South Branch, New Jersey

40°32′38″N 74°41′49″W / 40.54389°N 74.69694°W / 40.54389; -74.69694Country United StatesState New JerseyCountySomersetTownshipHillsboroughNamed forSouth Branch Raritan RiverElevation82 ft (25 m)Time zoneUTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST)) • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))GNIS feature ID882406^[1]

South Branch is an unincorporated community located within Hillsborough Township in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.^[2] The community is named for and is located along the South Branch Raritan River.^[3] The South Branch Historic District encompassing the village was listed on the state and national registers of historic places in 1977.

History

The community goes back to 1750 and was also known as Branchville. It is situated on the South Branch Raritan River near its junction with the Raritan River. The Narticong Tribe of the Lenni Lenape Native Americans lived there and called it "Tucca-Ramma Hocking." It was here that the Dutch who made their way up the Raritan to bargain for land made their deal in exchange for beads, guns, blankets, powder and jugs of rum.^{[citation needed]}

Peter Dumont Vroom, the only Governor of New Jersey from Somerset County, was born in South Branch. Diamond Jim Brady once lived in the house known as the South Branch Hotel, which he purchased for his mistress, Edna Maculey in 1903 paying $68,000 for it and altering it to suit his taste, "Going down to Brady's Farm" became the fashionable thing to do and Anna Held, Flo Ziegfeld, Lillian Russell and other famous personalities of the days were frequent guests.^{[citation needed]}

Historic district

South Branch Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Italianate style house built c. 1870
Location	River Road and Orchard Drive
Area	30 acres (12 ha)
Architectural style	Greek Revival, Italianate, Federal
NRHP reference No.	77000908[4]
NJRHP No.	2527[5]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 13, 1977
Designated NJRHP	July 6, 1976

The South Branch Historic District is a historic district along River Road and Orchard Drive in the village. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 13, 1977 for its significance in architecture, politics / government, and religion. It includes 25 contributing buildings.^[6]

Gallery

• 
  Peter D. Vroom House
• 
  House with mansard roof
• 
  Greek Revival Temple Farm House
• 
  South Branch Bible Fellowship

References

External links

• Media related to South Branch, New Jersey at Wikimedia Commons