Interesting Hackettstown Photo Page
How can anyone screw up this topic?
Picture looking up Main street from the 1st Presbyterian Church Steeple.
John C 
John C: When were these photos taken? Are they all taken from the same rooftop?
Hackettstown Curious
I'll add without screwing up! Two of my favorites!
Close up of your ocotogon house (1)
Peggy C. 
Metsman 
Calico696 
BrownEyesGuy 
The 1st Presbyterian Church Building is 150 years old this year.....Our Civil War group will be part of the anniversary program planned for August.
The Steeple "ceiling"
peggy that house is for sale and my wife and i are dying for an open house to see it, but i think they are only doing appointments only!!
Darwin 
Christography 
darlughh Christography, that is stunning, makes me want to get on a plane, come home, and stand on the top of the mountain and just look down.
This was taken in the 70s. Not sure what year. I may not have been born yet. I came across this today.
Wild Angel @John C, you'll find something. Our aunt (family friend) owned the house before Dr. H and each member of my family had a story about encountering a spirit. It was not a fun house for us. Beautiful features though.
Bonv 
Denis 
Christine We too are eagerly awaiting an open house. We lovingly call it "murder house" after the house on AHS bc it looks spooky, but we never knew it really had spirits...cool
JessM. I love the picture of the octagon house. Octagon houses are always a little out-of-place. The one in Johnsonburg is also very nice - one of my favorites in the county.
As for Dr. H's house, when I lived in the neighborhood back in the 80's, I remember hearing rumours that someone had drowned in the swimming pool. I used to run past it at night - it had a vibe but not so much after Dr. and Mrs. H made some renovations.
Wendy @PeggyC
That mine hill rd. pic is beautiful- is there much traffic on that road? Looks like a beautiful place to run. I had never heard of mine hill rd, just looked up it's location on google maps.
The pics of the houses remind me that i'd like to walk around the OLD town residential area... I remember several years ago, there was the 1st (and I think they had a 2nd) Hackettstown 5K...back when the running store was in town... I ran it, it went thru old town, and I remember how nice some of those old houses and neighborhoods were. I need to bring the dog in & walk around one day.
JeffersonRepub JR - I'm sure you could have a good run back on Mine Hill. Just make sure you don't over dress back there. ;-)
GC ??? are we talking about the fact that it's a MOUNTAIN? I see it parallels Rt 46... so mine hill rd climbs the mountain just like 46 does? If so, not so good for running... the flat area in Peggy's pic is nice tho.
The Jacob Allen house (Dr. H's house) is absolutely beautiful inside and out but it drives me nuts when people think it's spooky or haunted. The only reason people think that is because it's a big old second-empire mansard roof house that looks like the Munsters house. If it were a split level or a ranch no one would ever talk about ghosts.
People ask me all the time if we have ghosts in out 1874 house, to which I just roll my eyes. There are no ghosts people. Just noises and overactive imaginations.
eperot 
Tilmay 
beach comber 
JR,
Mine Hill Rd is the road to the neighborhood where I used to live, Indian Park Estates. It's maybe 5 minutes from the business Main Street in Hackettstown. It does run parallel to Rt 46, and Drakestown Rd is to the right (this one is steep with a nasty switch-back off of route 46) up a little bit from this picture, and the entrance to Camp Goodland is on Drakestown for a site reference. It is a small residential area, so not much traffic and nice scenery.
If you line up the Mine Hill Rd picture (on the left), and the favorite house picture (one the right), that is how the land lies. Further up the road, and heading up towards the mountain is the reservoir. I would say it has a slight incline or decline depending on which way you are going. It is a nice walk, or bike ride, and you would love walking your dog in there. 35 years ago, I did it all the time!
I was fortunate enough to be able to come back for the Mount Olive HS reunion in the fall of 2010, and up on my to-do list was taking pictures of the houses and places that I remembered were significant to me growing up. This favorite house was either owned by Orr's or Ort's, I can't remember now. There is pond in the back where we ice skated, but when we went back, I saw that the present owners have it gated up now.
JR - No, it's down in the valley. The picture shows that it would make a good run. I just don't want you to feel like you're wearing too much as you go through Camp Goodland where it's optional. ;-)
OH... that's where the nudie camp is????? lol I had heard about it, but thought it was WEST out 46.
And thanks Peggy- I'll check it out.
We went to the open house of the Jacob Allen house, and it was beautiful. I'm only $539,899.00 from being able to buy it. :o)
Rich Peggy, former Mine Hill Rd. Neighbor here....your favorite house was owned by the Orts.
OnlyChild @Brad, it's on Moore St (corner).
@eperot, there was something off in that house -we have plenty of examples of really spooky stuff especially on the top floor. But I haven't been in the house for over 25 years so who knows...
Firefly 
cbel 
Rebecka 
I just want to thank the HLers for all the wonderful pictures, what a beautiful town we lived/live in. I can't wait to come back in July. I was out in April, short but sad visit and can't wait until my 2 weeks in July! Thanks everyone, brings back good memories and I think I will be taking lots of walks when I come back!
Granny Mo 
Timay 
Some Guy (Art) 
I've really enjoyed all the beautiful pictures posted of our town. I thought I would add a picture of HRMC - a wonderful community hospital.
Mindy'sMom Thanks for the pic of the hospital, Mindy's Mom. Brought back memories of before we had the hospital and all of the family standing out on 46 with the buckets (bucket brigade) to collect funds to build a hospital in Hackettstown.
Joyful Joyful - I have heard of the "bucket brigade". What dedicated people you all must have been and what a difference you made.
I took the picture myself (since I live within walking distance). I was hoping to get closer to show the facade of the building, but didn't want to lose the perspective. (I love photography, but a photographer I am not).
