Current Projects

Our popular Harvest Home Historic House Tour will be held on October 9 and features these four houses: the 18th century Stone Spring Farm on Pittstown Road and Stone Corner Farm on Croton Road, and the 19th century Green Tree Farm on White Bridge Road and Hummingbird Haven on Upper Kingtown Road. The 1862 Friends Meeting House in Quakertown and the 1850 Baptist Church in Cherryville also are open for tours.
Sponsoring the fourth annual Scholar Award essay competition at Franklin Township School for third, fourth and fifth grade students. Winners to be announced soon.
Providing a matching grant in support of the Food Bank at the Quakertown United Methodist Church that is open from 9am to 1pm on the third Wednesday of each month, except in April, when it is open on the second Wednesday. The church is located on Croton Road just south of its intersection with Quakertown Road. Click here for details
Creating a comprehensive listing of Franklin Township farms which sell produce and other farm products directly to the consumer and providing the list on this website.

Past Projects

Initiated the listing of Quakertown and Pittstown on the New Jersey State and National Historic Registers..
Created a 17-minute film, Passing Glances: Franklin Township, 150 Years narrated by Retired New Jersey Superior Court Judge John W. Fritz. The original video is now converted to a DVD, which may be borrowed for viewing from Franklin’s Municipal Building or purchased for $5 from The Quakertown Store on the corner of Routes 579 and 616 in Quakertown. [CLICK HERE TO WATCH ONLINE]
Preserved a 600-pound Lenni Lenape stone mortar found in a tributary of the Capoolong Creek. The artifact, estimated to date from 4,000 to 2,000 B.C., is now on display in the Teaching Garden of Rutgers’ Snyder Research and Extension Farm, 140 Locust Grove Road.
Conducted tours of historic houses in Franklin Township 1982-1990 and revived the tradition in 2008.
Sponsored August Knispel Monument unveiling, August 2006.
Traditionally host Candidate Nights before Township elections.
Hosted Colonial Christmas Concerts in December of 2007 and 2008 in Quakertown.
Fall 2009, Raffle to benefit Food Pantry: Geri M. from Stockton, NJ, won the framed, signed print of Dan Campanelli's water color, Wash Day© . Her winning raffle ticket, # 186, was purchased at Ralph Anthony Automotive on Croton Road in Quakertown.

Franklin Township, Hunterdon County, a new 128-page pictorial history features 121 never-before-published photographs dating from 1860 to 2009 – all from the private collections of 46 current and former township families. The text by Dan and Marty Campanelli, the nationally renowned watercolor artist and his wife, and Lora Jones, Franklin Township Historian, contains new information regarding historic sites, events and dates, correcting data published in earlier history books. Proceeds benefit the community projects of Rural Awareness. The price is $21.99. Call 908.735.4271 to pick up a book locally, or send mail orders to Rural Awareness, PO Box 314, Quakertown, NJ 08868 with a check to Rural Awareness for $26.
Facts and Fantasies of Franklin, compiled and written by J. Edward Stout (1923-2001), Franklin native, long-time Township Historian, and Rural Awareness member, offers a comprehensive history of our community. The 418-page historical account includes the 1850 census, maps and many photographs. It is available for purchase at the Municipal Building and the Clinton Book Shop for $20.