Trask Avenue

The Village of East Millstone was settled in 1730 and quietly existed as a rural, farming community for a century. When the Delaware and Raritan Canal was completed in 1834, it immediately defined the village’s western border and, for a time, brought modest industry. A minor branch of a passenger rail service even served the area until the early 1930’s. After many years as an independent municipality it was incorporated into the much larger Franklin Township in 1949. It appears not much has changed since then, and perhaps it hasn’t. The homes are old and unassuming, although a few grand ones still stand. The community has always been small and still is – four streets wide, four streets long. Individual flourishes on the properties add a welcome spice. Flags, porches, and churches are inescapable and the lone general store has impressive foot traffic. On East Millstone’s northern border is a fairly large cemetery, especially considering the area’s stable population (447 in 1900, 579 in 2010). However, a stroll among the old headstones reminds us this area was settled by European stock almost 300 years ago. They reveal names recognizable to locals, not so much as modern community leaders, but as frequented streets and roads: Beekman, Corteyou, Sutphen, Voorhees, Blackwell, Van Doren.  I imagine East Millstone – serene, walkable, friendly, and green – would probably look comfortably familiar to a visitor transported here from 1850.

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