111 Main Street (Bartles/Hawke House)
Dating from 1887, this is an outstanding example of the Queen Anne style. This style is typified by the steeply pitched pattered slate roof, the dominant front facing gable with decorative attic window, the overhanging eaves with exposed rafter tails, the asymmetrical façades, the staggered shingles, the mixture of smooth red brick and rough grey stone and full width porch.This high style house was built for Dr William Bartles, a successful physician, specializing in mental health, who served in the Union army in the Civil War as assistant surgeon general. He was involved in many local activities, becoming a director of the County Bank (see 5) and in his will he bequeathed the funds for the library adjacent to the Deats building (see 3).He was the son of Charles Bartles who was a boarder from 1822 at the house of attorney William Maxwell that previously stood on this spot (see 17). In time, under Maxwells guidance, Charles Bartles became a very successful local attorney and businessman. He was involved in many of Flemington’s successful businesses including the County Bank, Gas Works, Water Works, and Railroads and eventually purchased Maxwell’s property.Later owners included Dr Bartles grandnephew, Dr William Bartles Hawke, who was living in the house when ground was broken for the library in 1910.
117-119 Main Street (Reading/Large House)
Dating from 1847, this very elaborate house is an outstanding example of the mature Greek Revival style. The house features a low pitch hipped roof, a bold cornice line emphasized with a wide band of trim, and a monumental front portico dominated by two story fluted Ionic columns. Also note the elaborate front door surrounded by narrow sidelights, the rosettes in the portico ceiling and the servants access corridor below the portico.This building was designed and constructed by local architect and builder Mahlon Fisher for James N Reading who graduated from Princeton in 1829 and practiced law in Flemington before moving to Illinois in 1853 where he became a judge. Subsequent owners included John Grandin Reading, John N Voorhees and then in 1900, George H Large.Large is a name of historic note locally. George H Large was a state senator and Rutgers graduate, having the honor of playing in the first ever college football game in 1869. His son George K Large was a prosecutor and attorney general during the Lindbergh trial. He also was instrumental as agent of the County Bank (see 5) during the tax haven boom of the 1930s when over 140 corporations chose Flemington as their home.
120-124 Main Street (Deats Building)
Dating from 1881 (look for the hard-to-find cornerstone), this is a fine example of a large nineteenth century commercial block in the Italianate style. This style was the most commonly used for all buildings in the middle of the 1800’s; local examples such as this featured large cubic forms in red brick, vertical pilasters dividing the exterior walls into many bays of tall arched windows, and a tall cornice with brackets set below a low roof. Note the decorated granite lintels and keystones which bear designs of organizations such as the Masons and the Grand Army of the Republic.This building was built by Hiram Deats, father to “Mr. Hunterdon” Hiram E Deats. The senior Deats made his fortune through the Deats plow which he patented in 1828 and his son devoted much of his life to establishing and maintaining public records. These form a large part of the collections of the Hunterdon County Historical Society (see 4).In 1910, Deats senior donated land on the adjacent plot for a public library. One stipulation was that the new building would not block the view from Deats office on the second floor. Even today, the view is unobstructed.
114 Main Street (Doric House)
Dating from 1846, this is a beautifully restored example of a middle-class house in the Greek Revival style. Notice its simplicity compared to the Reading Large mansion across the street, also designed by Mahlon Fisher. The almost flat roof cannot be seen, the façade is dominated by a portico of four-square paneled Doric columns and a tall cornice with cast-iron attic windows. The plain single-panel cherry wood front door is surrounded by elaborate columns and a deep-set transom window. The yellow and white color scheme is very typical of the Greek Revival, which sought to make wood buildings resemble stone.Over the years this historic house has served a variety of purposes. Designed and built by Mahlon Fisher as his own family’s home, it later became a barbershop. In later years it was used as a restaurant and Sunday school before, in 1969, the Hunterdon County Historical Society bought it, restored it and has maintained it ever since.It now houses the largest collection of books, genealogies, photographs, maps, newspapers, letters and local histories open to the public in Hunterdon County, including over 3000 documents from Hiram E Deats (see 3).
90-100 Main Street (Hunterdon County National Bank)
Built in 1864, this is Flemington’s first example of the monumental Italianate style. The original brick arcades on the first floor were replaced with terracotta and granite facade in the 1920’s. Above, tall arched windows march across the brick walls, set between projecting pilasters. Contrary to the flat cornice of the normal Italiante style, the roof sweeps up to a central peak, and a bullseye window punctuates the tall attic.Hunterdon’s first bank was founded in 1854 and chartered in 1865 when George C Hopewell finished construction of this fine new building for its headquarters. Hopewell Hall as it was known, is similar to the contemporary Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., which gained notoriety at the time as the place where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in 1865.In 1937 Flemington slashed its corporate tax rates after the banks president George K Large persuaded Standard Oil’s owner John D Rockefeller (his distant cousin, and America’s richest man) to make him its agent for tax purposes in New Jersey. 140 other corporations shortly followed to make Flemington a short-lived tax haven. Tax laws have changed, and many corporations have since moved but some are still technically located in Flemington.
