Frenchtown, New Jersey: History Along the River

Frenchtown is a picturesque community on the banks of the Delaware River. In the late 1700s, a series of land sales to French-speaking Swiss gave the town its name. The river fostered the town’s growth throughout the nineteenth century, bringing railroads and successful businesses like Frenchtown Porcelain Works. Remnants of this industrial past are still visible in places like the Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park. Visitors and locals admire historic landmarks along Bridge Street, including the Frenchtown Inn and the Hummer Building. Annual celebrations like Bastille Day and RiverFest celebrate the town’s home and heritage. Local authors Robert Rando and Caroline Scutt commemorate the unique history of this bucolic New Jersey community.