The story that makes up our history is one that begins and ends with the river. Frenchtown NJ is tucked into a lazy fertile valley on the Delaware River. It is here that two small creeks that originate in the high plateaus of Western Hunterdon County meander on their own separate paths down into the valley where Frenchtown lives.

Our story begins actually in Prehistoric times and traces all the inhabitants of this land from the Lenape to the English, to the Scottish, to the Irish, to the Swiss/French for whom our little town is named.

Enjoy your journey through Frenchtown's illustrious past. See the navigation bar below which acts as a Frenchtown NJ Timeline.

Lenape Era

Alexandrian Era

Quicksilver Era

Malletian Era

Capner Era

Slater-Hudnit Era

Frenchtown NJ History: An Overview

The Lenape Era: Prehistoric Times to 1744 Our history begins with a Lenape settlement that has only been discovered in the past 15 years. A Lenape Native American house and artifacts were discovered just south of the borough limits in the late 1990's by a group of archaeologists that documents the Prehistoric era of this area in Hunterdon County New Jersey on the Delaware River.

The Alexandrian Era: 1744 to 1776 This era is named after James and William Alexander, of Scottish descent, who are important figures in the history of the state of New Jersey, and especially in Frenchtown. This illustrious father and son were the first big land owners, investors and planners in this Del town's history.

The Quicksilver Era: 1776 to 1794 This era of our history is named after Thomas Lowrey, "Quicksilver", of Irish descent, because he purchased most of the land that is now Frenchtown NJ, and lived here for a short time before moving on to Milford NJ. In some accounts he is responsible for building the first mills here.

The Malletian Era: 1794 to 1836 This era is named after Paul Henri Mallet, of Swiss and French descent, because he purchased all the land that is now Frenchtown and most of Alexandria in 1794 from Thomas Lowrey. Mallet built some of the first homes here and his sons sold out parcels of the town that became some of the most important residential areas of our little village. It is for Mallet "the Frenchman who wasn't really French" that our small town is named.

The Capner Era: 1836 to 1867 This historical era is named after Hugh Capner, of English descent, because he purchased a huge tract of land from Mallet's sons on the Northside of Frenchtown and began to turn the market town into a community. Some of the nicest and oldest homes in the borough and in Hunterdon County New Jersey, are part of the original Capner development.

The Slater-Hudnit Era: 1867 to 1890 This era is named after Slater and Hudnit, two local merchants, because they purchased a large tract of land from Hugh Capner on the northside of our small town and began to expand the residential section of Frenchtown in the late 19th Century.

The Industrial Era: 1890 to 1940 This era of our history was when the borough and the larger area in Hunterdon County New Jersey enjoyed their halcyon days as an industrial center. It is during this time that the Porcelain Works and the Riegel Paper Company in Milford were built and thrived along the Delaware River.

Next: Lenape in Frenchtown NJ and Kingwood Township

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Hunterdon County New Jersey History Resources

Hunterdon County History from the Official County Website

The First 275 Years of Hunterdon County: See first listing on page

Hunterdon County New Jersey Historical Society Site