Calendar created by GBACC
By:Vanessa S. Holt
The history of the Bordentown area can be told in part through its architecture.
From an 18th century blacksmith’s shop that was turned into a post office in Crosswicks to an old church rectory that is now a private residence in Bordentown City, a little research into local buildings can reveal layer after layer of the history that lurks just beneath the surface of familiar sites.
The 14th edition of "The Hidden Treasures of Bordentown" celebrates these historic buildings as seen through the eyes of local artists.
The calendar, put together by the Greater Bordentown Area Chamber of Commerce (GBACC) Calendar Committee, will be available for free at many Bordentown businesses by Nov. 19.
The calendar also includes information about GBACC meetings and events throughout the years and contact information for local government and schools.
The GBACC will use funds raised by the sale of advertising space in the calendar to give a $1,500 art scholarship to a student from Bordentown Regional High School and a student from Northern Burlington Regional High School.
This year, Bordentown student Kari McDonnell and Northern Burlington student Amy DeLay will receive the scholarships.
Members of the Greater Bordentown Area Chamber of Commerce Calendar Committee this year include Diane DiSpaldo, Claudia Teal, Al Barker, Jeffrey Goldman, Mike Loch and Peg Gamel.
Area artists donate use of their artwork for the calendar, said Ms. Teal, a professional artist who has participated in the project since 1992.
The following is a small description of each calendar photo:
‡ This year’s cover image, by Wayne Kulessa, is the Sam Archer House at 314 Willow St. in Bordentown. Sam Archer, a carpenter, built the house around 1900 and continued to live at the house until his death in the 1980s.
‡ January: Don Poinsett contributed a drawing of Whippet Hall, located at 11 Second St. in Bordentown. Originally built as a rectory and school for St. Mary’s Church in 1849, in 1873 it was used by the Sisters of Mercy who moved to Bordentown from New Hampshire. Today it is a private residence.
‡ February: The Crosswicks Post Office at 3 New St. was originally used as a blacksmith and wheelwright shop in the 18th century, but was transformed into a post office in 1966. Artwork contributed by Bob Malloy.
‡ March: White Hill Mansion on Burlington Road in Fieldsboro by Robert Allard. Built in 1723 by Thomas Potts, operator of the first iron forge in West Jersey, it was later sold to patriot Robert Field in 1765.
‡ April: Walter Bowne House on Mt. Pleasant Road, Mansfield Township, by Patty Davis-Parker. This Quaker style house was built in 1740 by Brazzillai Newbold for his wife, Sarah, and stayed in the family until 1975 when descendent Walter Bowne died. It is on the state and national Register of Historic Places.
‡ May: Robert Allard contributed artwork of the C. Wright House on Jacksonville-Hedding Road in Mansfield Township, a stucco covered brick house dating to 1808. The house is located on land purchased by Thomas Scattergood, an early settler, in 1686. It is currently used as a horse farm.
‡ June: Providence Presbyterian Church on Old York Road, Bustleton, by Cheryl Heaton-Bracy. The church was erected in 1878 for $3,000 on land donated by Sarah Zeller.
‡ July: Crosswicks Library, 483 Main St., by Claudia Teal. This building was originally the home of the Union Fire Company, which relocated in 1968. The building was then converted for the use of the Crosswicks Free Public Library.
‡ August: Julien House, 435 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown, by Judy Wilkinson. Currently used for Sunday school classes, church meetings and office space for the Presbyterian Church, in 1882 the building was the home of the Adelphic Institute, a private boarding school for boys under the direction of the Rev. Robert Julien. The left half of the building was donated to the church by elder Mahlon Hutchinson in 1900.
‡ September: Albanesi Farm, Route 206 in Columbus, by Al Barker. Set on a knoll just north of Columbus, the farmhouse is notable for its Flemish bond brickwork, mansard roof and five dormers.
‡ October: Gertrude Brick House, 16 Buttonwood St., Crosswicks, by Michael Budden. Built in 1904 for under $10,000 by Josiah and Emma Brick, this Queen Anne Victorian house stayed in the Brick family until the recent death of Gertrude Brick.
‡ November: Wells House, 601 Farnsworth Ave., Bordentown, by Kathy Shumway-Tunney. Built in 1900 by Bordentown coal merchant Harry Shipps, the Shipps family lived in this single-style home for about 40 years. The property was purchased from the Belangé family who settled in Bordentown prior to the arrival of Joseph Bonaparte.
‡ December: The Methodist Church of Juliustown, East Main Street, by Jack Prynoski. Incorporated in 1799, the church congregation met in private homes until this Greek Revival building was constructed in 1824. Familiar architectural features common to the area include white clapboard and stained glass windows.

