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History of Andover NJ
The history of
Andover Township begins with the land. We are situated near the border
of the Kittatinny Valley and the Highlands. The Highlands extend in a
southwestern direction from Orange County, New York. They are composed
mainly of granite and gneiss, and form part of the oldest geological
strata in North America. Magnetite deposits in this area brought the
first permanent white settlers.
Lenni Lenape
However, the first human inhabitant in the area was the Lenni Lenape or
Delaware Indian. Just a few centuries before the white man arrived, they
came south probably from Southern Canada. It is known that they used the
Western tip of Lake Iliff as an overnight camping ground on their trips
to the Jersey shore, thereby setting a seasonal trend that has not yet
stopped. The trips were needed to collect salt for preservation, and
shells to make wampum. This is what the Florentine explorer Giovanni da
Verrazano found in 1524, when he became the first white man to step foot
in New Jersey. To the Indians, our area was a “summering” ground. Here
they found the weather comfortable, and an abundance of fish and game.
The rivers brought the first white settlers. They not only provided fish
for food, but also the easiest way to travel. Since there were no maps,
they followed the rivers and used nearby Indian trails. Early years were
undoubtedly little more than a great struggle to survive. Getting a fire
started, keeping it going continuously, making crude tools, learning to
grow Indian corn, life in this area 300 years ago was far from easy.
Iron
Then came the discovery that brought Andover Township its beginning.
While sitting at his fire, the man noted that the black rock around his
fire had melted. He made a small crude furnace, produced some poor
quality iron, and made a small tool from it. Eventually, the news got
back to Philadelphia, since the Delaware was the nearest and easiest
means of transport and communications. No one can say how long this
hypothetical story took, but happen it did. And into the area came the
exploiters to get the riches from the ground. They followed the
tributary rivers such as the Pequest and the Muscanetcong to their
headwaters. They found forests with game, lakes for fish, and streams to
supply power. The iron rich veins were located, and they were surrounded
by an abundant supply of wood to make charcoal for the smelting
operation. Sand and limestone for processing were also readily
available.
Under English Rule
In 1664, the early settlements around Newark Bay were brought under
English rule (the Dutch dispute this for the next five years). King
Charles II granted this territory to his brother, James, the Duke of
York. He in turn conveyed what is now New Jersey (Nova Caeseria) to Lord
Berklev and Sir Ceore Carteret. Berkley sold his holdings to two
Quakers, Edward Byllinge and John Fenwick for a thousand pounds
Sterling. Byllinge was in financial trouble in 1676 and sold to William
Penn. It was in 1676 that the boundary line establishing East and West
Jersey was agreed upon, placing most of what is now Sussex County in
West Jersey.
In 1694, the Assembly of West Jersey assigned its western section to the
jurisdiction of Burlington County. In 1709, all the present area of
Sussex came under Burlington when the General Assembly redefined the
boundaries of all existing counties. The Sussex region was a part of
Hunterdon, when it was created in 1714. In 1739, the northern section of
Hunterdon, including Sussex, was set off as Morris County. In 1753, all
the land north of the Musconetcong River was set off as Sussex County.
The severance of Warren County in 1824 completed the current county of
Sussex.
The Name “Andover”
It isn't clear where the name Andover came from. However, the name had
been applied to this entire area of the state at one time. The Penns and
their company referred to it as such, and all the early accounts are
derived from the Penns.
William Penn
William Penn, Cauen Lowry, and Nicholas Lucas held 90/l00ths of New
Jersey - Western Division. Some of the names into whose hands our part
of these holdings went include Robert Squib Sr., Robert Squib Jr.,
Thomas Byerly, Robert Barker, and George Clark. The date of the first
sale was March 2, 1676. The others followed.
Allen & Turner
By a deed dated September 1, 1749, at a Court forced public sale,
William Allen and Joseph Turner acquired 21,363 acres, which included
our area. They paid 3000 pounds, Proclamation money of the Province of
New Jersey for the property.
This huge tract included the “well known Andover mine and the village of
Andover with its forges and furnaces”. In this case, the village of
Andover referred as, is now the place we know as Waterloo. Waterloo is
also referred to as Old Andover and Andover Forge. Since 1674, this "Old
Andover" had been supplying Philadelphia with iron of superior quality.
