The Top Historic Places in Franklin Township (Somerset County)

Giants, ghosts and a murder mystery are just part of the rich history that

Franklin
Township

(
Somerset County, NJ
) offers visitors.

You can see the grave of Colonel Routh Goshen, who was once known as the World's Largest Living Man, in

Cedar
Grove
Cemetery

in

Franklin
Township

.
Goshen
, who once lived in
Franklin
and was known as the Middlebush Giant, was billed as 7 feet, 9 inches tall and weighing 560 to 650 pounds -although some believe he was actually shorter than that - and he toured with P.T. Barnum's Circus.

Before the OJ. Simpson and Lindbergh trials "of the century," there was the Hall-Mills Murder trial in 1926, the most sensational trial the country had ever seen to that point. The brutal murders in 1922 of Rev. Edward Wheeler Hall (who was married to a Johnson & Johnson heiress) and Eleanor Mills, a singer in the reverend's church choir, occurred in
Franklin
. A teenage couple discovered their bodies under a crab apple tree along a lover's lane with their throats cut and their love letters strewn about. Today, moderately sized homes are located on

Franklin Boulevard
and the only remnants of the farm where the bodies lay are two brick pillars, but at night, when traffic has lulled, you can almost imagine what it was like the night they were murdered. The murders remain unsolved.

Franklin
also was the site of the "Battle That Never Happened" during the Revolutionary War, where General George Washington and his troops sat on one side of the

Raritan
River

in Franklin and General Charles Cornwallis and the British troops waited on the other side. Eventually,
Washington
won the waiting game and the British moved on.

The

village
of
Kingston

(located in Franklin as well as two other towns), and specifically, Rockingham, have another tie to the Revolutionary War. Rockingham, built in the early 1700s, is one of the many places
Washington
slept in. However, it has the distinction of being the place where
Washington
wrote his farewell address to his troops after the Treaty of Paris had been signed, effectively ending the Revolutionary War. On Nov. 2, 1783, in the "Blue Room," he bid his troops "an affectionate - a long farewell."

Rockingham, a New Jersey State Historic Site, is situated at the southernmost tip of
Franklin
. The site's usual hours are weekdays (excluding Wednesday) through Saturday 10 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays 1 to 4 p.m. However, you are advised to call 609-683-7132 to be sure they're open.

The 277-year-old Van Wickle House in the
Somerset
section of
Franklin
, also played a part in the Revolutionary War - except this area was occupied by the British. The house, once situated on 200 acres of land in
Franklin
, is touted as a great example of early 18th century Dutch architecture unique to the
New Jersey
-
New York
area. But what some may find more interesting is that it is purported to have ghosts. Some say the strange noises and odd puddles of water are the work of Symen and Geradina Van Wickle, who reportedly died on the same day in 1757. Whatever attracts you to the place, it is definitely worth visiting. Open house tours are offered between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on the second Sunday of every month.

Two major transportation routes run through
Franklin
- one was the King's Highway (now Route 27) and the other is the

Delaware & Raritan
Canal

. This waterway, which runs from
New York
through
Franklin
to
Philadelphia
, was a huge commercial route.During the Civil War, up to 200,000 tons of freight was hauled by mule and horse-drawn barges, a great economic boon for the area. The canal declined as the railroad became more popular, but this area now attracts visitors interested in nature and history. You can drive or ride along the canal by way of

Canal Road
or you can walk or ride the

Delaware & Raritan
Canal

towpath - both will take you through
Franklin
and into
Princeton
.

About a third of the way down the canal, you can stop at the Blackwells Mills Canal House, a 171-year-old residence for the operators of the swinging bridges on the canal. The home now hosts a variety of programs including antique shows, plant sales and exhibits. Open house tours also are available from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. the second Sunday of the month. For more information you can call (732) 873-2133.

B lackwells Mills Canal House
Blackwells Mills Road & Canal Road
Somerset, NJ 08873
(732) 873-2133
www.themeadowsfoundation.org

Van WickleHouse
1289 Easton Ave.
Somerset, NJ 07783
tel. (732) 828-7418
www.themeadowsfoundation.org

Rockingham
County Road 603 (Laurel Avenue)
Kingston, NJ 08528
(609) 683-7132
www.rockingham.net