By Egbert T. Bush, Stockton, N.J., June 30, 1935<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Hunterdon County was once well supplied with covered bridges.\u00ac\u2020 Now the lonely last one stands at what has long been known as \u201a\u00c4\u00faGreen Sergeant\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s Mills.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9 Some say that there is no other such bridge in New Jersey today. I cannot vouch for that; but the covered bridge is almost a thing of the past.<\/p>\n

This bridge was erected in accordance with favorable action taken by the Board of Chosen Freeholders of the county at a special meeting, the minutes of which say in part:<\/p>\n

\u201a\u00c4\u00faSergeantsville, Sept. 16, 1872<\/p>\n

\u201a\u00c4\u00faPursuant to notice the Board met at the hotel of Jacob K. Wilson for the purpose of viewing a site on the Witchley Oak Stream near Sergeant\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s Mills, and considering upon the necessity of building a bridge over the stream. The Board was convened here at the request of Mssrs. Smith, Bird and Bray.<\/p>\n

\u201a\u00c4\u00faAdjourned to view the site. Upon calling the roll at the site all members except Messrs. Bray, Lunger, Gulick, Brothers and Durham answered to their names\u201a\u00c4\u00ee5.<\/p>\n

\u201a\u00c4\u00faAdjourned until 12\u00ac\u03a9 o\u201a\u00c4\u00f4clock at Wilson\u201a\u00c4\u00f4s hotel. \u201a\u00c4\u00faOn motion of Mr. Storr that a new bridge be built. Adopted. On motion that all piers be removed and a wooden bridge erected with iron stringers. Adopted. Adjourned till 2 o\u201a\u00c4\u00f4clock.<\/p>\n

\u201a\u00c4\u00faOn motion that the truss work of the bridge be inclosed with pine boards, an amendment was offered favoring capping the truss work.<\/p>\n

\u201a\u00c4\u00faThe yeas and nays were called for on the amendment, and resulted as follows: yeas\u201a\u00c4\u00eeSwope, Bonnell, Farley, M. Case\u201a\u00c4\u00ee4. Nays\u201a\u00c4\u00eeRittenhouse, Smith, Pidcock, Bird, Lilly, Storr, Beaver, Slater, Myers, Durham, J. Case\u201a\u00c4\u00ee11. The original motion was then carried.<\/p>\n

\u201a\u00c4\u00faOn motion that the bridge be as wide as the present abutments will permit. Carried.<\/p>\n

\u201a\u00c4\u00faOn motion that the timbers of the bridge be made of white oak or rock oak. Carried.<\/p>\n

\u201a\u00c4\u00faBuilding Committee: Messrs. Smith, Rittenhouse and Bird.\u201a\u00c4\u00f9\u00ac\u2020 [signed]\u00ac\u2020 H.M. Vliet, Clerk.^{1<\/a><\/sup><\/p><\/blockquote>\n}

Old Abutments Served<\/h3>\n

From the motion concerning the width of the bridge, we find that the present abutments are the ones that served the bridge then to be displaced\u201a\u00c4\u00ee standing today just as they stood perhaps more than a hundred years ago.<\/p>\n

That the readers may know what constituency each Freeholder represented, it is thought best to give here the Board as it was organized May 8, 1872, for the ensuing year:<\/p>\n

Mathias Case, Bethlehem
\nWilliam Rittenhouse, Kingwood
\nJoseph Smith, Delaware
\nP. S. Pidcock, West Amwell
\nJames Bird, Stacy Bray & Samuel Lilly, Lambertville
\nIsaac M. Swope, Alexandria
\nJohn N. Storr, Clinton
\nJoseph Bonnell, Lebanon
\nPeter A. Beavers, High Bridge
\nGeorge A. Lunger, Union
\nGeorge Gulick, Clinton Boro
\nG. H. Slater, Frenchtown
\nLemuel B. Meyers, Franklin
\nJohn P. Brothers, Readington
\nJoseph C. Farley, Tewksbury
\nEdward H. Durham, East Amwell
\nJacob Case, Raritan2<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n

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