No. 46
By: John Fabiano
Allentown, N.J. its Rise and Progress (Part 46)
From the N.J. Historical Society’s Charles R. Hutchinson papers, the following accounts of a former Market House in the middle of Main Street and a pond nearbynot Coninesused for ice skating.
A market house existed in Allentown in revolutionary times and for many years thereafter. It was located in the middle of main street, just east or rather northeast of the present road to Imlaystown, and at it westerly end were stocks and a whipping post. My grandfather, Joseph Robbins, remembered it well. It remained for some time after his marriage and settlement here, when, about 1815, being in a ruinous condition, it was taken down and a new and larger one was begun on its site, but the project failed for want of funds and it was never completed. The columns and rafters stood for several years, until they finally tumbled down and were removed. The last remaining relic of the old market house was a large stone which formerly stood at the northerly corner of Main and Church Streets, but which disappeared when the streets were macadamized a few years ago. [Fortunately, stone has since been found and displayed near its original location in front of Borough Hall.]
Some other recollections of my grandfather were as follows: "The pork house and store of Samuel Quay stood where (in 1914) is the residence of Elmer E. Hutchinson [37 S. Main St.], the westerly part of which (the store) being the same. From there down to the bridge were houses of one story. The Quay dwelling (now Edward R. Hendrickson) [35 S. Main St.] was built by John McKean, and stood to the rear of the lot, near the graveyard until Quay removed it to its present location. The business then was chiefly alone in the lower part of the village. Imlay & Tapscott’s store was where the Worden property now is [30 S. Main St.], and Richard Bruere’s store was "on the hill," where Dr. Johnson now lives [98 S. Main St.]. The site of the Nelson store, Savidge’s harness shop and the Nelson double house (the former [Cunningham, and later Union,] hotel) was a "mud hole." Hannah Ogborn, whose daughter Letitia was the second wife of Aaron Steward, used to tell that when she was a girl she had picked huckleberries there. When Grandfather dug his well on the Moses Robbins lot, now a part of the Newell property, at a depth of about fourteen feet he reached muck and huckleberry bush, which crumbled on exposure, and then came to white sand, when the water immediately rose five feet. There was a pond on the lot between Church Street and that [lot] on which the Baptist Church [Library] now is, which was used as a skating pond. Imlaystown was reached by a road which followed the Shrewsbury Road [Maiden Lane] to near where Daniel M. Hendrickson now lives, thence through the woods, coming out at a gully on the farm late of Harrison Hendrickson, deceased. A still earlier road or driftway is said to have existed, which, after following the Shrewsbury Road a short distance, crossed the Peter Wikoff farm, passing the old Lawrie house on Negro Run, and thence to Imlaystown, crossing Doctors Creek several times on its way. Travel from Allentown to Trenton was by way of the York Road to Crosswicks, thence to Sand Hills (now Yardville), and from thence the road followed nearly its present course, but at Lawries Mill it crossed the stream higher up, where the pond [Gropps Lake] now is. The present road from Allentown to Yardville was laid out about 1809. Before that a driftway from the York Road near the [colonial-era] stone bridge [which is still visible under roadway] led to what is now G. Harry Kirby’s [or Spring] Mill [on Doctors Creek], but went no further.
About 1800, John Imlay built a saw mill on Indian Run, at the northerly end of the village, which, after his death, was operated by his sons Joseph and William, and afterwards for a time by Lewis Steward, but eventually passed in the possession of Richard M. Stout, who carried it on for many years. After his death in 1857, it was sold to John James (senior), who used it in his business as a pump maker. He conveyed it, about 1865, to William Bozarth, who used it as a turner’s shop for the manufacture of chair stuff. In 1872, Bozarth having become bankrupt, the property was taken over by Peter Bruere, mortgagee, who, in 1875, sold it to Ferdinand W. King, who converted it into a sash and blind factory and a carpenter’s shop. He too became bankrupt and it was sold to Collen B. Meirs, mortgagee. For some years after this it was idle and had become a ruin when it was sold to Thomas Patterson, the present owner, who is a blacksmith, and who built there extensive wagon and repair shops, which he carried on for several years with apparent success. The pond is also used on the town water supply and power for the electric light plant on the same premises.
The old road from Allentown to Robbinsville, which was nothing more than a driftway, crossed Indian Run just below the sawmill and thence ran on the easterly side of the house on the Buzby [Wittenborn] farm, thence by the house on the farm, which Joseph H. Huley lately sold to James West and the two houses near Miry Run late Charles Williams and J.W. Scoby; thence through the farm now J. Coleman Totten to the road leading from Page’s Corner to Robbinsville, and came out at what was then the old "Crosskey Tavern." Joseph H. West says the new road was laid out in 1808; John Imlay, at that time, owned pretty much all the land through which it ran, as well as the sawmill.
In what year Robert Debow built the brick store [18 S. Main St.], and the brick building adjoining [20-22 S. Main St.], which is still a part of the same premises, I do not know, but it was previous to 1820. In the "Trenton Federalist" for July 3, 1820, his assignees advertised as follows: "Real Estate: The subscribers offer for sale all the Real Estate late of Robert Debow, situate in Allentown and its vicinity, as the same was granted to us for the benefit of his creditors, viz: (1) A large Brick Store and Storehouse, completely fitted for the Sale of Merchandize and for the transaction of country business generally, being furnished with a smoke house, fat house and other out buildings; from its situation and the convenience of its construction, this establishment is supposed to be equal to any one of the kind in the state. (2) A two story Brick Dwelling House, adjoining the store, with Yard, Garden, Barn and other out buildings, convenient for the residence of any person occupying the store. (3) A two story Brick Building with the lower part fitted for a Store, for which purpose it has been occupied for several years past. (4) A Lot on Paine [Church] Street, containing half an acre, with a new frame House thereon erected, suitable for a small family, (5) Two Building Lots, containing about one acre each, eligibly and pleasantly situated on Main Street in Allentown. (6) A Lot on the back street, containing about one acre, with a stream of water running through it, suitable for a pasture or mowing lot. (7) A Wood Lot of ten acres, about three miles from Allentown, on which there is a thrifty growth of young Chestnut. A payment of part of the purchase money will be required in hand or early next spring, and a reasonable credit will be allowed for the residue. For terms, apply to Josiah Woodward, Samuel C. Newell or James S. Lawrence, Assignees." Dated "June 20th 1820."
Historically Speaking is a regular column presented by John Fabiano, MA, designated historian for Allentown Borough.

