Hopewell Valley History Project
Preserving Our History
It’s Hopewell Borough’s annual Town-Wide Yard Sale weekend, Saturday and Sunday, June 11 & 12. So as you clear out the attic and browse the sales – this weekend and this summer – please be on the lookout for historic artifacts that we can preserve and share here on the History Project site. Here are … Continue reading Yard Sailing for Local History
This is an amazing 1914 map of the entire Delaware & Raritan Canal system. The map was drawn by the Pennsylvania Railroad, who owned the canal from 1871 until 1933. The canal then reverted to the state of New Jersey and used as a water supply. The 70-mile Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park was … Continue reading 1914 Delaware & Raritan Canal Map
The mania of trolley construction in the United States in the early 1900s included one line from Trenton servicing Hopewell and Pennington from 1902 to 1931, and two competing lines to Lawrenceville and Princeton from 1899 to 1939. The rails have long since been torn up – apparently to be used as scrap for World … Continue reading Hopewell Valley Trolley Routes – 1902 – 1931
It’s difficult to imagine life in Hopewell Township in 1880 – almost century and a half ago. It was an exciting time, since two train lines had been recently built though the township, accelerating the growth of the region. (See the Hopewell Railroads post.) We are blessed with some maps of the area, including details … Continue reading The Villages of Hopewell Township in 1883
Somerset Street is the lost street of Hopewell Borough. Yes, the street is still there, but the physical history is gone – all the homes and buildings, and even the remnants of foundations and the ground itself are lost. This was mostly the result of the clean-up in the 1990s of the contamination from the … Continue reading Lost Somerset Street
The December updates to the Hopewell Valley History Project site included historical photos of snowy views around the valley, the Hopewell train station, and some possibly false images around the area. Plus a 1924 high school program packed with ads for local businesses, and New York Times articles published directly after the Hopewell Frog War. … Continue reading December 2021 Update – Hopewell or Not
The October updates on the Hopewell Valley History Project site focused on the local Hopewell and Pennington train stations, including a trove of over 40 historical photos by Ralph Curcio. Other posts showed examples of how to use historical maps to learn about local properties, such as the additions to St. Michael’s and Weart’s Market … Continue reading October 2021 Update – Train Stations
How can you begin to investigate the history of your house, or street, or town? When were the buildings built and expanded, and how did the streets develop over time? The best way to get a quick sense of how our towns changed and developed is to look at the maps. And we are blessed … Continue reading Investigating History in Hopewell Maps
The Hopewell Valley Bistro and Inn building at 15 East Broad Street and Seminary Avenue has been in the news, with plans to demolish the structure and rebuild a historically familiar design for use as an upscale restaurant and apartments (see MercerMe article). The building has a nearly 150 year history as a residential home … Continue reading The Hopewell Inn / Central Hotel
[Updated 12/15/25 – More on S. H. Millette Livery, Railroad Place][Updated 9/3/21 – Additional photos for clearer view across back of Seminary] The 1910s saw a revolution in the lives of people and towns with the introduction of the automobile, including Henry Ford’s Model T, launched in 1908. We can track this change in Hopewell … Continue reading Hopewell’s Lost Liveries: From Horses to Cars
