczorek, Senior Planner, of the Planning Division. Throughout this exercise, Lisa and Marisa have kept us on task, provided us with critical background information and mapping, and shared their immense enthusiasm for the cultural and natural history of the landmark. The completion of this project is a testimony to their responsible and energetic public service. The technical document presented here is but part of a larger planning exercise. Hunter Research’s scope of services has primarily involved the gathering, digesting and processing of technical cultural resources, recre- ational and tourism data to be fed to interpretive planning consultants Jane Clark Chermayeff & Associates LLC. We appreciate greatly the productive dialog with this firm that has developed over the course of more than a year. The gently probing and persistent questions of Jane Clark Chermayeff, Principal, Jill Gilmartin and Julia Rousakis have frequently caused us to look at the landmark with a fresh eye and with a clearer sense of how the public might experience its often-hard-to-appreciate treasures. Numerous colleagues have graciously shared with us their superior knowledge of the landmark. Of particular note here is Gregory Lattanzi, Registrar of the New Jersey State Museum, who knows so intimately the sprawl- ing collection of Abbott Farm data and arcana within this institution. Greg has been unfailingly patient with our seemingly endless requests for information and access to the museum’s files. Robert Cunningham, an exceptionally observant lifelong resident of the landmark, has kindly shared several decades’ worth of passion- ate interest in the history and archaeology of the Hamilton-Trenton area. We appreciate the assistance also of Mary Allessio Leck, Emeritus Professor, Rider University, Wendy Nardi of the Trenton Public Library, Scott Stanford of the New Jersey Geological Survey, and the staffs of the New Jersey State Library, the New Jersey State Archives and the Hamilton Township public library. Hunter Research has leaned heavily on the advice and expertise of three subconsultants: Michael Stewart, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology, Temple University; David Byers, CLA; and Gail Hunton, Historic Preservation Planner. Michael, unquestionably the pre-eminent prehistorian of the AFNHL, has played an invaluable role in our work, supplying data and ensuring we provide balanced and current inter- i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (CONTINUED) pretations of the resources. The bulk of Chapter 3 of this document has been written by Dr. Stewart. David, with his background as a landscape architect at the New Jersey Department of Transportation, prior involve- ment with the Trenton Complex highway project and extensive local knowledge, gathered and presented the recreational and tourism data provided in Appendix C and the attached CD. Gail has provided valuable insights into the potential interpretive development and management of the landmark and its component historic sites. We appreciate profoundly the contributions of each of these consultants. Within the Hunter Research staff, background research has been carried out by Cheryl Hendry, Damon Tvaryanas and Richard Hunter. Fieldwork, both fieldwalking and canoeing, were conducted by William Liebeknecht, Damon Tvaryanas, Cheryl Hendry and Richard Hunter. Database tasks (design, data entry and data presentation) were handled by Cheryl Hendry and Charles Ashton. Resource mapping was undertaken by Frank Dunsmore and Katie Murphy. Graphic design work and report layout were completed by Marjan Osman under the direction of James Lee. This report was written by Richard Hunter and Damon Tvaryanas with assis- tance from Cheryl Hendry, and edited and organized by James Lee and Richard Hunter. Richard W. Hunter, Ph.D. Principal/President ii TABLE OF CONTENTS page Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................... i Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................................iii List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................................... v List of Plates ......................................................................................................................................................vii List of Tables ...................................................................................................................................................... ix 1. INTRODUCTION A. Project Background ....................................................................................................................................1-1 B. Methodology ...............................................................................................................................................1-4 2. GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING A. Drainage ......................................................................................................................................................2-1 B. Topography .................................................................................................................................................2-1 C. Geology and Soils .......................................................................................................................................2-3 D. Current Land Use ........................................................................................................................................2-9 3. PREHISTORIC OVERVIEW A. Regional Setting ..........................................................................................................................................3-1 B. Detailed Regional Context ..........................................................................................................................3-2 C. The Abbott Farm National Historic Landmark ...........................................................................................3-7 D. The Native American Descendant Community ........................................................................................3-13 4. LAND USE HISTORY A. Colonial Settlement ....................................................................................................................................4-1 B. The American Revolution .........................................................................................................................4-15 C. Joseph Bonaparte and Point Breeze ..........................................................................................................4-21 D. Railroad and Canal ...................................................................................................................................4-31 E. Charles Conrad Abbott and “Three Beeches”...........................................................................................4-39 F. Suburbs, Infrastructure and Recreation .....................................................................................................4-58 5. ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY ...............................................................................................................5-1 6. SUMMARY OF CULTURAL RESOURCES .............................................................................................6-1 A. Prehistoric Resources ..................................................................................................................................6-1 B. Historic Resources ....................................................................................................................................6-11 iii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) page REFERENCES ...............................................................................................................................................