The Furnace
In 1760, Allen and Turner of Philadelphia built a blast furnace and
forge on a branch of the Pequest River, in the present Andover Borough.
It is not known when operations really began at this location. An
inscribed date of 1761 on one of the buildings does not mean that a
previous operation had not been there. Colonel John Hackett managed the
operation, until his death in 1766.
For Rent
An advertisement on October 4, 1770 in the PENNSYLVANIA GAZETTE included
the following description of Andover Furnace:
To be LETT for a Term of YEARS Andover Furnace, situate in the County of
Sussex, in West New-Jersey, on a Branch of Paquest River, together with
an elegant Stone Dwelling-house, Stables, Smith's Shop, Springhouse, and
a Number of Outhouses for Workmen; a large Coal-house in which there is
at least 7 Week's Stock of Coals for the next Blast; also 5000 acres of
well timbered Land to accommodate the Furnace, . . . Scarcely a Mile
from the Furnace is an inexhaustible Body of Ore, which may be raised at
the easy Expense of 2s, per Ton, and makes Iron of a superior Quality to
any other in America, particularly for the Manufacture of Steel . . . .
For the Terms, apply to Mr. ARCHIBALD STEWART, who lives at the said
Furnace, or to Messieurs ALLEN and TURNER, in Philadelphia.
Iron For Sale
The ore processed was from the Andover Mine and the Tar Hill Mine.
Andover pig and bar iron had a very good reputation and was sold
extensively under its brand name as can be seen by the following
advertisement in the NEW YORK GAZETTE and THE WEEKLY MERCURY, March 1
1773:
ANDOVER PIG METAL, to be sold by the subscriber, at Elizabeth-Town.
Gentlemen in New York may be supplied with any quantity, on giving the
shortest notice to JOHN BLANCHARD. ANDOVER BAR IRON TO BE SOLD By James
and Alexander Stewart, On Cruger's Wharf. In the PENNSYLVAMA GAZETTE for
the date June 29, 1774: JAMES AND ALEXANDER STEWART, On Cruger’s Wharf,
have for sale, Andover bar - iron, neatly drawn and warranted genuine;
likewise Andover pig iron, any quantity of which can be delivered on the
shortest notice.
Labor
Working conditions were probably not the best at the Andover Iron Works,
which included the Mine, the Furnace, and the Forge (Waterloo). Hardly
an issue of the New York or Philadelphia newspapers in the 1760's and
1770's was printed that did not have reference to runaway indentured
servants. They offered rewards plus all expenses for the return of the
fugitives.
William Kirby, a deserter from the British army during the French and
Indian War tells us what the times were like. In 1762, while passing
through Sussex County, and stopping at Sussex Court House (Newton), he
sold a pair of stockings for seven shillings. "There," he said "we
bought a bottle of rum and on our march we met an old woman and gave her
a dram." As he went by Colonel Hackett's house, he saw the Colonel
sitting on his porch. Hackett immediately thought that the man was a
deserter from the army, and told him so plainly, but he said that he
would keep his secret if Kirby would work for him at the Andover mine.
Kirby agreed to do so, and remained for some time. He later went to the
Ringwood mine. He tells how the men tried to cheat each other. The
woodchopper piled his wood so as to cheat the collier. The collier put
his charcoal into baskets in such a manner as to deceive the Iron
Master. And he, not to loose out, sold his provisions to the men at an
extortionate price. As a result, said Kirby, “when they had worked six
months, if they had anything coming, they may perhaps get a few rags to
cover their nakedness at a very dear price, but as for money they will
get none though they have ever so much need of it.”
In the issue of July 5, 1762, THE NEW YORK MERCURY tells of the robbery
"of a peddler near the Andover Iron Works, county of Sussex, and
Province of New Jersey".
Land Stripped For Charcoal
Even the land was stripped bare for the forges. All of the iron ore was
smelted with charcoal and all the forges burned it. Except for the
steepest slopes and rockiest ledges, every acre of Sussex County was cut
over. Coming on old stonewalls in the forest; we wonder how the farmers
cleared all the land. Well, they didn't. Every desirable tree had a
dollar sign and the charcoal burners had taken every tree worth cutting,
especially the hard woods.
