Readingsburg, By Brian Mullay
Between High Bridge and the Village of Cokesbury, situated on the banks of the South Branch of the Raritan River, lies the tiny hamlet of Readingsburg. Listed on the State and National Registers as a Historic District, the hamlet includes six 19th century homes, as well as the sites of two saw mills and a grist mill. While the mid-19th century growth in the village o
f Annandale, located to the south, was spurred by the arrival of the Central Railroad, Readingsburg’s mid-19th century growth was fueled by the river. Reading, great-great-grandson of colonial New Jersey governor John Reading, purchased 41 acres of wooded property at the mouth of the Lockwood Gorge. Shortly thereafter he built a saw mill powered by the river. In 1849, Reading sold the mill and property to Thomas and Conrad Apgar. The first recorded identification of the area as “Readingsburg” is visible on Samuel C. Cornell’s 1851 Map of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. By 1851 Readingsburg was comprised of three houses and two saw mills–one belonging to the Apgars and another be- longing to Charles Conover. According to an 1850 industrial census, the Conover saw mill produced 150,000 feet of lumber, valued at $1,500, and the Apgar saw mill produced 100,000 feet of lumber, valued at $1,000. In 1859, the Apgar mill came into the possession of Peter H. Hoffman, who established a grist mill on the property. In 1860, an industrial census tells us that the grist mill produced 500 bushels at $1,600. The mills likely served the growing town of High Bridge, which was flourishing thanks to the Taylor Iron Works and the railroad. After 1870, with the construction of a new road on the east bank of the river, the mills also found a market upstream. Alpaugh of Tewksbury. Around 1873, the hamlet’s growth subsided. Based on existing records, the mills were still operational in 1894, while the lower mill (previously owned by Conover) had been abandoned. Alpaugh sold his property and its two mills in 1906, and later that same year the Taylor Iron and Steel Co. acquired it and abandoned the property’s saw and grist mills. Although the mills were no longer operational, from the 1920’s until about World War II, the hamlet was home to a general store. A wooden sign on the store advertised: “Williams’ Stonemill Store / Groceries / Notions / Candies / Soft drinks/Fishing tackle/Cigars tobacco/Amunition [sic].”
Today, you may pass through Readingsburg, at the intersection of Cokesbury and River roads, driving to or from High Bridge or on a visit to Lockwood Gorge. When you do, enjoy this little window into Clinton Township’s history.
