Port Mercer Inn

4271 Quakerbridge Road, March 2019. From Paul Ligeti.

Historical Overview

A large 2-story L-shaped house with 2-story lean-to addition and 1-story extension sits at 4271 Quakerbridge Road. This structure - a member of West Windsor's "100 Club" - was, in the 1800s, an inn serving people passing through the historic Lawrence/West Windsor community of Port Mercer.

Several sources date the building to the 1840s[1] or 1850s.[2] Woodward and Hageman's History of Burlington and Mercer Counties (1883) asserts that the house was constructed as a dwelling by John A. D. Crater,[3] at one point the owner of the adjacent general store.[4] John had purchased this property - which at that point was one large lot that also contained the store, a few preexisting dwellings (presumably 4273, and 4275 Quakerbridge Road), and additional land now part of 4261-63 Quakerbidge Road - in 1848, from Joseph Gillingham.[5],[6]  Joseph was one of Port Mercer's original inhabitants, who operated a lime kiln on this property, which also contained Port Mercer's turning basin.[7]
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John A. D. Crater sold the large lot to John Jerolaman in 1858.[8] It then passed to the Wests and Vankirks in 1859[9] and Samuel Smith in 1860.[10] According to Woodward and Hageman, Smith remodeled the house and began leasing it to William West, who kept it as a "public house" (an inn).[11] Although the property was further deeded to Richard Cook - a West Windsor "Overseer of the Highways" in the 1850s-60s[12] - in 1862,[13] William West is said to have maintained management of the inn into the 1870s.[14]

Port Mercer, 1860. Notice the "Hotel."

The inn catered to bustling canal and rail traffic. In the Historical Society of West Windsor's Spring 1992 "Broadside" newsletter, Gordon Keith, former resident of the adjacent house at 4273 Quakerbridge Road and spokesperson of the Port Mercer Civic Association, asserted: "During the happy hour of the day, the inn would offer turtle soup or clam chowder more than adequately salted. Those partaking would then require an additional beer or two to satisfy their thirst ... It is known that the inn had a dance hall on the second floor. Persistent rumors still circulate that some of the participants may have included "ladies of the night" imported on weekends from Trenton. Supposedly, this questionable commercial activity was so popular that more than one building in the community was necessary to accommodate the demand."[15]

It's unknown when, exactly, the inn stopped operating, although it was still referred to as the "Hotel Property" in an advertisement from 1871,[16] four years after the Cooks split off 4261-63 Quakerbridge Road from their larger tract and sold it to Lewis Gordon as its own independent parcel.[17] However, the Cooks kept the remaining land, which, alongside the old inn, also contained two other dwelling-houses (presumably 4273 and 4275 Quakerbridge Road), a grain house, barn, hay-scale, and "sufficient canal frontage for a coal and lumber business."[18]

Around 1896/7, John and Anne Arrowsmith rented the house. Their son Raymond and daughter Carrie were born here. This was many years before John assumed the role of Port Mercer's bridge-tender and moved his family into the bridge-tender's house across the street at 4278 Quakerbridge Road.[19]

The Cooks owned this land until 1898 (and presumably operated the store for much of this time), when it passed to David and Kate Flock,[20] then that same year to Charles H. Mather, one of Port Mercer's most prominent residents.[21]

Charles Hughes Mather, circa 1908.

Three years earlier, Mather had assumed management of the store[22] and operated it until around 1915 alongside a coal yard.[23] He sold farm machinery and more.[24] He became highly respected in the area and held several West Windsor offices from the 1880s-1930s: Overseer of the Highways, Constable, Tax Assessor, and Township Committeeman.[25] He was also auditor of the State Highway Department for 20 years, a member of the Mercer County board of elections and board of assessors, and was a State Assemblyman from 1907 to 1910.[26] He married Carrie Gordon, daughter of John and Sarah Gordon,[27] who owned the adjacent house at 4261-63 Quakerbridge Road.[28] The Mathers had at least four children: Samuel (an undertaker), Etta (a teacher in the long-gone Clarksville Schoolhouse), Levi, and John.[29]

The Mathers finally sold the large tract to Robert and Elizabeth Harlow in 1951 after more than half a century of Mather ownership.[30] The Harlows demolished the store and planted a large flower garden in its place.[31] They, and the Uhl family, also split the tract into its current properties (4271, 4273, and 4275 Quakerbridge Road).[32],[33],[34] In 1967, the property passed to their daughter, Elizabeth Van Don.[35] It then passed to Joseph/John Patrick and Cheryl Powers in 1977.[36] In turn, the Powers sold it to Robert and Mary Glover in 1990.[37] It has since been acquired by other owners[38] but remains one of Port Mercer's central historic structures.

