| Abbott Farm Historic District | |
| Nrhp Type: | nhld |
| Coordinates: | 40.175°N -74.7083°W |
| Nocat: | yes |
| Added: | December 8, 1976 |
| Designated Nrhp Type: | December 8, 1976 |
| Refnum: | 76001158 |
| 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: | August 16, 1979 |
| Designated Other1 Number: | 1654[1] |
| Designated Other1 Num Position: | bottom |
| Designated Other1 Color: |
|
The Abbott Farm Historic District is a National Historic Landmark archaeological site in New Jersey. It is the largest known Middle Woodland village of its type on the East Coast of the United States.[2] Significant evidence suggests that the Delaware River floodplain was occupied by Paleoindian people for a long period.[3] It was inhabited between 500 BC and 500 AD.[2] It has been a source of controversy and debate around early development.
The district encompasses some 2000acres of marshlands and bluffs in southern Mercer County and northern Burlington County, in the communities of Hamilton Township, Bordentown, and Bordentown Township. The John A. Roebling Memorial Park, part of the Abbott Marshlands, provides access to both historic sites and nature habitats in the area.[4] The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Abbott Farm Archeological Site on December 8, 1976 for its significance in prehistory and science.[5]
The importance of this site was established in the late 19th century by Charles Conrad Abbott, an archaeologist whose farm was located on one of the bluffs overlooking the marshlands. Abbott's finds on his farm, published in 1876, sparked a debate about when humans first arrived in the area, and consequently had significant influence on the direction of later archaeological work. Many finds from the site are at Harvard University's Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, for which Abbott served as assistant curator for many years.
In addition to its archaeological importance, the area includes historically important buildings and transportation-related structures, such as:[5]