Mansfield Township was named after an English town on the border of Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire, England. Evidence of this is that the township is on the opposite side of Crosswicks Creek which was once called Nottingham.

The following are some interesting historical facts about the township.

1676 - Concessions and Agreements Signed, and in 1688, Mansfield Township was established as a Constabulry.

1798 - February 21. Mansfield Township was Incorporated.

1850 - Fieldsborough separated from Mansfield Township and made into a borough;

1852 - Bordentown Township formed from Mansfield Township (includes Newbold Island)

1872 - Florence township formed from Mansfield Township.

POST OFFICES: Georgetown (Foolstown) 1847-1918; Columbus Encroaching Corners, Encroaching Town, Black Horse - P.O. 1806) Columbus 1827; Hedding (Three Tons) no P.O.; Kindora (Quindora) 1873-1887

FIRST FAMILIES: 1677 - Michael Newbold (800 acres; area of Keeler Oak); 1678 - Wm. Biddle (area of Kindora); 1677 William Black (Rising Sun area & east); 1678 Michael Buffin - Columbus light to Rising Sun; 1680 Percival Towle (between Petticoat Bridge Road & Jacsonville Road) Thomas Barton 100 acres & Jonathan Barton 800 acres; John Curtis 1684 347 acres (Mt. Pleasant); 1689 Thomas & Joseph Scattergood (500 acres - Thomas first family in Columbus - on South side of Crafts Creek); William Ellis 1689 - 460 acres - Mt. Pleasant area; 1693 - Richard French - Mt. Pleasant area; 1699 - Caleb Shreve - 325 acres - Mt. Pleasant area.

This remarkably well preserved and little altered farm complex remained, through inheritance or purchase, in the hands of one family from the time it was built in 1740 until 1975. The older section of the house is one of a group of brick residences erected by members of the Newbold family in Springfield and Mansfield Townships. All have the initials of their first owners and dates of construction worked in glazed headers in the gable. All exhibit similar characteristics in plan, including corner fireplaces, open stairs, and two to three-room first floor plans. Their designs relate to recommendations of William Penn and to typical modest houses erected in London after the Great Fire of 1666.

OLDEST HOUSES: James McIntyre - West Main, built in late 1600's; Walter Bowne's on Georgetown Road, dated 1740 B & S N; Richard Wedell's on Mt. Pleasant Road dated 1742, build by Benjamin Shreve; John Cook's house on Georgetown Road dated 1764, built by Newbold; Walter Reeder's on Mt. Pleasant Road, est. Date 1810, built by Brognard, home of Prince Murat 1827 - 1828; Columbus Inn dated 1812, owned by Herb Lovendusky; Amos Keeler's 1849, built for Amos III - Keeler Oak is over 300 years old; Keeler Farm has been in the same family for farming 200 years.; William Biddle's Home "Mt. Hope" still stands on the buff overlooking the Delaware River in Kinkora (not dated).

Mansfield Township Municipal Complex
24548 East Main Street, P.O. Box 249
Columbus, NJ 08022 Phone: 609-298-0542

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