Bowerstown, New Jersey

The iron foundry, built in 1829 by Jesse Vanetta and Michael B. Bowers, denotes the start of the community.{{cite book |last = Cummins |first = George Wyckoff |title = History of Warren County, New Jersey |publisher = Lewis Historical Publishing |year = 1911 |url = https://archive.org/details/cu31924010411118 |page = [https://archive.org/details/cu31924010411118/page/n272/mode/1up 249] |quote=Bowers Foundry, on the Pohatcong Creek, near Brass Castle has been the seat of an important industry conducted by one of the oldest families in the township}} It then developed around the Morris Canal, in particular, Inclined Plane 7 West and the boat basin by the Pohatcong Creek. In 1838, Peter Van Doren constructed a gristmill by the creek and the canal. Michael Bowers purchased the foundry in 1843 and concentrated on producing iron plows.{{cite web |title=Significant Key Historical Events |url=http://www.washington-twp-warren.org/about_washington/local_history/key_events_dates.php |publisher=Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey}} The canal company built a house for the plane tender in the {{circa|1850s}}.

In 1933, Consumers' Research, at the recommendation of co-founder Frederick J. Schlink, moved from New York City to the Florey Piano Factory in nearby Washington, New Jersey.{{cite web |title=About Consumer's Research: History |url=http://consumersresearch.org/history/ |publisher=Consumers' Research}}{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Gregory L. |title=An Inventory to the Records of Consumers' Research, Inc., 1910–1983, bulk 1928–1980 |url=http://www2.scc.rutgers.edu/ead/manuscripts/consumers_introf.html |publisher=Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University Libraries |date=January 1995}} The company then built an office building, 1934–1935, and later a research laboratory, 1939–1940, on the Bowers Foundry property. The contributions of consumer advocate Mary Catherine Phillips, author of Skin Deep: The Truth About Beauty Aids – Safe and Harmful and member of the Board of Directors of Consumers' Research, is recognized here on the New Jersey Women's Heritage Trail.

• {{cite book |section=Site #22: Consumers' Research, Mary Catherine Phillips (1903–1981) |url=https://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/WHTrail_Book.pdf |page=24 |publisher=New Jersey Historic Preservation Office |date=2005 |title=New Jersey Women's Heritage Trail |oclc=70587105 }}
• {{cite book |last1=Phillips |first1=M. C. |author-link=Mary Catherine Phillips |title=Skin Deep. The Truth About Beauty Aids – Safe and Harmful |date=1934 |publisher=The Vanguard Press |location=New York |oclc=1002151}} In 1986, the office building was bought by the Warren Hills Regional School District for use as district offices by the Board of Education.{{cite web |title=Home page |url=https://www.warrenhills.org/ |publisher=Warren Hills Regional School District}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Bowerstown Historic District

| nrhp_type = hd | nocat=y

| image = File:Bowers Foundry, Bowerstown, NJ.jpg

| caption = Bowers Foundry, built {{circa|1829}}

| coordinates = {{WikidataCoord|Q89272151 |display= }}

| location = Bowerstown, Plane Hill, Lannings Trail, and Mine Hill roads

| locmapin =

| built =

| architecture = Mid 19th Century Revival, Colonial Revival, Greek Revival

| added = May 10, 1996

| area = {{convert|72|acre}}

| refnum = 96000537{{NRISref|version=2013a|refnum=96000537}}

| designated_other1_name = New Jersey Register of Historic Places

| designated_other1_abbr = NJRHP

| designated_other1_link = New Jersey Register of Historic Places

| designated_other1_date = March 13, 1996

| designated_other1_number = 3503{{cite web | title=New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Warren County | url=http://www.nj.gov/dep/hpo/1identify/nrsr_lists/Warren.pdf | publisher=New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office | page=11 | date=March 17, 2020 }}

| designated_other1_num_position = bottom

| designated_other1_color = #ffc94b

}}

The Bowerstown Historic District is a historic district encompassing the village and bounded by Bowerstown, Plane Hill, Lannings Trail, and Mine Hill roads. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 10, 1996, for its significance in science, social history, communications, industry, architecture, and transportation from 1829 to 1945. It includes 42 contributing resources.{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=96000537}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Bowerstown Historic District |publisher=National Park Service|last1=Bertland |first1=Dennis N. |date=July 1995 }} With {{NRHP url|id=96000537|photos=y|title=accompanying 21 photos}}

The Bowers Foundry, rubble stone, and the Consumers' Research office and laboratory buildings, both of Colonial Revival style, are at the center of the district. The two-story brick house on Old Bowerstown Road shows Federal influences with Victorian embellishment. The two-story brick house on Mine Hill Road has Greek Revival style, with Italianate influences.

After the Morris Canal was decommissioned in 1924, Washington Township purchased Inclined Plane 7 West and the aqueduct over the Pohatcong Creek to build Plane Hill Road. The plane tender's house also remains, but with modern additions on both sides. The retaining wall by the house on Old Bowerstown Road uses sleeper stones from the inclined plane as the base layer.

File:Morris Canal Plane 7 West from HAER (cropped).tiff|Historic view of Inclined Plane 7 West of the Morris Canal

File:Morris Canal, Inclined Plane 7 West, Bowerstown, NJ - area view.jpg|View of Morris Canal now, Plane Hill Road

File:Morris Canal Aqueduct, Plane Hill Road, Bowerstown, NJ.jpg|Morris Canal Aqueduct over the Pohatcong Creek, Plane Hill Road

File:39 Plane Hill Road, Bowerstown, NJ.jpg|Plane tender's house, Plane Hill Road

File:89 Bowerstown Road, Bowerstown, NJ.jpg|Consumers' Research offices, built 1934–35, Bowerstown Road

File:Bowerstown Road, Bowerstown, NJ - former research laboratory.jpg|Consumers' Research laboratory, built 1939–40, Bowerstown Road

File:57 Mine Hill Road, Bowerstown, NJ.jpg|Greek Revival house, Mine Hill Road

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Warren County, New Jersey
• List of bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
• Port Colden Historic District

{{reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline}}
• {{cite web|title=Mary Catherine Phillips – Consumers' Research |url=https://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=94693 |publisher=The Historical Marker Database}}
• {{cite web |title=Plane Hill Road Aqueduct |url=http://bridgehunter.com/nj/warren/bh53639/ |publisher=Bridge Hunter}}

{{Warren County, New Jersey}}

{{NRHP in Warren County, New Jersey}}

Category:Washington Township, Warren County, New Jersey

Category:Unincorporated communities in Warren County, New Jersey

Category:Unincorporated communities in New Jersey

Category:1829 establishments in New Jersey

Category:National Register of Historic Places in Warren County, New Jersey

Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey

Category:New Jersey Register of Historic Places