Boonton Historical Society
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Images
Image of the John Taylor Building
Photograph of Boonton Historical Society.
Dr. John Taylor House historical marker.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Boonton, New Jersey, has a history that dates back to the mid-1700s. The original town is now under the New Jersey Reservoir, but the current Boonton began in 1829 when the Morris Canal was built. The New Jersey Iron Company saw the worth of the natural resources in the Rockaway River near the Morris Canal. The New Jersey Iron Company also gave employees parcels of land to built homes, which allowed the town of Boonton to grow and prosper. Other industries like silk and different factories came into Boonton, and the townspeople continued to grow its community services. Boonton slowly grew into the town it is today with its history preserved by the Boonton Historical Society.
The Boonton Historical Society is located in the John Taylor building, located at 210 Main Street. The structure was built in 1897 for a residence and office for John L Taylor, who was a doctor in Boonton. The land for the John Taylor house was gifted by the parents of Taylor's wife, Adelaide, for a Christmas present in 1897. Adelaide's father was a businessman named John L. Kanouse. Prior to housing the Boonton Historical Society, World War I veterans used the building as the headquarters for the American Legion Post 124. The Boonton Historical Society was established in 1959 by community members who wanted to preserve the history of Boonton, New Jersey, and moved into the John Taylor house in 1980..
The Boonton Historical Society's mission statement is as follows:
- Preserve and protect the town of Boonton's unique cultural, architectural and industrial history
- Preserve and share the area's rich history, folklore, arts and humanities of the past and present
- Encourage preservation and restoration of historic landmarks in the town
- Protect and display the museum's collections
- Provide educational programs, guided historical tours and exhibitions to a diverse population
Sources
Boonton Historical Society, The Town of Boonton. Accessed January 13th 2020. https://www.boonton.org/268/Boonton-Historical-Society.
Dr. John Taylor House, Waymarking. November 3rd 2010. Accessed January 14th 2020. https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMA1Y2_Dr_John_Taylor_House.
Boonton Historical Society. Images of America: Boonton. Charleston, SC. Arcadia Publishing, 2017.
Image from Boonton.org
Image from Wikipedia.org.
Image from Waymarking.com.