Sergeantsville, New Jersey

Sergeantsville is an historic community located within Delaware Township, in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States.

Sergeantsville was first settled by a Mr. Thatcher in 1700, and was later named for Charles Sergeant, an American Revolutionary War soldier, in honor of the Sergeant family of which three brothers were local shopkeepers. "Out-of-towners give themselves away when they pronounce the first syllable 'sarge'; it's 'serge.'" Green Sergeant Covered Bridge, constructed in 1872 across the Wickecheoke Creek, is located just west of Sergeantsville and is the oldest remaining covered bridge in New Jersey. [Cohen, Joyce. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C05E3D61331F930A2575AC0A9649C8B63 "HAVENS; Weekender | Sergeantsville, N.J."] , "The New York Times", September 13, 2002. Accessed December 12, 2007.]

Sergeantsville was officially created in 1827 when it became desirable to establish a post office. Until that time, this largely rural area was known as "Skunktown", perhaps because the town served as a market center for skunk pelts. [Mercer, Michelle. [http://www.njmonthly.com/issues/2007/10-Oct/coverstory/nenonj.htm "New England? No, New Jersey!"] , "new Jersey Monthly", October 2007. Accessed December 12, 2007. "In the eighteenth century, Sergeantsville was known as Skunktown due to its heavy trade in black-and-white pelts."]

Sergeantsville's annual "Thanksgiving in the Country" house tour, established in 1973, takes four or five different homes each year, that have historical, architectural or cultural qualities. [ [http://www.thanksgivinginthecountry.com/ Thanksgiving in the Country] . Accessed December 12, 2007.]

Notable residents

Notable current and former residents of Sergeantsville include:
*William Cotton (1880-1958), portrait painter, caricaturist, and playwright. [ [http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10617F9395B107B93C4A9178AD85F4C8585F9 "Will Cotton, 77, Dead"] , "The New York Times", January 6, 1958. Accessed April 3, 2008.]

References

External links

* [http://www.thanksgivinginthecountry.com/ Thanksgiving in the Country - an annual tour of Sergeantsville's historic homes]
* [http://www.sergeantsville.org/ Sergeantsville Volunteer Fire Company]