It took skilled hands to make charcoal and not ashes. It was big
business and the air of Sussex County was blue with smoke. The earliest
forest was probably more attractive than our current forest. What we see
is probably the third growth, since the land was again cut over for
lumber after the charcoal burners went away.
Revolution
William Allen and Joseph Turner were staunch loyalists, and, to save
their properties, they transferred much of their holdings to other
members of the family, or to friends. Since most of the iron produced
was shipped chiefly to England, near the end of 1777, the
Quartermaster's Department of the American Army began to have
difficulties in securing satisfactory iron for its artificers. Congress
in Philadelphia adopted the following resolution on January 5, 1778:
Resolved, That the Board of War be authorized to direct Col. Flower to
make a Contract with Mr. Whitehead Humphrey’s on the terms of the former
agreement or such other as Coll. Flower shall deem equitable, for making
a quantity of Steel for the supply of the Continental artificers and
works with that necessary article; and as the Iron made at the Andover
Works only with Certainty answer the purpose of making Steel, Coll.
Flower be directed to apply to the Government of New Jersey to put a
proper person in possession of these works (the same belonging to
persons who adhere to the enemies of these States) upon such terms as
the Government of the State of New Jersey shall think proper; and that
Col. Flower contract with the said person for such quantity of iron as
he shall think the service requires.
Governor Livingston, in transmitting this resolution to the General
Assembly, made the following comments:
“As good steel is an article so indispensably necessary not only for the
purpose of war, but those of internal husbandry, and it is said that
Andover iron is better suited to this business than any other in
America, I doubt not you will readily comply with the expectations of
the Congress in this respect, I cannot upon this occasion help remarking
that as no articles whatsoever can with less difficulty be dispensed
with in military operations than iron and steel, you will find upon the
slightest recollection, that none of our citizens are more generally
disaffected than those who are interested or employed in the
manufacturing of iron. A strong presumption that the enemy had been
particularly industrious in corrupting these men, with a view to
distress us in a most essential point”.
Owners Impossible
New Jersey Gazette, March 4, 1778: It was found impossible to treat with
the owners, and the following appeal was made to the Governor to obtain
possession of the works.
War Office, May 25, 1778: The Board not having thought proper to agree
with Col. John Patton for the carrying on the Andover Iron Works, have
instructed Col. Flower to apply to the government of your state and
procure possession of the Works for Col. Thomas Maybury, with whom the
terms of the contract are settled, on condition of his getting the
possession agreeable to the resolution of Congress. As we find it
absolutely necessary to put these works in blast, the Board beg the
favor of your Excellency to assist Col. Flower or Col. Maybury in the
business; they will necessarily have to have such, relative to these
works with the government of your state.
I have the honor to be, with great esteem, your very obed't serv't,
By order of the Board Richard Peters,
His Excellency, Gov. Livingston.
Nationalized
Colonel Thomas Maybury was put in charge of the furnace, and under his
supervision considerable quantities of pig iron were furnished the
American ironworkers.
The Colonel Benjamin Flower referred as Commissary of Military Stores
under the Board of War and was in command of a regiment of artillery
artificers whose duties were to cast cannon, bore guns, and prepare
ammunition for the army. He was with General Washington at Morristown in
January 1777, re-equipping the Continental troops encamped there.
It is also said that from Andover came part of the "Great Chain” or
“West Point Chain”, which kept the British from coming up the Hudson
River during the Revolution.
For Rent Again
The war drew to a close. Just how long the Andover Iron Works operated
under the Board of War is not known. However, all work discontinued
about 1780, and it was offered for rent in the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET on
December 2, 1780:
TO BE LETT
ANDOVER FURNACE and FORGE
Situate in County of Sussex, New Jersey. They are now in good repair,
and may be entered upon immediately:
And a large QUANTITY of WOOD ready cut, For terms apply to ARCHIBALD
STEWART at Hacket’s town, or to JOHN LARDNER in Philadelphia N.B. Some
NEGROES belonging to said Works, to be SOLD.
Cooper & Hewitt
The Andover Mine lay idle from about 1800 to 1848. In that year, Cooper
& Hewitt acquired the property in the name of the Andover Iron Company.
