Bordentown in Burlington County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
An Early Transportation Hub
Delaware River Heritage Trail
Bordentown began as a small river port known as Farnsworth's Landing in the 1680s. Over the next two hundred years it became a nexus for boat and statecoach traffic between Philadelphia and points north. This location had two major strategic advantages. Larger boats could not travel beyond the fall line upstream at Trenton, and it is the western terminus of the shortest overland route between the Delaware River and ports on the Raritan River.
In the 1830s, the village of Bordentown became the hub of two innovative mass transport systems, the Camden and Amboy Railroad and the Delaware and Raritan Canal. The C&A was just the third railroad in the U.S. The Bordentown station and many of its facilities were located in this area. Bordentown as also the entry point for the 44-mile D&R canal. The canal made it possible to transport heavy freight economically between Philadelphia and New York and became one of the nation's busiest canal systems.
Bordentown grew into a thriving shipping and commercial center in the nineteenth century. Its importance as a rail center diminished in the 1870s, but it remained an important rail junction. Today it is a station on the light rail River Line connecting Trenton and Camden.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era
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Location. 40° 8.873′ N, 74° 42.913′ W. Marker is in Bordentown, New Jersey, in Burlington County. Marker is on West Park Street just west of Prince Street, on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 104 Prince St, Bordentown NJ 08505, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Discover Abbott Marshlands: A Natural & Historical Treasure (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The "Wye" and the Lower Bordentown Station (about 300 feet away); Wright House (about 400 feet away); Patience Lovell Wright (about 500 feet away); Home of Patience Lovell Wright (about 500 feet away); 19th Century Railroading in Bordentown (about 500 feet away); Home of Col. Joseph Borden 2nd (about 500 feet away); This Was The Home Of Joseph Hopkinson (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bordentown.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 14, 2020
3. Thomas Farnsworth banner on display in Bordentown
Quaker settler who in 1682 came to Bordentown to establish a settlement where he and other members of the Society of Friends could escape the persecution they experienced in their native England. He built a cabin overlooking the Delaware River and coined the village "Farnsworth's Landing", which would become a center for trade and commerce in the area. More than a century later the village was renamed to honor one of its Revolutionary War heroes, Colonel Joseph Borden. Remnants of the original cabin still exist as a part of a larger, later house on the northwest corner of Park and Prince Streets.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 17, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 15, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 165 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 15, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on November 16, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
