Jump to content
Main menu
Main menu
move to sidebar
hide
Navigation
Main page
Recent changes
Random page
Help about MediaWiki
Special pages
Niidae Wiki
Search
Search
Appearance
Create account
Log in
Personal tools
Create account
Log in
Pages for logged out editors
learn more
Contributions
Talk
Editing
Hopewell, New Jersey
(section)
Page
Discussion
English
Read
Edit
View history
Tools
Tools
move to sidebar
hide
Actions
Read
Edit
View history
General
What links here
Related changes
Page information
Appearance
move to sidebar
hide
Warning:
You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you
log in
or
create an account
, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.
Anti-spam check. Do
not
fill this in!
===Colonial era=== The [[Lenape]] tribe of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] were the original inhabitants of the area that would later become Hopewell.<ref name=History>[https://www.hopewellboro-nj.us/community/history-historic-sites/ History and Historic Sites] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128042227/https://www.hopewellboro-nj.us/community/history-historic-sites/ |date=November 28, 2019 }}, Hopewell Borough. Accessed November 27, 2019.</ref> The first [[Colonial history of the United States|Colonial]] influence in Hopewell by European settlers was the purchase of a {{convert|30000|acre|km2|adj=on}} tract of land by [[Daniel Coxe]] a Royal [[British Empire|British]] governor of [[West Jersey]], in the latter half of the 17th century.{{when|date=May 2022}} All land in Hopewell can be traced back to this purchase.<ref>Seabrook, Jack and Lorraine. [https://books.google.com/books?id=umAxMUMZSiMC ''Images of America Hopewell Valley''], [[Arcadia Publishing]], Charleston, SC, 2000. {{ISBN|0-7385-0431-9}}, pg. 19. "This and all other farms in Hopewell Valley could be traced all the way back to Daniel Coxe, original owner of the {{convert|30000|acre|km2|adj=on}} tract that was to become Hopewell Township."</ref> In 1691 Coxe, transferred his land to a company called [[The West Jersey Society of England]], who intended to sell the land.<ref>Ege, Ralph [https://books.google.com/books?id=uQR_vjf2_EEC Pioneers of Old Hopewell] (1908), Race & Savidge, Hopewell, NJ, pg. 15. "In the year 1691, Dr. Daniel Coxe transferred the right of government of West Jersey to a company of proprietaries called 'The West Jersey Society of England,' for a valuable consideration."</ref> The society appointed an agent, [[Thomas Revell (land agent)|Thomas Revell]], to preside over the land and sell it to prospective buyers.<ref>Ege, Ralph. [https://books.google.com/books?id=uQR_vjf2_EEC Pioneers of Old Hopewell] (1908), Race & Savidge, Hopewell, NJ, p. 15. "This society appointed Thomas Revell their agent, and he claimed the right to sell lands and give deeds for the same in the name of the society."</ref> Revell then attracted settlers from [[New England]], [[Long Island]], and New Jersey falsely claiming that the land was fertile, and tame. However, the families that arrived in Hopewell only found vast stretches of wilderness.<ref>Ege, Ralph [https://books.google.com/books?id=uQR_vjf2_EEC Pioneers of Old Hopewell] (1908), Race & Savidge, Hopewell, NJ, pg 15. "Great inducements were held out to the New England and Long Island settlers as well as to those of the older portions of this stateβ¦ to avail themselves of the cheap and fertile lands of the {{convert|30000|acre|km2|adj=on}} tract, and scores of them were induced to come and settle, only to find that after they had subdued the wilderness and established their homes, that their titles were utterly worthless."</ref> The first settler in Hopewell Valley was [[Thomas Tindall]] who on November 10, 1699, bought a {{convert|300|acre|km2|adj=on}} tract of land from The West Jersey Society of England through Revell, for "ten pounds per hundred acres".<ref>Ege, Ralph [https://books.google.com/books?id=uQR_vjf2_EEC ''Pioneers of Old Hopewell''] (1908), Race & Savidge, Hopewell, NJ, pg 13-14. "This Houghton tract was surveyed by Thomas Revell, agent for the West Jersey Society, for Thomas Tindall, on February 27, 1696, and was without doubt the first farm located in the Hopewell Valley. On November 10, 1699, a deed was given by Thomas Revell, agent for 'Ye Honorable The West Jersey Society in England' of the one part, and Thomas Tindall of the other part, for the above tract, the consideration being 'ten pounds per hundred acres,' or fifty cents per acre in US currency, which was the regulation price for all the societies lands of the 30,000-acre tract. The above deed describes the {{convert|300|acre|km2}} as a part of the 30,000-acre tract 'lying above ye fialls of ye Delaware.'"</ref> Other early settlers in Hopewell are said to be the Stouts, who immigrated from [[Holmdel Township, New Jersey|Holmdel]] to Hopewell in 1706, including Jonathan Stout, who had hunted in the area together with the Lenape.<ref name=History/><ref>Griffiths, Thomas Sharp, [https://books.google.com/books?id=0igXAAAAYAAJ&q=A+History+of+Baptists+in+New+Jersey++By+Thomas+Sharp+Griffiths 'A History of Baptists in New Jersey'](1904), Barr Press Publishing Company, [[Hightstown, New Jersey]], Ch. 5, pg 67, "Jonathan Stout, third son of Richard Stout, of Holmdel, a constituent of Middletown Church and who emigrated from Middletown (Holmdel) in 1706, the first settler of Hopewell"</ref> Perhaps the first conflict between colonists in Hopewell was the dispute between Revell and the early inhabitants of Hopewell, who realized that their deeds were worthless due to Revell's false claims. Fifty settlers then organized a [[class action]] lawsuit against Revell and the West Jersey Society. A lengthy trial was held in [[Burlington, New Jersey|Burlington]] and the court ultimately ruled against the settlers, who were forced to repurchase their land or relocate. Many settlers weren't able to repay and moved north into [[North Jersey]] and [[New York (state)|New York]].