Under Edward Cooper and Abram S Hewitt, the mine produced at the rate of
50, 000 tons of ore annually, at a time when all production of Sussex
and Warren mines was only 143,000 tons.
To transport this load they "steel-shod” the old mule road to the Morris
canal at Waterloo, and this became the first “rail” road in Sussex Co.
It later became known as the Sussex Mine Railroad.
Rails
A shrewd businessman, Abe Hewitt built, at Phillipsburg, the largest
blast furnace seen in America at the time. He roamed the hills of north
Jersey, visiting old forges and furnaces, testing and sampling. In 1847,
he found what he wanted at the old Andover Mine. When he tested some
fragments of pigs he found in the underbrush, his eyes shown. In his
hands, he held the whole railroad rail business of the United States.
Early rails would split frequently, and Hewitt knew if he could get good
quality ore, he could make rails that wouldn1t split.
Playing the role of the reluctant buyer, he stole the mine for $2,
500.00. From this Andover ore, he was able to make not only his rails,
but also the first structural steel. In 1855, Nassau Hall at Princeton
University was gutted by fire. It was rebuilt inside with Hewitt1s
railroad rails for I-beams. They are still there today.
Cable wire for the bridge at Niagara Falls came from the Andover Mine.
And later, during the Civil War, Andover iron made rifle barrels that
could be relied on.
The Mine
The Andover Mine was really the source of our development up to this
time. Today, this mine is an 850- foot long trough-shaped pit, 70 feet
deep and about that wide on the western edge of the hills. The ore was
hematite, a metamorphosed type of limonite, and formed on an old land
surface existing over 500 million years ago. That is why it is hematite;
limonite as old as that turns to hematite. There is also some magnetite
in the mine. The ore pitched underground to the north and was followed
to a distance of 2OO feet or more eventually. The ore ran 40 to 57%
iron. Pure hematite would have run 70% iron, the rest oxygen. There is a
pig on view at the Sussex County Historical Society in Newton. It came
from the old charcoal furnace. It assays about 89% iron, 5% carbon and
6% manganese. It was the manganese that made the iron hard, and the
demand for it was great, as shown above.
No battles of the Revolution were fought in the county. However,
supplies from this area were extremely important during Washington's two
winters at Morristown. Broken-down cavalry horses were distributed to
local farms to be nursed back to health. This operation was so
successful that the county became the leading convalescent center for
the horseflesh of the Continental Army.
A last reference about the Revolution period must include Lt. James
Moody. The Tory raider has emerged as our most romantic figure in the
Revolution. Headquartered at “Moody’s Rock” at the Big Muckshaw Pond, on
our border with Fredon, the legend of his exploits may contain a grain
of truth, but not much more than that. What is known for sure is that he
did operate in the county for about a year, early 1780 to early 1781.
His purpose here was to recruit for His Majesty’s New Jersey Volunteers.
Some of these legends stretch credibility.
Development
Iron men, farmers, and indentured servants had been flocking into
northwestern New Jersey since 1740.
Most movement was north from Philadelphia, the metropolis of the day and
the center of Quakerism. All of this section, northwestern New Jersey,
was claimed by and parceled out by the Penns.
Germany Flats
One of the earlier settlements in Andover Township is Germany Flats, in
our northeastern section. The name was given due to the nationality of
the settlers farming here before and after the Revolution.
Among the first in this vicinity were John Sheeler, Jacob Maines, Peter
Washer, Frederick Arvis, and John Blair.
John Blair occupied a farm in the vicinity of the railroad crossing on
Mulford Creamery Road. After this, the farm was occupied be Fred Arvis.
In 1820, it was purchased by Annanias and Elisha Mulford. On part of the
farm, they erected a log cabin that they converted into a tavern to
accommodate weary travelers on the stagecoach between Newton and Sparta.
The tavern was a rather shabby place, but it did a good business.
A few years after the tavern was established, a Miss Bunnell came to
teach a private school in the Mulford house. In a short time, she and
Elisha Mulford were married. The brothers broke up their partnership,
Annanias moving to Ohio, and Elisha to Illinois.
