Neshanic, New Jersey

Neshanic, New Jersey
Census-designated place
Neshanic along Amwell Road (CR 514)
Neshanic Location in Somerset County Show map of Somerset County, New Jersey Neshanic Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Neshanic Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°29′52″N74°43′12″W / 40.49778°N 74.72000°W / 40.49778; -74.72000
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Somerset
Township	Hillsborough
Area [1]
• Total	3.60 sq mi (9.33 km2)
• Land	3.57 sq mi (9.25 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.09 km2)
Population  (2020) [2]
• Total	854
• Density	239.22/sq mi (92.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
FIPS code	34-50040 [3]

Neshanic is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) ^[4] located within Hillsborough Township, in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located near the South Branch Raritan River. The Neshanic Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

History

The name comes from a tribe of the Raritan tribe of Lenape Native Americans who lived along the river. The settlement began in 1750 by Dutch farmers, with a church, grist mill and school, as well as a tavern owned by John Bennett, which was a focus of the community. ^[5] The first mill was built by Bergen Huff around 1770. ^[6] There was also a tannery which supplied leather to the people of the village as well as to nearby New Brunswick. At one time the area surrounding the Shirk farm and extending along the Sourland Mountains was the largest peach producing region in the state. ^[7]

Historic district

Neshanic Historic District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Neshanic Reformed Church
Location	Amwell and Zion Roads
Area	107 acres (43 ha)
Built	1750 (1750)
Architectural style	Classical/Gothic
NRHP reference No.	79001519 [8]
NJRHP No.	2523 [9]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	August 1, 1979
Designated NJRHP	October 10, 1978

The Neshanic Historic District is a historic district encompassing the village. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1979 for its significance in settlement and religion. It includes 23 contributing buildings. ^[10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
2020	854		—
U.S. Decennial Census [11] 2020 [2]

Neshanic was first listed as a census designated place in the 2020 United States census. ^[12]

As of 2020, the population was 854. ^[2]

Points of interest

Nearby Neshanic Mills was added to the NRHP in 1978. The original Mill was built in 1810 and the later rebuilt by Andrew Lane in 1876. It is also known as the Amerman Mill. It operated until the late 1940s and is now a private residence. ^[6]

See also

• Neshanic Station, New Jersey

References

1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
2. Census Data Explorer: Neshanic CDP, New Jersey, United States Census Bureau. Accessed June 15, 2023.
3. Geographic Codes Lookup for New Jersey, Missouri Census Data Center. Accessed June 9, 2023.
4. State of New Jersey Census Designated Places - BVP20 - Data as of January 1, 2020, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 1, 2022.
5. Baker, Robert. "Hillsborough: Restaurant town", Courier News , July 9, 2006. Accessed August 13, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "The Neshanic section, for example, is near the South Branch of the Raritan River, Community life for the Dutch farmers who settled there began around 1750, and centered around a church, a school, a grist mill and a tavern owned by John Bennett, which historians say was most instrumental in forming the village."
6. National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form for Neshanic Mills, National Park Service. Accessed August 13, 2025. "The land for some distance around Neshanic was owned in 1683 by John Bennett. The tract embraced several hundred acres, extended to the division line between East and West Jersey, and was bounded on the north by the South Branch of the Raritan River. As the adjoining community of Neshanic grew and the farms around it, there was a demand for various mills for the various markets. It was in 1770 that Bergen Huff built the first mill at Neshanic."
7. "Neshanic's Changing Panorama Told by Lifelong Resident", Courier News , April 1, 1946. Accessed August 13, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "Mr. Schenck stated the territory surrounding the Shirk farm and extending along the Sourland Mountain at one time was the greatest peach producing region in this state. As many as 21 cars of peaches used to leave Neshanic Station by special train at one time, he said."
8. "National Register Information System – (#79001519)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
9. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Somerset County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. September 30, 2020. p. 8.
10. February 1975, Wayne T. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Neshanic Historic District". National Park Service. With accompanying 20 photos
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
12. "2020 Geography Changes", United States Census Bureau. Accessed August 13, 2025.

External links

• Media related to Neshanic, New Jersey at Wikimedia Commons
• Branchburg Rescue Squad