Many towns like Bordentown thrive on their illustrious past. The same can be said for architectural styles that contributed to the foundation of our ever changing society.
Beautifully decorated and richly detailed homes have garnered attention for centuries. Although most structures are constructed with wood, material such as stone, brick and iron enhance their character as well as surrounding doorways, sidewalks and streets.
So, which specific materials were used to build Bordentown’s infrastructure? In the language of geology, the short list can be simplified as sedimentary rocks of red sandstone, blue sandstone, and limestone; igneous rocks of granite, diabase, and gabbro; metamorphic rocks of gneiss, schist, and marble and anthropogenic rocks of brick and terra cotta. For the rest of us who are not considered “rock hounds,” here’s an informal guide that might explain things better:
Red sandstone is the most prolific rock utilized in Bordentown. Most of it was quarried just north of Trenton in the Wilburtha area near Scudder Falls.
It was also quarried in many areas of Bucks County in Pennsylvania and lower Hunterdon County in New Jersey. It is featured on the exterior of the Trinity Methodist Church, Christ Church, and the foundation and stairs of the First Baptist Church and Old City Hall.
Blue sandstone was mostly quarried in Pennsylvania and southern New York. It is primarily used in the placement of sidewalks and curbstone at the north end of Farnsworth Avenue as well as curbstone in front of the Post Office.
Limestone was mostly quarried in Indiana. It can be easily identified by thousands of small fossil and shell fragments penetrating through it.
The Bordentown Female College Alumni horse trough at the intersection of Farnsworth Avenue and Crosswicks Street is a prime example.
Gneiss was mostly quarried in Buck County, Pennsylvania. Pronounced as “nice,” it’s nicely displayed in the sleeper stone formation of the John Bull Railroad Monument on Farnsworth Avenue.
Schist was quarried in Bucks County as well. Several residential homes near the Clara Barton Schoolhouse comprise this metamorphic rock.
Marble was mostly quarried northwest of Philadelphia. Residents of older homes prized this material in the construction of door thresholds of due to its resistance to harsh weather.
Furthermore, the Camden & Amboy Railroad used marble sleeper stones shipped from Sing Sing Prison in its early construction.
Granite from Maryland forms the main block and centerpiece of the John Bull Railroad Monument.
Diabase, which was used as Belgian blocks, forms the foundation of the Revolutionary War cannon in front of the post office. Diabase was likely quarried near Lambertville or north of Princeton.
Gabbro supports the four large spheres in front of the Post Office. This rock may have been quarried in Trenton or in lower Bucks County.
Bricks used in the construction of Bordentown’s structures and walkways during the 18th century were individually crafted by hand and left to dry in the sun. Around the time of the Civil War, they were mass produced by machinery.
It’s interesting to note that back in the day, there were 10 to 12 quarries for mining clay and sand, and 5 former brick factories that stood within a four-mile radius of town.
Terra Cotta is a brick-like material that graces the façade of the former Bordentown Bank at the intersection of Farnsworth Avenue and Crosswicks Street. Long ago, a terra cotta manufacturer existed across the Crosswicks Creek in Groveville, in addition to the famous Atlantic Terra Cotta Plant in Rocky Hill (a few miles north of Princeton).
The Bordentown Historical Society owns a fragment of gneiss from the Camden and Amboy Railroad, marble from the Joseph Bonaparte estate and original brick used in the construction of Joseph Borden’s 1740 Friends Meeting House.
For information about the Bordentown Historical Society, email bordentownhistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
Homes on Prince Street in Bordentown City with brick exteriors. There was a time when five brick factories stood within a four-mile radius of Bordentown.,
