History of Somerville
Somerville was settled in colonial times primarily by the Dutch who purchased land from the English proprietors of the colony. The Dutch established their church near what is today Somerville and a Dutch Reformed minister or Domine lived at the Old Dutch Parsonage from about 1754. The early village grew up around a church, courthouse and a tavern built at a crossroads shortly after the American Revolution. No one knows who gave Somerville its name, but it was known by this name by about 1800. Somerville was originally a sparsely populated farming community, but rapidly grew after the completion of the railroad in the 1840s and development of water power along the Raritan River in the 1850s.
Somerville celebrated it's 100th Centennial Anniversary in 2009. There will be a Centennial Parade on Saturday, June 19, 2010. This will also mark the 175th Anniversary of the Somerville Fire Department. Click Here for a link to the Borough Centennial Information
Redevelopment in Somerville
Click above to view an update on the Redevelopment projects in Somerville