The old Central House. Beautiful building. It's a shame it was allowed to fall into such disrepair, and torn down.
I was on the Hackettstown Hospital bucket brigade... we spent hours standing in traffic...collecting change...tell that to the people at the hospital today...and I spent a few times bending my elbow at the Central House ...played shuffle board and pool there also...that was quite a time...Bill Dougherty the owner was a relative of mine...and he ran the place...with a tough hand...
oldman Sounds like a good place to have a few. Not too many bars with shuffle board anymore.
Does anyone have any old photos of Kenwood section? So interested in seeing what the development looked like when first built.
Alli @Denis..I live right by the Central House and watched them take it down, I know I have pictures of the pile of bricks somewhere.
Bessie Alli: We were the fifth homeowner to move in when Klingman built the Kenwood Village section. We lived on Laurie which was the first street he did. My husband took lots of slides of the development back then but that was so long ago I am sure he no longer has any of them. Our daughter was born on Jan. 2nd of 1961 and we brought her into our new home that year.
Hi Bessie, I used to have an office right down the street from it. I grabbed one of the roof cornice's out of the junk pile, and have it sitting on top of a bookcase now.
Betsy, I'm not sure on the name history, it was closed when I moved to town. I think it was torn down in 1994?, that's the year I have on the photo album I grabbed this picture from.
Bessie: Dougherty's Central House was never torn completely down. They just took the third floor off...then tried to restore it to its original state. As far as the Duke can remember it was always called Central House...and he should know!! It is also the same thing with the Grange Hall which was right across the street. Van took the third floor off and then restored it to its original look.
They just took the third floor off...then tried to restore it to its original state. Are you kidding me????, that's just flat out ridiculous statement.
@ Joyful, all I know is there were a lot of bricks...when I come back from vacation I'll have to look for those pictures..I think I saw them not too long ago.
I also think it was always The Central House (never knew about the Dougherty part)..never went into the bar, but would sometimes go over for a six pack or two when the party was running low. I just remember the smell of the place when you walked in, just like the bars my dad used to go to when I was a kid. I think it's the wood, the beer..definitely a distinct feel. People always said they had the coldest beer in town.
Bessie, I know the smell you are talking about....it was dark and smelled like beer...not unpleasant.
they tore down the Central House because the building had structural problems...I have no idea if any of the pool tables ...and the very nice shuffle board were even saved...I was there the day the place shut down...thats how it goes...tear down an old tavern..and build a bigger building on the same lot...well at least the some people remember the place
I remember the Central House ... it was torn down when I was a kid and then rebuilt with the "similar" looking building there now. I like the original better. I really wish we were more into restoring our old buildings than tearing them down and building new all the time.
I now fear for the little building next to the municipal lot along East Plane St. that was once a barber shop. Could be a great little building but isn't cared for and will surely be torn down someday. I've tried to contact the owner to see if he'd sell but no doing.
It's hard loving history.
Erik B. Anderson 
@eperot, I agree about the barbershop..no idea what the plan is for the building but it looks terrible, considering it was still a functioning shop not terribly long ago. A coat of paint on the building would do wonders for it, however, not knowing anything about anything regarding the building, what do I know.
Central House? A crime as to what happened to that place! Bill Doughrty was one of the better known and least appreciated gentlemen of the community. Of course he came here when, and made it, (from Wharton), you could never make it, unless H'own begat! Knew him well, often did support work for him. He and my father were very close, long friends with a joint interest in Poconos property. Bill also owned Musconetcong Club, Budd Lake - Orange Blossson, Ledgewood - Dougherty's, and Wharton Tavern. Good Scotch / Irish background.
oldsoldier eperot - I'm surprised that building isn't for sale. I know it had the for sale sign on it for a long time, just like you clearly see in your picture. It was sold in 2008 to someone in Boonton who paid over market value for it. Four years is enough time to do what every you're going to do with it. $6000 a year in taxes means 24k has already gone up in smoke for them.
GC and Bessie,
Yes, the owner paid something like $315K for that tiny little run down building on an oddly shaped narrow lot! BAD move. I just keep thinking "wow...no tenants, no income, and paying thousands a year in taxes..does this guy have money to burn?"
If I were able to purchase it (dirt cheap) I'd do my best to keep it appropriate. All new wood clapboards, restore the original windows and decorative cornice, make a nice apartment in the back for rent and turn the front into a shop for my window restorations. One can dream...
Van sold the shuffle board from the Central House along with the old phone booth from just inside the front door prior to demolition. I was lucky enough to get 6 of the old orange and black adirondack chairs that once sat on the around porch. They had been stored in the barn for many years. I was also given a 1960 Rockola jukebox from the basement. What a place.
Bessie and FF, I too know exactly that smell-not unpleasant at all.
Greg I was under the impression the owner lives out of the country. He also owns other Main St. buildings. Fruitmex and Kathys Kove old building.
In 1855, a group of local men bought a hand pumper, which is still preserved and in working condition at the Moore Street Firehouse. Operated solely by manpower, this pumper was capable of throwing a stream of water 50 or more feet in the air at a rate of 78 gallons per minute.
How interesting it was to actualy see this pumper this morning. I felt as though I stepped back in history 100 years and what wonderful condition it's in. I understand this pumper actually fought the fire at Centenary College in 1899 in which the main building was destroyed.
Thank you to The Duke who was kind enough to make it possible for me to see this wonderful antique.
Check out this website http://www.historicaerials.com/
They have aerial photos of Hackettstown dating back to 1931.
Some interesting things I've found so far...
1956- the construction of M&M Mars
1963- the construction of Hurley and Carol Drives
1988- construction of Oak Hill and current Bilby Road
Mindys Mom, what a great photo, and with the Duke in the background!!!
Hope all is well with you duke..
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