Most of you, my dear readers, know that the famous Rockafellar family had its roots in Amwell Township, Hunterdon County. And we’re all familiar with one particular descendant of this German immigrant family, a man who prospered hugely from the opportunities afforded him in America—the famous John D. Rockafellar. Another descendant, although not a direct ancestor of John D., became the tavernkeeper at Skunktown (now known as Sergeantsville), and I am much more interested in him.

As I began work on this article I soon realized that I have neglected to publish an article on this website about the Skunktown Tavern itself, which later on got the title of the “Sergeantsville Hotel.”¹ That would have been after 1827, when the name Skunktown was changed to Sergeantsville.