Editing Flemington, New Jersey (section)

==History==
===18th century===
Before European settlement, the land that comprises Flemington, as was all of Hunterdon County, was the territory of the [[Lenape|Lenni Lenape]] [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. In 1712, as part of a land parcel of {{convert|9,170|acre|km2}}, the Flemington area was acquired by [[William Penn]] and [[Daniel Coxe]].

The surrounding fertile farmland dictated that the beginnings of Flemington were agricultural. Early German and English settlers engaged in industries dependent on farm products. As time passed poultry and dairy farms superseded crops in agricultural importance. An example of early settlement families was Johann David and Anna Maria Ephland, who emigrated in 1709 from Germany through London to New York and settled on his {{convert|147.5|acre|km2|adj=on}} farm in 1717. They raised their seven children, and two from his previous marriage, on the farm that now makes up the core of Flemington.

On December 14, 1776, during the [[American Revolutionary War]], a party of British dragoons led by Cornet [[Francis Geary (British Army officer)|Francis Geary]] raided a store owned by Thomas Lowrey near the Presbyterian Church in Flemington to seize a supply of guns. On their return to [[Pennington, New Jersey|Pennington]], local militia led by Captain [[John Schenck]] ambushed them and killed their commander. This skirmish is now known as the [[Ambush of Geary]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mott |first1=George Scudder |title=History of the Presbyterian Church in Flemington, New Jersey |date=1894 |pages=14–17 |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofpresbyt00mott/page/16 |oclc=1046526468}}</ref>

In 1785, Flemington was chosen as the County Seat of Hunterdon. Fire destroyed the old courthouse in 1826 and the City of [[Lambertville, New Jersey|Lambertville]] made an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to have the seat relocated there. Flemington remained the County Seat and the Courthouse which stands today on Main Street was built.{{citation needed|date=November 2019}}

===19th century===
Present-day Flemington was originally formed as a [[town (New Jersey)|town]] by an act of the [[New Jersey Legislature]] on March 14, 1870, within portions of [[Raritan Township, New Jersey|Raritan Township]]. It became a [[village (New Jersey)|village]] as of June 11, 1894, still within Raritan Township. Flemington was finally incorporated as an independent borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 7, 1910, based on the results of a [[referendum]] held on April 26, 1910, and was formally separated from Raritan Township. The borough's incorporation was confirmed on April 27, 1931.<ref name=Story>Snyder, John P. [https://www.state.nj.us/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968''], Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 155. Accessed August 7, 2012.</ref> the borough was named for Samuel Fleming.<ref>Hutchinson, Viola L. [http://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/356/nj_place_names_origin.pdf#page=13 ''The Origin of New Jersey Place Names''], New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed August 31, 2015.</ref>

In 1856, the Hunterdon County Agricultural society purchased {{convert|40|acre|ha}} of land that would accommodate the people, exhibits and livestock for the County (Flemington) Fair. The purpose of this Fair was to promote competition between farmers, stock raisers and machinery manufacturers. The fair was held every year at the Flemington Fairgrounds which also was the site of Flemington Fair Speedway, later [[Flemington Speedway|Flemington Raceway]].

===20th century===
On February 13, 1935, a jury in Flemington found [[Richard Hauptmann|Bruno Richard Hauptmann]] guilty of the [[Lindbergh kidnapping|kidnapping and murder]] of [[Charles Lindbergh]]'s baby boy.<ref>The Learning Network. [http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/feb-13-1935-lindbergh-baby-kidnapper-found-guilty-of-murder/ "Feb. 13, 1935 | Lindbergh Baby Kidnapper Found Guilty of Murder"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', February 13, 2012. Accessed July 10, 2014. "On Feb. 13, 1935, a jury in Flemington, N.J., found Bruno Richard Hauptmann guilty of first-degree murder in the kidnapping-death of the infant son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh and Anne Lindbergh."</ref> The [[Union Hotel (Flemington, New Jersey)|Union Hotel]], opposite the courthouse in which this trial took place, housed several journalists reporting on the event.