4271 Quakrbridge Road with its original front porch, date unknown.

Return to Port Mercer Homepage

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Bibliography

1. "Savoring a Rowdy Past." Trenton Times. May 19, 1991.
2. Woodward, Evan Morrison, and John Frelinghuysen Hageman. History of Burlington and Mercer Counties with Biographical Sketches of Many of Their Pioneers and Prominent Men. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Everts & Peck, 1883.
3. Woodward, Evan Morrison, and John Frelinghuysen Hageman. History of Burlington and Mercer Counties with Biographical Sketches of Many of Their Pioneers and Prominent Men. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Everts & Peck, 1883.
4. "City Items." The State Gazette. October 16, 1854.
5. Joseph Gillingham. (1840, October 2). For Sale Or Rent. Emporium and True American. Trenton, NJ.
6. Crater, John A., S., Gillingham, Joseph. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1848. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book O Page 361.
7. Ibid.
8. Crater, John A., S., Jerolaman, John. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1858. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 41 Page 189.
9. Jerolaman, John, Jerolaman, Matilda, Vankirk, Andrew J., Vankirk, Ann, West, Charity, West, Thomas H. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1859. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 43 Page 150.
10. Smith, Samuel H., Vankirk, Andrew J., Vankirk, Ann, West, Charity, West, Thomas H. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1860. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 46 Page 532.
11. Woodward, Evan Morrison, and John Frelinghuysen Hageman. History of Burlington and Mercer Counties with Biographical Sketches of Many of Their Pioneers and Prominent Men. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Everts & Peck, 1883.
12. ​​“West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
13. Cook, Richard, Hutchinson, Robert L. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1862. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 51 Page 316.
14. Woodward, Evan Morrison, and John Frelinghuysen Hageman. History of Burlington and Mercer Counties with Biographical Sketches of Many of Their Pioneers and Prominent Men. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Everts & Peck, 1883.
15. Keith, E Gordon. “Broadside,” 1992. Newsletter produced by the Historical Society of West Windsor. Keith, then a Port Mercer resident, details the history of Port Mercer.
16. Evan F. Cook, Charles R. Cook, & Christopher Wintz. (1871, December 22).Public Sale Of Valuable Real Estate. Trenton State Gazette. Trenton, NJ.
17. Cook, Richard, Gordon, Lewis. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1868. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 72 Page 445.
18. Evan F. Cook, Charles R. Cook, & Christopher Wintz. (1871, December 22).Public Sale Of Valuable Real Estate. Trenton State Gazette. Trenton, NJ.
19. Arrowsmith, Carrie. “Carrie Arrowsmith Pens Port Mercer Reflections.” Princeton Recollector 6, no. 8, May 1981. https://theprince.princeton.edu/princetonperiodicals/?a=d&d=princetonrecollector19810501.2.2&srpos=5&e=------198-en-20-princetonrecollector-1--txt-txIN-%22cARRIE+ARROWSMITH%22------. 
20. Cook, Evan E., Cook, Hannah, Flock, David G., Flock, Kate U. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1898. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 221 Page 459.
21. Flock, David G., Flock, Kate U., Mather, Charles H. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1898. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 221 Page 461.
22. ​Lee, Francis Bazley. Genealogical and Personal Memorial of Mercer County, New Jersey. Lewis Publishing Company, 1907.
23. "Mather Dies at 89." Trenton Evening Times. November 26, 1952.
24. ​Arrowsmith, Carrie. “Carrie Arrowsmith Pens Port Mercer Reflections.” Princeton Recollector 6, no. 8, May 1981. https://theprince.princeton.edu/princetonperiodicals/?a=d&d=princetonrecollector19810501.2.2&srpos=5&e=------198-en-20-princetonrecollector-1--txt-txIN-%22cARRIE+ARROWSMITH%22------. 
25. ​​“West Windsor Township Meeting Minutes, 1797-2012.,” n.d. Original Township Committee meeting minute database located in the Municipal Center.
26. ​"Mather Dies at 89." Trenton Evening Times. November 26, 1952.
27. ​​​Arrowsmith, Carrie. “Carrie Arrowsmith Pens Port Mercer Reflections.” Princeton Recollector 6, no. 8, May 1981. https://theprince.princeton.edu/princetonperiodicals/?a=d&d=princetonrecollector19810501.2.2&srpos=5&e=------198-en-20-princetonrecollector-1--txt-txIN-%22cARRIE+ARROWSMITH%22------. 
28. Gordon, John E., Gordon, Sarah, Reed, Mary J. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1913. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 354 Page 447.
29. ​​​Arrowsmith, Carrie. “Carrie Arrowsmith Pens Port Mercer Reflections.” Princeton Recollector 6, no. 8, May 1981. https://theprince.princeton.edu/princetonperiodicals/?a=d&d=princetonrecollector19810501.2.2&srpos=5&e=------198-en-20-princetonrecollector-1--txt-txIN-%22cARRIE+ARROWSMITH%22------. 
30. Harlow, Elizabeth Lane, Uhl, Harrison J. Jr., Uhl, Palmer B. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1959. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1494 Page 479.
31. West Windsor Township: People - Purpose - Progress. West Windsor, New Jersey: West Windsor Township, 1964.
32. Van Doreh, Elizabeth. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1959. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1494 Page 479.
33. Powers, Cheryl Coyner, Powers, Joseph Patrick, Harlow, Elizabeth Lane. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1977. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2052 Page 448.
34. Uhl, Harrison J. Jr., Uhl, Palmer B. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1962. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 1635 Page 32.
35. Powers, Cheryl Coyner, Powers, Joseph Patrick, Harlow, Elizabeth Lane. “Indenture.” West Windsor, 1977. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2052 Page 448.
36. Ibid.
37. Glover, Mary Catherine, Glover, Robert S., Powers, Cheryl Coyner, Powers, Joseph Patrick. “Deed.” West Windsor, 1990. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 2550 Page 582.
38. Geist, Darren I., Glover, Mary Catherine, Glover, Robert S., Wilson, Lauren H. “Deed.” West Windsor, 2016. Located in the Mercer County Clerk's Office, Mercer County Deed Book 6243 Page 1187.