Tag: New Jersey

Washington Crosses Jacob’s Creek

Following the crossing of the Delaware River by boat late on Christmas night, 1776, the Continental Army still had to march several miles through snow, sleet, hail and rain to attack Hessian troops at Trenton. Around 6:00 AM on December 26, they reached Jacob’s Creek. This stream they had to ford on foot, winching their cannons down one side of the steep ravine and back up the other side. Once they had crossed the stream, they still had two more hours of marching before reaching Trenton, where they would achieve a stunning victory over the Hessians.

Jacob's Creek in autumn
Jacob’s Creek in autumn. The water would have been higher, faster, and colder when Washington and his troops forded it on December 26, 1776.

In a footnote, historian David Hackett Fischer writes “The line of the road across Jacob’s Creek and its tributary stream must be walked to be understood. Even today after many improvements it presents exceptionally steep grades and sloping surfaces. The topography of the march has been missed in every major historical account of this event” (Fischer, Washington’s Crossing, 2004, p. 516)

Looking downstream at Jacob’s Creek.
Jacob's Creek bridge
The modern bridge at Jacob’s Creek. The earliest bridge here wasn’t built until 1796.

Featured image: Detail of interpretive sign near the modern bridge.

Jacob’s Creek Trail

This is a short hike mostly along the floodplain of Jacob’s Creek in Hopewell Township, New Jersey, managed by the Friends of Hopewell Valley Open Space. It was just damp and leaf-covered today, but the creek can flow powerfully through here after a rainstorm.

Remnant of stone wall that may have been used to dam Jacob’s Creek for ice harvesting.
Overgrown section of stone wall.
Maybe where some of the stone was quarried to build that dam.
Jacob’s Creek from the bridge.

Johnson Trolley Line, South and North

From 1901 to 1940, the Johnson “Fast Line” electric trolley (a.k.a. the Trenton-Princeton Traction Company) carried passengers from Trenton to Princeton.

So far, only about three miles of the former 15-mile-long route has been turned into a bike and walk path. The trail is currently split into two sections, bisected by Interstate 295, with no good way to get over it on foot or bike. Perhaps in the future the two segments will be connected.

The southernmost section is riddled with large holes and uneven surfaces, with wetlands and woods on either side. Even though warehouses and parking lots are nearby, it feels more wild. Traveling north, the trail becomes more civilized before petering out near the athletic fields of Rider University and the highway.

  • Over the Shabakunk
  • Trolley Line South

North of the interstate, the trail runs through suburbs before entering Lawrenceville. Here, it crosses, but is not part of, the Lawrence-Hopewell trail. At the end of the Johnson trail is the former office of the Johnson Ferry, which has been restored (with reproduction signage).

  • Complex Stormwater Features
  • Trolley Line North
  • End of the Line
  • The Johnson Trolley Powerhouse and Station
  • Reproduction Signs
  • Off the trail in Lawrenceville

Beastie Boy/Bikini Kill Lake House For Sale

…Pontoon party boat included. A 1955 house in Upper Greenwood Lake, New Jersey, owned by Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys and Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill, is for sale. The house is listed for just under $1 Million and property taxes are a very-reasonable-for-New Jersey $15,000 or so. The furniture, which goes all-in on the MCM vibe, has a staged feel, but the house appears to mostly retain the original kitchen and bathrooms.

#vintagebathroomlove
Relax with a view of the lake and Always Magic in the Air: The Bomp and Brilliance of the Brill Building Era. Source: NJMLS
Source: NJMLS

New York Bricks Go Boutique

Here’s a brief history of the New York brickmaking industry from the New York Times. New York did not have a monopoly on bricks; excellent clay deposits run through New Jersey and into Pennsylvania as well. The Sayre & Fisher Brick Company, in the town now known as Sayreville, New Jersey, was for a time the largest brickmaker in the world and in 1903, Pennsylvania was the largest brick producer in the nation.

A Clymer (Pennsylvania) brick found in Hoboken, New Jersey. Source: TCM.
Sayre & Fisher Reading Room, built of Sayre & Fisher bricks, in Sayreville, New Jersey. Source: KForce at English Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0.

But the Hudson Valley was also lined with dozens of brickyards, and since it’s the Hudson Valley, it should be no surprise that now one of them, the Hutton Brickyards, has been turned into a boutique hotel that preserves some of its history. Their “Genuine Experiences” do sound genuinely fun:

Our sprawling campus features whimsical invitations to fun: an archery range, croquet lawn, firepits and bicycles. Experience hikes, guided kayak experiences, paddle-boarding, running, outdoor yoga, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, bee-keeping and more!

huttonbrickyards.com
Hutton Brickyard. Source: hudsonwoods.com

Featured image: Hutton Brickworks in 2016, by Corey Seamer via Flickr, CC BY-NC 2.0.

Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve, Princeton

Source: TCM

With an elevation of about 200 feet, it’s not much of a mountain, but the lakes were created over a century ago to produce ice. In 1914, you could buy 100 pounds of ice for 30 cents from the Princeton Ice Company.

Most of the trails are for hikers only, but there are paved multi-use paths around the edge of the park, a road leading up to Palmer Lake, and a single unpaved trail for bikes that crosses over the outflow for the lake.

Blue Trail to the J. Seward Johnson Jr. Boardwalk. Source: TCM