In the 1980s, Flemington became home to Liberty Village, the first outlet mall in the United States; by 2023, Liberty Village set empty, awaiting demolition and redevelopment.<ref>Furst, Camille. [https://www.nj.com/news/2022/12/farewell-liberty-village-nations-oldest-outlet-mall-is-a-ghost-town-in-final-shopping-days.html "Farewell, Liberty Village: Nation's oldest outlet mall is a 'ghost town' in final shopping days"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], December 28, 2022. Accessed May 20, 2024. "For decades, the beloved brick walkways winding through the outlets at Liberty Village in Hunterdon County were a destination for shoppers in the days leading up to Christmas and Hanukkah. The outdoor mall — founded as the nation's first major outlet center in the 1980s — drew shoppers from around New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York."</ref>

From 1992 through 1995, the speedway hosted the [[Race of Champions (modified racing)|Race of Champions]], a race for modified racers.<ref>[http://raceofchampions.net/ROC-Weekend] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714162642/http://raceofchampions.net/ROC-Weekend|date=July 14, 2014}}, Race of Champions. Accessed July 10, 2014.</ref> The speedway hosted a [[NASCAR]] [[NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series|Craftsman Truck Series]] race from 1995 to 1998. In 2003, the County Fair adopted a new name, the Hunterdon County 4-H and Agricultural Fair, and moved to the South County Park in [[East Amwell Township, New Jersey|East Amwell Township]].

===21st century===
In the 2010s, local controversy erupted over proposed re-development of the shuttered Union Hotel. By 2021, a settlement was reach to allow a hotel with 100 rooms and nearly 200 apartments and retail space at the site.<ref>Deak, Mike. [https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/local/courts/2021/09/15/flemington-nj-union-hotel-lawsuits-settled-heres-what-means/8331657002/ "Courts: 'Flemington residents will be happy': Settlements reached in redevelopment lawsuits"], ''[[Courier News]]'', September 15, 2021. Accessed May 20, 2024. "But, following a change in the borough's political administration and negotiations after the litigation was filed, Cust and the borough agreed to a scaled-down plan still calling for the 100-room hotel, but reducing the number of apartments to 192 and reducing the height of the building, 21,967 square feet of non-residential space and retention of portions of the hotel building, the bank building and the potting shed building."</ref>

===Historic landmarks===
By 1980, 65% of Flemington borough had been included on the [[New Jersey Register of Historic Places]] and is now on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] as the [[Flemington Historic District]].

* [[Union Hotel (Flemington, New Jersey)|Union Hotel]] – Early 19th century hotel in downtown Flemington that served as a restaurant until its 2008 closure. The current structure dates to 1877, built on the site of what had been a stagecoach stop that dates to 1814.<ref>Brickman, Rachael S. [http://www.nj.com/hunterdon/index.ssf/2008/09/union_hotel_closes_liquor_lice.html "Union Hotel closes; liquor license stays"], [[NJ.com]], September 26, 2008. Accessed July 10, 2014. "The Union Hotel, which sits on an acre of property across the street from the old courthouse, got its start as a stagecoach stop called Hart's Hotel in 1814. It was rebuilt several times over the years, and reached its current form in 1877."</ref>
* [[Hunterdon County Courthouse]] – Historic court house where the Lindbergh Trial took place. Now used for County offices.
* [[Samuel Fleming House|Fleming Castle]] / Samuel Fleming House – First house in Flemington, 5 Bonnell Street. Purchased by the Borough of Flemington in 2005 and operated as a historical museum by the Friends of Fleming Castle.<ref>[http://www.flemingcastle.com/FChistory.html The Small House that is a Big Mystery] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141111023159/http://flemingcastle.com/FChistory.html |date=November 11, 2014}}, Fleming Castle Museum. Accessed July 10, 2014.</ref>