Chesterfield, originally known as Recklesstown, is an unincorporated community located around the intersection of County Route 528 (Bordentown-Chesterfield Road, Chesterfield-Arneytown Road) and County Route 677 (Chesterfield-Georgetown Road) in Chesterfield Township of Burlington County, New Jersey.[1][2]
Chesterfield, New Jersey | |
|---|---|
 The Chesterfield Inn | |
  Chesterfield  Chesterfield  Chesterfield | |
| Coordinates: 40°6′54″N 74°38′22″W / 40.11500°N 74.63944°W[1] | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Jersey |
| County | Burlington |
| Township | Chesterfield |
| GNIS feature ID | 875404[1] |
History edit
In the 1830s, the village had a store, hotel, church, and post office. The village was originally named after Joseph Reckless, who had bought a mill here in 1712.[3] His grandsons, Anthony and Robert, served in the American Revolutionary War. The name of the community was changed to Chesterfield in 1888 by congressman Anthony Bullock. The oldest part of the Recklesstown Tavern, now the Chesterfield Inn, was built c. 1710. The tavern was expanded in 1774.[4]
Historic district edit
Recklesstown Historic District | |
 Kessler House | |
| Area | 200 acres (81 ha) |
|---|---|
| Architectural style | Late Victorian, Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001125[5] |
| NJRHP No. | 781[6] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | August 19, 1975 |
| Designated NJRHP | May 8, 1975 |
The Recklesstown Historic District is a 200-acre (81 ha) historic district encompassing the village. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1975, for its significance in agriculture, religion, and transportation. The district includes 49 contributing buildings. The Kessler House is a two and one-half story brick building built c. 1849. The Chesterfield Baptist Church was built in 1848 and features Greek Doric columns. Across the street is the Clayton House, once the church rectory, now a florist.[4]
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Chestefield Baptist Church -
Clayton House
Notable people edit
- Charles Newbold (1764–1835), blacksmith, invented the first one piece cast iron plow, patented in 1797[4]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c "Chesterfield". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Variant name: Recklesstown
- ^ "Locality Search". State of New Jersey.
- ^ Woodward, E. M.; Hageman, John F. (1883). "Recklesstown". History of Burlington and Mercer Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of Many of Their Pioneers and Prominent Men. Philadelphia: Everts & Peck. pp. 287–288.
- ^ a b c Winters, John (April 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Recklesstown". National Park Service. With accompanying 17 photos
- ^ "National Register Information System – (#75001125)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Burlington County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection – Historic Preservation Office. September 29, 2022. p. 5.
listed as the Recklesstown Historic District (Village of Chesterfield)
External links edit
Media related to Chesterfield, New Jersey at Wikimedia Commons