John Case
One of the older farms in the Germany Flats area is that of the Case
family. About 1840, John Case was the first to settle the land. The
present house and barns were built in the 1840's and are still being
operated as a farm, by the fifth generation of the Case family.
Nathan Drake
The beginning of the history of the land along the Newton-Sparta Road,
from the culvert to Washer's farm is limited. In Snell's History, it is
stated that a David Sausmahouse, later changed to Sausman, came from
Germany and settled on what was known as the Drake Farm. It is stated in
a deed to David's sons, William and Henry Sausmahouse, that on May 10,
1796, a tract of 242 acres of ground was purchased from John Armstrong
then in the Township of Newton and later known as part of Andover.
Records in Newton show that Nathan Drake purchased several small
adjoining farms in 1836. On June 27, 1866, he conveyed this land to
George M. Drake. Later it was divided between George and Martin Drake
and then united again. In 1884 it was sold to James Northrup.
Recent history goes into more detail. Mr. and Mrs. James Cox bought this
property (about Z08 acres) in 1938 from a Mrs. Rundel. Her maiden name
was Northrup and she was a descendant of the Drake family. Mr. and Mrs.
Cox lived here for fifteen years. They had the house completely restored
when they moved to the farm in 1938. Mr. and Mrs. Cox revised the name
Drake Pond Farm because the old geological maps of a hundred years ago
showed the name of Drake's Pond. Mr. and Mrs. John Knox reportedly over
200 years old now own this home. It is said that runaway slaves were
hidden here during the Civil War.
Jacob Strader
Along Germany Flats Road is the Farmstead Golf & country club. The old
house and barn (club house) were the main buildings on the Jacob Strader
farm as shown on the 1860 geological map. In 1875, the property was sold
to James and Amy Iliff. It has passed down through the years to become
one of the areas most relaxing clubs. This site will continue to be
researched.
J. Current
Just up the road is the Meyerlea Farm. The house, a beautiful classical
revival structure was built prior to 1860. At that time, it was owned by
J. Current. Additional historical research will be done on this site
also.
Pinkneyville
Pinkneyville is a community along the old road to Sparta, on the
northeast edge of the Township Some early references to this area have
been found, and they are offered for your informatlo' William McDevitt,
an early resident of the area now called Pinkneyvifle, moved to Andover
Village in 1812 to work for Joseph Northrup. He later moved to a farm
near the village and operated a sawmill for his employer.
Other early settlers at Pinkneyville were Peter and John Maines, and
George Haggerty. Richard and Jonathan McPeake also lived in this area
about 1800. Merritt Pinkney opened a store and blacksmith shop at the
settlement that was later to bear his name.
In the 1872 HISTORICAL SKERTCH OF THE COUNTY, Pinkneyville is described
as “a little mining village, with only a few small cottages.”
Merritt Pinkney
One of the oldest houses in the Township is the Pinkney House now owned
by Mr. and Mrs. John R. Reed III. .Merritt Pinkney, built he center
section of the house in 1834. Much of the earliest history of this house
is hidden in the almost undecipherable archives at the Hall of Records
in Newton, the Public Records Office in Trenton, and in the actions of
the General Assembly.
In 1769, when William Allen Esq. (the Allen of Allen & Turner who
purchased 21,363 acres at the public sale) drew up his will, he was
owner of 5/6 interest in the enterprise. In 1784, Mary Allen, widow of
John Allen, son of William Allen Esq., petitioned the legislature of New
Jersey to enact a law granting her the right to sell the interests of
her minor children in the Andover Iron Works. In the petition, it is
stated that 5/16 interest was divised by William Allen Esq. to his
grandsons John and William. She received permission, but it was not
until an act of the General Assembly, passed November 21, 1808,
authorized the appointment of a commission to divide the lands.
Lot #1, Share #1 came to grandson John1s daughter Mary. This tract,
including the location of the house was sold to Richard R. Morris and
David Ryerson on May 1, 1830. They sold to Annanias and Elisha Mulford
on July 7, 1831, and they sold to Merritt Pinkney on June 24, 1834. On
that day, for $4, 960.09, Pinkney purchased 291 acres.
