Boonton Historical Society

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

The Boonton Historical Society, established in 1959, preserves the history of Boonton, New Jersey. Boonton's history dates back to the mid-1700s when the New Jersey Iron Company saw the use of the natural resources in the Rockaway River after the Morris Canal was built. Boonton continued to prosper and grow, which eventually led to the creation of the Boonton Historical Society that is housed in the John Taylor house, the residence and office of town doctor John L. Taylor in the early 20th century.

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 Sources(Click to expand)

Image from Boonton.org

Image from Wikipedia.org.

Image from Waymarking.com.

Additional Information