<ref>Ege, Ralph [https://books.google.com/books?id=uQR_vjf2_EEC ''Pioneers of Old Hopewell''] (1908), Race & Savidge, Hopewell, NJ. "Fifty of these settlers (among whom is found the name of Thomas Houghton) entered into a solemn compact to stand by each other in a law suit with Dr. Coxe. After a long and tedious trial at Burlington, the case was decided against them, and this verdict caused the most distressing state of affairs in this township that was ever experienced in any community. Writs of ejectment had been served on them as 'tenants' of Dr. Coxe to pay for their lands the second time or 'quit.' Many of them went to the northern part of the county which at that time extended to the New York state line, the county of Hunterdon, including Warren, Morris and Sussex counties, and an examination of the records of those counties between 1735 and 1750, will reveal many names that are familiar to the people of old Hopewell."</ref> On April 23, 1715, the settlers who stayed in Hopewell, most notably the Stout family, organized the [[Old School Baptist Church (Hopewell, New Jersey)|Old School Baptist Church]], and what is now known as Hopewell was then referred to as "Baptist Meetinghouse".<ref>Griffiths, Thomas Sharp, [https://books.google.com/books?id=0igXAAAAYAAJ&q=A+History+of+Baptists+in+New+Jersey++By+Thomas+Sharp+Griffiths 'A History of Baptists in New Jersey'](1904), Barr Press Publishing Company, [[Hightstown, New Jersey]], Ch. 5, pg 67, "The Church was organized at Mr. Stout's house, April 23rd, 1715, and worshipped for thirty-two years in the homes of the Stouts"</ref><ref>Valis, Glenn [http://www.doublegv.com/ggv/JHart.html John Hart Signer of the Declaration of Independence'], Accessed November 19, 2012. "Until well after the revolution, the area was thereafter call Baptist Meeting House."</ref> One of the most valued members of the meeting house was Declaration of Independence signer [[John Hart (New Jersey politician)|John Hart]] who in 1740 purchased {{convert|193|acre|km2}} of land in the north of current day Hopewell, and in 1747 as a sign of Hart's devotion to the Church, donated a plot of his land to the Baptists.<ref>Valis, Glenn [http://www.doublegv.com/ggv/JHart.html 'John Hart Signer of the Declaration of Independence'], Accessed November 19, 2012. "Around 1739-1740 John Hart bought the "homestead plantation" of {{convert|193|acre|km2}} on the north side of what is now the town of Hopewell".</ref><ref>[http://www.hopewellboro-nj.us/community/history-historic-sites/ History and Historic Sites] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170110160922/http://www.hopewellboro-nj.us/community/history-historic-sites/ |date=January 10, 2017 }}, Hopewell Borough. Accessed January 9, 2017. "The first church (Baptist Church) was constructed in 1748".</ref> The next year the Baptists made good use of this land and in 1748 erected their Old School Baptist Church [[meeting house]] on West Broad Street. The [[meeting house]] brought in [[Baptists]] from miles around to Hopewell and encouraged Hopewell's early growth.<ref>Seabrook, Jack and Lorraine. [https://books.google.com/books?id=umAxMUMZSiMC ''Images of America Hopewell Valley''], [[Arcadia Publishing]], Charleston, SC, 2000. {{ISBN|0-7385-0431-9}}, {{ISBN|0-7385-0431-9}} pg 38, "The Old School Baptist Church... was a center for baptist from miles around.... Constructed in 1822, the building still stands... On West Broad Street"</ref> [[File:HOPEWELL ACADEMY SIGN IN HOPEWELL BOROUGH, MERCER NJ.jpg|thumb]] Numerous [[lumber mill]]s were established in and around Hopewell at this time to process the [[lumber]] that was generated from the clearing of forests for farms. In 1756, [[Isaac Eaton]] the first pastor of the Old School Baptist Church established the [[Hopewell Academy (Hopewell, New Jersey)|Hopewell Academy]]. One of his students, [[James Manning (minister)|James Manning]], would go on to establish [[Brown University]] in 1765.<ref name=hope>Capuzzo, Jill P. [https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/realestate/18livi.html "It's in New Jersey, but It Screams Vermont"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 18, 2007. Accessed June 1, 2015. "In 1756, the country's first Baptist secondary school, Hopewell Baptist Academy, was started here. Its graduates went on to found what became Brown University in Rhode Island."</ref><!--<ref>[http://redlibrary.org/images/HPL-history1.pdf Hopewell history to 1921], from ''Help Hopewell Honor Her Heroes'', published for Library Week May 21β30, 1921. Accessed November 19, 2012.</ref> This reference is incorrect, see the historical marker for the correct information -->
Summary:
Please note that all contributions to Niidae Wiki may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here.
You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see
Encyclopedia:Copyrights
for details).
Do not submit copyrighted work without permission!
Cancel
Editing help
(opens in new window)
Search
Search
Editing
Hopewell, New Jersey
(section)
Add topic