78 Main Street (Nevius Brothers Building)
Dating from the 1880s, this tall and narrow shop building is a small but well-designed example of the Italianate style. The upper two stories of the street façade demonstrate a complicated interplay between segmental and half-round brick arched windows, set into the projecting and receding planes of the brick wall, with decorative window hoods and brick quoins and dentils. Very tall paired and triple brackets support a bold cornice, with a central segmental pediment.This small building is directly across from the Courthouse and played a prominent role during the Lindbergh trial when it was home to its most famous tenant, the Nevius Bros Department Store. It had the best view in town of the proceedings. Reporters rented space and photographers used the third floor to get many of the best pictures.The Nevius Brothers store was a successful operation for a long time and many locals claim to have worked there. Two offspring, Albert and George operated branches in Trenton and Somerville respectively.Later the building became Blahers, Hallmark, Potting Shed then an Antiques store. The third-floor walls contain the signatures of many of the people who have worked, stayed and visited over the years.
70-76 Main Street (Union Hotel)
Dating from 1877, this is a fine and relatively uncommon large building in the French Second Empire style. Popular only for a brief time in the 1870’s, this style is in many ways similar to the Italiante, but instead of de-emphasizing the roof, this style is dominated by very prominent slate mansard roofs and towers, accented by decorated attic dormer windows. The Union Hotel had three towers, the central one with a segmental-arched cap. The long building also featured a two-story wooden front porch, overlooking the courthouse complex across Main Street.The current building was constructed in two halves, the south half in 1877 and the north the following year. The joint is clearly visible. Innovative and ahead of its time, it boasted heated and furnished rooms with very early indoor plumbing and was considered one of the finest in the state.The hotel played a prominent role during the Lindbergh trial in 1935. The jury was housed on the third floor along with some of the newspaper and radio journalists that covered the trial and updates were broadcast live to the nation daily from the second floor.The bar and restaurant were packed throughout the trial with many famous celebrities including a young Dorothy Kilgallen who famously slept behind the bar after some raucous nights and was to become the Oprah Winfrey of her day, taking a special interest in true crime. She later died in 1965 in suspicious circumstances after allegedly uncovering the facts behind the JFK assassination. Her body was found staged in a bed she rarely slept in, and her JFK notes were missing.Just north of the Hotel is Higgins Newsstand and during the trial this was the location of O’Hare’s Restaurant on the first floor, the south wall of which was signed by the visiting celebrities and journalists. A radio studio on the second floor launched the nation’s first radio disc jockey, Martin Block, who played big band jazz music as filler between the trial updates.
48-52 Main Street (Clock Tower Building)
Built in 1874, this is another fine example of a red brick Italianate style commercial block. The building is named for the large central clocktower, which rises above its three tall floors. The center of all four sides of the low hipped roof have segmental arched pediments. This feature is uncommon in neighboring towns but can be found all over in Flemington. Carved ornamental sandstone trim decorate the arched windows, the floral motif repeats in the tall brackets of the cornice.Also known as the Rea building after George A. Rea and his son Runkle who founded the building and were watchmakers, hence the clock tower, before diversifying into other businesses and lending their name to the Reaville area. George A. Rea’s initials are still visible on the keystones around the bullseye window atop the front façade. Runkle Rea was an early president of the street commission and fire department.This was the first home of the Flemington National Bank before becoming the Frank E Green drug store for many years. Later owners included Henry A Fluck, Jacob R West, John Shields and William Scheerer.
2 Main Street (Teaberry's Tea Room)
Dating from before 1822, this was originally a Federal style brick house, it was later stuccoed, expanded and updated to the more modern Italianate style. The simple form and projecting band between the first and second floors are reminders of the Federal house, the bracketed cornice, paired central arched windows and elaborate front porch mark the renovations as Italiante.The interesting building behind was originally a fancy carriage house and stable, with a cupola crowning the second-floor hay loft. It has been slightly relocated and restored and is now used as a retail outlet for the successful historic tearoom business that now operates from the main building.
