Historic Sites

   The Delaware and Raritan Canal ("D&R Canal") traverses 22 miles of Somerset County, from Landing Lane in the eastern section of Franklin Township through South Bound Brook to Kingston in the southern section of Franklin. Historic structures include: the locks at South Bound Brook and Griggstown; the homes of the bridgetenders and locktenders at Zarephath, Weston, East Millstone, Blackwells

Built circa 1834 when the D&R Canal was constructed, this structure housed the bridgetender and his family. In the early days of the Canal there were drawbridges which had to be raised in order to allow the mules and boats to pass along the canal. The Griggstown Bridgetender’s House is a good example of a three-bay center hall house common

The Hendrick Fisher House, built c. 1688 for William Dockwra, is believed to be the oldest historic structure in Somerset County. The house was owned by Hendrick Fisher (originally Visscher), a Revolutionary firebrand and farmer whose resistance to the British during the six years the Revolution was fought in New Jersey, contributed to the patriots’ ultimate victory. In the early

   The Kingston Bridge is the second oldest remaining bridge in Somerset County. It was built in 1798 to replace the wooden bridge burned during the Revolution, and is the county’s largest stone road bridge, consisting of four arches. The bridge was constructed to carry the King’s Highway, now Route 27, over the Millstone River. This road was an important

   The Long House was believed to have been constructed by Cornelius Simonson as a grain storage facility in the second quarter of the 19th century. At one time the building served as a store, post office and interpretive center. Plans are underway to restore the building and again use it as an interpretive center.

It takes only about one hour to drive the byway itself. However, it takes time to explore the historic villages of Griggstown, East Millstone, Millstone Borough , the Borough of Rocky Hill, and Kingston, and the historic districts and nature preserves, the Delaware Raritan Canal, Six Mile Run, Blackwell Mills, Colonial Park, River Road Agricultural District, Griggstown Grasslands, the village