| Pottersville, New Jersey | |
| Settlement Type: | Census-designated place |
| Pushpin Map: | USA New Jersey Hunterdon County#USA New Jersey Somerset County#USA New Jersey#USA |
| Pushpin Label: | Pottersville |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Hunterdon County##Location in Somerset County##Location in New Jersey##Location in the United States |
| Pushpin Relief: | yes |
| Pushpin Label Position: | left |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: |  United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | Counties |
| Subdivision Name2: | Hunterdon and Somerset |
| Subdivision Type3: | Townships |
| Subdivision Name3: | Bedminster and Tewksbury |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 2.38 |
| Area Land Km2: | 2.36 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.02 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 0.92 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 0.91 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.01 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Footnotes: | [2] |
| Population Total: | 467 |
| Population Density Km2: | 197.61 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 512.06 |
| Timezone: | Eastern (EST) |
| Utc Offset: | −05:00 |
| Timezone Dst: | Eastern (EDT) |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −04:00 |
| Elevation Ft: | 213 |
| Coordinates: | 40.7136°N -74.7219°W |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | [3] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 879465 |
Pottersville is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP)[4] split between Bedminster Township in Somerset County and Tewksbury Township in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[5] The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP Code 07979. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 07979 was 589.[6] In 1990, most of the village was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Pottersville Village Historic District.
As of the 2020 United States census, the population of the area was 467.[2]
The Purnell School, a private all-girls boarding high school founded in 1963, was located in Pottersville.[7] In February 2021, Purnell School announced that it would cease operations upon the completion of the 2020–2021 academic year.[8] Later that year, Pingry School purchased the 82-acre campus[9] to use as an extension of its existing campuses in Basking Ridge and Short Hills.
Pottersville was first called Lamington and afterwards Potters Mills. There were mills here as early as 1756 built and owned by William Willet. One Mill still stands on the left side of County Route 512 heading towards Califon. It was originally used for weaving woolen goods and later turned into a grist mill. The first grist mill was built along the Lamington River (Black River), but no longer stands. A commemorative plaque has taken its place.
William Willet owned a day book in which he recorded sales to the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. His main consideration became supplying the Continental Army. He was paid in Continental currency which around 1780 became worthless. He was ruined financially and was forced to sell both mills to Serrin Potter in 1783, which led to the community's name.
In 1887, upwards of 200,000 baskets of peaches were shipped from Pottersville and New Germantown (Oldwick) by wagons to Chester, Whitehouse and other area communities. The profitable peach growing industry led the Rockaway Valley Railroad to build a spur to Pottersville in 1888.
Black River Falls in Pottersville prompted the railroad to run excursions to the falls. The land around the glen were made into picnic grounds and an amusement park. There was a merry-go-round, dance pavilion and refreshment stand. Some visitors came from Jersey City, N.J. and usually stayed at the Pottersville Hotel. Failure of the peach crop eventually resulted in the end of the Rockaway Railroad. One town resident remembers the park open as late as 1920.
| Pottersville Village Historic District | |
| Nrhp Type: | hd |
| Nocat: | y |
| Location: | Properties fronting on Black River, Pottersville, McCann Mill and Hacklebarney Roads, Fairmount Road East and High Street |
| Architecture: | Italianate, Queen Anne, Vernacular Victorian |
| Added: | September 18, 1990 |
| Refnum: | 90001475 |
| 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 9, 1990 |
| Designated Other1 Number: | 1633[10] |
| Designated Other1 Num Position: | bottom |
| Designated Other1 Color: |
|
The Pottersville Village Historic District is a historic district encompassing the village. The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 18, 1990, for its significance in industry, commerce, architecture, settlement, and archeology from 1750 to 1924. It includes 44 contributing buildings, 4 contributing sites and 2 contributing structures.[11]
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Pottersville include: