The Newton Town Plot Historic District encompasses more than 17 acres surrounding the County Court House and Green in the center of Newton. The district is significant for its nineteenth-century commercial streetscapes and associations with the origins and development of Newton. The Town of Newton was settled in 1751 and was the only pre-revolutionary county seat in the state of New Jersey. Newton Green was laid out on the forested slope of Court House Hill in 1762. The completion of the railroad in 1854 gave the town more commercial opportunities, and new businesses were established downtown. Newton incorporated as a town in 1864. In 1873, the first modern factory was built in Newton, creating employment opportunities for local citizens and newcomers alike. Construction of residential neighborhoods boomed during the late 1800s. In 1895 Newton introduced its first water system, a gravity flow system coming 10 miles into town from Morris Lake, the town’s reservoir. In the early 1900s more factories were built, making Newton the “boom town” of northern New Jersey. Although most of the factories have since closed, many of these buildings remain standing today. 

The 2023 Trust grant will help fund an intensive-level cultural resource survey of the locally- designated Town of Newton Historic District, which includes but is not limited to the boundaries of the State-and-National-Register-listed Newton Town Plot Historic District.

The 2021 Trust grant will help fund a reconnaissance-level cultural resource survey of the locally designated Town of Newton Historic District, which includes but is not limited to the boundaries of the State-and-National-Register-listed Newton Town Plot Historic District.