Merritt was born October 15, 1800, at North Salem, Westchester County,
New York, the son of poor parents, John and Anna. One of eight children,
he came to Newton at the age of 19, married Miss Eliza, daughter of
Abram Merritt, Esq. He was hard working and energetic as a business man,
and acquired a great deal of property. At the time of his death,
February 16, 1884, he was one of the wealthiest men in Sussex County.
Almost immediately after acquiring the property, he built a general
store that remained open until around 1900, and a blacksmith shop. He
also farmed his land as can be seen by the large barn still on the
property. At one point, he operated a shoe shop in the site that is now
the home of Mrs. Joseph Haas.
On what was then called in succession, “The Mountain Tract”, ”The Allen
Tract”, and now called “The Homestead Tract”, there stood a small two
room house. As yet, no records have been found indicating who built it,
but is said to be post-Revolution, about 1790.
Pinkney used this as the nucleus of a new and larger and more elegant
home that he built after acquiring the property. The date of its
completion is not recorded, but as it took longer then than now to build
a home, it is doubtful whether it was completed before 1835. No doubt he
lived in the small house while the larger was being built. The new part
is Greek revival, with Georgian overtones. Both parts of the house are
of solid brick, inside and out, with the hard plaster of the time
applied directly over the inside brick walls and stucco on the outside
walls. Even the room partitions were built in this manner. The house
still retains the wide floorboards, elaborately carved mantels and trim,
much of the original window glass, and fireplaces. The bake oven's
characteristic beehive shape can still be seen on the outside wall of
what used to be the kitchen. The front portico is said to be one of the
most beautiful in Sussex County. The bricks for this house most likely
came from the brickyard along the Springdale-Greendell Road, as it was
the only known brickyard in the area. Around the turn of the century,
the Pinkney's had reduced in number to Annie F., daughter of Merritt's
son William. Living in Newton, she rented the farm to various local
families including the Hooeys and the Current The present owners
purchased the last remaining acres including the house and barn in 1969
Other parts of the original farm are now found to include Sussex Park
Homes, Lenape Trucking, Florence M. Byrd School, and private owners.
William Pinkney
In 1858, Merritt sold part of the land to his son William, born May 12,
1822. William built the home now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. D1Angelo, at
the corner of Newton-Sparta Road and Lime-crest Roads. William was the
first director of the Merchants National Bank when it organized in 1865.
He remained a director of the bank until his death January 12, 1898.
W. M. Iliff
The home of Mr. and Mrs. David Ewing on Current Drive has had a busy
history. For a long time it was the home of one of Andover Townships’
largest and most well known families, the Currents. On the 1860 map, the
house is shown as a tenant farm owned by W. M. Iliff. When it was built
has not been discovered. However~ the Currents bought the farm in the
1920's. It was there that most of Charles and Carrie Current1s children
grew up. More research will be done on this home.
John Beaty
Another classical revival home that has been altered very little since
it was built prior to 1860, is the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Nystrand.
On the 1860 map, the owner is shown to be Mr. John Beaty. More research
will be done on this property also.
A. Valentine
On Kilroy Road, where it meets the Andover-Mohawk Road, is an old home
on what is commonly known as the Valentine property. It is now the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Cornelius Mc Carthy. In 1942 it was owned by Charles
Orben and was occupied by Louis T. Niper. There are the ruins of an old
stone structure across the road from the house. They are said to be the
ruins of an old icehouse. Who the first settler was to locate here has
not yet been uncovered. On the 1860 map, the owner of the property is
shown as A Valentine, and the house was definitely built prior to that
time. Additional research will be done on this site.
J. Wilson
On Ballantine Road, off the Andover Mohawk Road is the home of Mr. and
Mrs. P. H. Ballantine. The 1860 map shows the owner and resident was Mr.
J. Wilson. The main section of the house may have been built by Mr.
Wilson, however, the oldest section, to the rear, was built much
earlier. Much more research will be done on this property.
Andover Mine
On Limecrest Road, just north of Old Creamery Road is the entrance to
the site of the Andover Mine. This site has been reported on extensively
in the beginning of this book. This site is Andover Township1s only site
of national historic significance. It is now the property of the
Aeroflex Corporation
Andover Township NJ Web Site
Andover Township NJ Real Estate
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