Some of the most charming places in our market aren't towns at all. Pottersville is a village with no town hall and no borough council, yet it has its own post office, its own historic district, and a river running through the middle of it. It sits right on the line between Bedminster Township in Somerset County and Tewksbury Township in Hunterdon County, and for buyers who want a true country village, it belongs on the list.
We touched on Pottersville briefly in our Tewksbury spotlight last week. This time we take a closer look at the village itself.
One Village, Two Counties
Pottersville is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place. Part of it is in Bedminster and part is in Tewksbury, so the county, the township, and the school district all depend on which side of the line a home sits. The 2020 census counted 467 residents in the village.
The water shapes the place. The Black River flows through Pottersville, and from here downstream it takes a new name, the Lamington River, before joining the North Branch of the Raritan.
A Name Earned the Hard Way
Before it was Pottersville, the village was called Lamington and then Potters Mills. Its story turns on one man's bad luck. William Willet, who built the first mills here, kept a day book recording his sales to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. Supplying the army became his main business, and he was paid in Continental currency. Around 1780 that currency became nearly worthless. Willet was ruined, and in 1783 he sold both mills to Serrin Potter, whose name the village still carries.
One mill building still stands beside County Route 512 on the way toward Califon. It was first used for weaving woolen goods and later became a grist mill. The original grist mill on the river is gone, and a commemorative plaque marks the spot.
When Visitors Came for the Falls
In the late 1800s, the railroad brought more than freight. The Rockaway Valley Railroad extended its line north to Pottersville, and Black River Falls, a short distance from the depot, became an early tourist attraction. The railroad ran excursions to the falls. The land around the glen became picnic grounds and a small amusement park, with a merry-go-round, a dance pavilion, and a refreshment stand. Some visitors came all the way from Jersey City and stayed at the Pottersville Hotel. When the area's peach crop failed, the railroad failed with it, though one resident remembered the park still open as late as 1920.
The Historic District
Most of the village is in the Pottersville Village Historic District, which covers about 85 acres. It was recognized for its industry, commerce, architecture, settlement, and archaeology from 1750 to 1924. The district takes in properties along Black River, Pottersville, McCann Mill, and Hacklebarney roads, Fairmount Road East, and High Street. It includes 44 contributing buildings, many in the Italianate, Queen Anne, and vernacular Victorian styles.
A New Chapter for an Old Campus
For decades Pottersville was home to the Purnell School, an all-girls boarding high school founded in 1963. Purnell closed after the 2020–2021 school year. Later in 2021, the Pingry School bought the 82-acre campus as an extension of its campuses in Basking Ridge and Short Hills.
Nearby Open Space
Follow the Black River upstream and you reach Hacklebarney State Park in Morris County, between Long Valley and Chester. Hiking trails follow the river past boulders and small waterfalls, and the park is especially popular in the fall.
Notes for Buyers
- Confirm the township. A Pottersville address can be in Bedminster or Tewksbury. Taxes, schools, and zoning differ, so check the municipality before you compare homes.
- Historic district review. If a home is in the district, ask about any local review before you plan exterior changes.
- Near the water. Some properties sit close to the river. Look at flood zone maps and ask about flood insurance early.
- Check the systems. Many homes in the area rely on a private well and septic. See our earlier guide to well and septic systems.
The Takeaway
Pottersville packs more than 250 years of history into a small riverside village, with Victorian homes, an old mill, and open country all around. If you'd like a village setting with Bedminster or Tewksbury as your township, it's worth a slow drive through.
Curious about Pottersville? Call Fahey Realtors at 908.204.0600 or stop by 61 Claremont Road in Bernardsville, NJ 07924. We would be glad to help you compare neighborhoods.