3 East Main Street (Rose Lawn)
Dating from 1890, this is a marvelous reminder of the eclectic Victorian period. The house is predominantly a simple Italianate form, to which Queen Anne and French Second Empire elements have been added. Three towers were added on, each different, while an elaborate porch wraps the first floor, ballooning out into an outdoor living room on the south side. The porch bays feature a zigzag broken arch, very characteristic of many Flemington houses. Decorative brick chimneys, cast-iron roof cresting, slate roofs, wood gable-end trusses with cutout boards – there is a lot to look at!The single house now remaining was one of three established on this site by William Edgar Emery who was a local boy who made good. Born in 1842, he clerked in retail locally and in New York City before founding a large department store in Kansas City. He became a successful businessman, and one of the largest shareholders in the Lehigh Valley Railroad before returning to Flemington where he made this estate his home. When he died in 1912 his pall bearers included G H Large (see 2), Dr W Hawke (see 1) and James E Brodhead (see 12).
10 East Main Street (Flemington Presbyterian Church)
Dating from 1883, this large church on a prominent intersection is a great example of the Gothic Revival style, almost completely unchanged since it was built. Solid brownstone walls, steep slate roofs, tall lancet and round stained-glass windows and a black iron fence give it an ancient and permanent feel. But the two metal ventilators on the ridge and dormer-like roof vents speak to the Victorian’s interest in fresh air and modern convenience. The very tall tower houses bells, but is really there to accent the whole composition, and mark it as a churchThe first congregation was formed in 1791 and the first building was completed in 1794. This was located within the current cemetery, with a tavern located on the site of the present church. Thomas Reading and Jasper Smith were the first elders, ordained on July 16, 1797. On that day frontier funds were collected. The frontier then was in the middle of New York State and western Pennsylvania!In 1856 the tavern was purchased and demolished and replaced in 1857 with a new larger house on the present site. In 1883, the present larger church building was constructed. Stone and timbers were used from the first 2 buildings. The rose windows are signed Tiffany windows from the famed Tiffany studios in New York from the early 1900s.Over 50 men from the congregation served in the civil war of 1861 to 1865 including minister John Janeway who served as a chaplain. Some of those who served are buried in the cemetery including Major Lambert Boeman who was killed at Cedar Creek, Virginia while serving with the 10th regiment of New Jersey.
1 Main Street (Capner/Brodhead House)
Dating from the early 1800’s, this is a good example of an original Federal style house which was remodeled and extended with later Colonial Revival elements added. The simple, symmetrical five window façade and rectangular floor plan of the Federal house remains, but much was added on. The central gambrel roof with its Palladian window, the arched window dormers, the elaborate window trim, the semicircular side addition, the porte-cochere and the wrap-around porch with its tall thin Ionic columns are all marks of the house’s Colonial Revival transformation in the early twentieth centuryThis land was purchased in 1750 by Thomas Lowery when he was only 13 years old from Samuel Fleming who became his father-in-law when he married his daughter Esther in 1756. The Lowery’s established a thriving store on the site and were loyal supporters of the revolution and close friends of George Washington who is rumored to have visited them here in 1777.The Lowery’s became large landowners and founded many buildings in town, including determining the direction and layout of Main Street which started at their store before selling up and moving to nearby Alexandria Township in 1785.After the Lowery’s time, the estate of John Capner was developed here and later it was owned and remodeled by James E Brodhead, an executive with the New York Central Railroad. Adding the porte-cochere and slender Ionic columns, porch, bay windows and other decorative elements he created the magnificent beautifully balanced building we see today.
9 Main Street (Capnerhurst)
The section facing Main Street is perhaps the oldest building in Flemington, possibly dating from the 1760’s; it is an example of a very plain Federal style house. The two-story front face on Main Street is symmetrical, 5 bays wide is typified by the painted stone building, steeply pitched roof and double hung windows in symmetrical five ranked rows. The center section is not as old and has been restored to the Georgian Revival style.Capnerhurst is named after the family which came to Flemington after the revolution from England. They shortened their name to Capner and established Long Range Farm nearby with fine livestock including Bakewell sheep which were renowned and sold to woolgrowers in nearly every state.In the early 20th century, the building was used as Skinners “mom and pop” store with a gas pump and small garage. Threatened with demolition by the Borough in 1973 to create a parking lot, concerned local citizens rose to stop demolition. It was eventually auctioned and preserved by Theodore C Merritt, the new owner.
71-75 Main Street (Samuel L Southard Law Office)
Dating from 1811, this tiny one-story wood building was later updated to the fashionable Greek Revival style. A flat roof, a symmetrical porch with four square plain columns and a frieze band with laurel wreaths combine to give this small office building presence on Main Street. Notice how the Greek Revival style was adapted to give dignity to this little building, after it was first used at a monumental scale on the Courthouse just down the block.The first inhabitant of this building was Samuel L Southard who was one of Flemington’s greatest sons. He had an illustrious political and legal career, eventually becoming a US Senator and later Attorney General and Governor of New Jersey.After graduating early from Princeton in 1804, aged only 17, he gained employment as a tutor and married into an influential political family, the Taliaferro’s in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1811, on the recommendation of his friend William Maxwell (see 1 and 17) he moved to Flemington where he set up a law office in this building. In 1815 aged only 28 he became the youngest associate justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court.In 1821 he became a US Senator and later served as Secretaries of the Navy, War and Treasury under successive Presidents until he left Washington in 1829 after falling out with President Andrew Jackson. Returning to New Jersey he served as Attorney General in 1829 and Governor in 1832 before returning to Washington as a US Senator.The building was then the law office of Alexander Wurts, who in 1840 commissioned local architect and builder Mahlon Fisher to add the wonderful Greek Revival elements that remain today.
71-75 Main Street (Hunterdon County Hall of Records)
Dating from 1870, this is an example of the Italianate style used for a public building. A bit plainer than the Italianate commercial blocks, the brick walls are flat, without pilasters, and the cornice has fewer elements. Nonetheless, this building still features the characteristic segmental arch and bullseye window in the center of its bracketed roof cornice. The central Palladian window is original, but the current first floor façade dates from 1928 when the original building was expanded, renovated and updated to combine the original three separate doorways into one main entrance. The new entrance is flanked by Corinthian pilasters, in a cut stone surround.This building, along with the more recent extension in the rear, houses all the County’s valuable records including many historic documents such as maps, contracts, registrations, licenses, deeds and property records. A search room is open to the public.On the sidewalk in front of the building are two stone pedestals, aligned to true north south. These were used by surveyors to calibrate their instruments.
71-75 Main Street (Hunterdon County Courthouse)
Dating from 1791 and 1828, this is an early example of the Greek Revival style, with some Italianate elements added. A broad staircase, the full width of the facade leads up to a truly massive portico, two-and a half stories high, set behind four huge Doric columns. The street-facing pediment completes the temple-like façade. Above the stone foundation, the rubble stone building was faced with stucco, scored to look like more expensive cut stone blocks. The plain round columns are finished in stucco as well, applied to a brick core. Despite the buildings overall Greek Revival design, the tall cornice has decidedly Italiante paired brackets, as well as more Greek Revival modillion blocks. The tall octagonal and arched cupola seems more Georgian in style, while the elliptical arched front door transom is a Federal element.The first Courthouse on this site was constructed in 1791 when Flemington was little more than a crossroads village at intersecting roads between Trenton and Easton, Philadelphia and New York. The current structure dates from 1828 with some elements from the previous building salvaged from the fire that destroyed it that year. Under the direction of Superintendent Thomas Capner (see 13) work was completed in exactly one year for a cost of $13,513.86.The building was central to the Lindbergh trial in 1935. The victim, Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. was only 20 months old when he was kidnapped in 1932 and later found dead. The defendant Bruno Richard Hauptmann never stopped swearing his innocence but was found guilty and executed after admitting having handled the ransom money.During the trial, the town was packed with reporters and celebrities, many of whom stayed at private residences as the hotels were full. Each day a race took place to get the latest trial developments out to the country as quickly as possible. Telegraph wires were installed, radio stations were set up and dispatch riders took print stories to local airports.There are a lot of fascinating stories around the trial, and these are well documented in “When the Circus Came to Town” by James Davidson. George K Large (see 2) was the Lead Prosecutor with local attorney Lloyd Fisher acting for the defense assisting out of towner Edward J Reilly who spent much of his time in town in the local bars. He only met with the defense team for less than 2 hours and took a different lady to the trial each day as his wife. The demand to attend the trial was so high that Sheriff John H. Curtiss introduced a ticket system but was reprimanded for attempting to sell these for ‘donations’.
99 Main Street (Maxwell Mystery)
This small low-pitched gabled two-story brick building with small windows is a local mystery. Some references date it to pre-revolutionary times although this seems unlikely, as bricks were likely not made locally or available until railroads to transport coal for fuel and finished bricks were available. Its history is unclear, with some sources suggesting it was used as a stable but this seems unlikely due to its small size and the two symmetrical rooms per floor, with fireplaces and winder stairs, suggesting it was intended for humans. It was most likely associated with the adjacent Maxwell law office building which no longer remains.The likely original owner, William Maxwell, was a respected attorney on Main Street from 1808 to 1828 and was a nephew of General William Maxwell who served in the Revolutionary Wars and with Benedict Arnold at the Siege of Quebec in 1775 to 1776.
