Pleasant Plains, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Pleasant Plains is an unincorporated area and hamlet
located within Franklin Township
, in Somerset County
, New Jersey
. Having no distinct boundaries, a large area in the center of Franklin Township centered on the intersections of South Middlebush Road with Claremont and Suydam Roads (referred to locally as Laird's Corner) is generally considered Pleasant Plains.
Prior to the development of K. Hovnanian's
Town and Country Estates in 1998, the area included little more than a collection of 18th and 19th century farms and rural lanes. Its historic rural character may be seen in an estimate from 1882 which listed the Pleasant Plains population at 46.
An icon in the area has been the early 19th century general store
and blacksmith shop buildings known since the late 1800's as Laird's Brothers Hardware and Laird's Corner Store (currently closed and for sale).
Another area feature is the Pleasant Plains Cemetery on South Middlebush Road just south of Laird's Corner that has been in use from early settlement of the area until the present day.
Since the early 19th century (and possibly even earlier), the area featured a one-room schoolhouse
known as the Pleasant Plains School. Located on the north side of Suydam Road about a half mile west of Laird's Corner, it remained in use until about 1931 when the Township started decommissioning its one-room schoolhouses in favor of larger regional schools. Moved across the road on log rollers, it was converted into a residence and used until the late 20th century when it was threatened with demolition to make way for the Town and County development. Instead, it was moved to the Township's Municipal Complex on DeMott Lane were it awaits further rehabilitation.
The Six Mile Run Historic District listed on the New Jersey
and National Register of Historic Places
includes a number of properties in the Pleasant Plains area.
Hamlet (place)
A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...
located within Franklin Township
Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey
-Communities of Franklin Township:The following are census-designated places, unincorporated enclaves, and historical communities located within Franklin Township...
, in Somerset County
Somerset County, New Jersey
Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In 2010, the population was 323,444. It is part of the New York Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Somerville....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. Having no distinct boundaries, a large area in the center of Franklin Township centered on the intersections of South Middlebush Road with Claremont and Suydam Roads (referred to locally as Laird's Corner) is generally considered Pleasant Plains.
Prior to the development of K. Hovnanian's
Hovnanian Enterprises
Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. is a United States real estate company involved in every aspect of marketing homes, including design, construction and sales. The company works with individual detached housing as well as higher-occupancy dwellings, including townhouses, condominiums and retirement homes...
Town and Country Estates in 1998, the area included little more than a collection of 18th and 19th century farms and rural lanes. Its historic rural character may be seen in an estimate from 1882 which listed the Pleasant Plains population at 46.
An icon in the area has been the early 19th century general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
and blacksmith shop buildings known since the late 1800's as Laird's Brothers Hardware and Laird's Corner Store (currently closed and for sale).
Another area feature is the Pleasant Plains Cemetery on South Middlebush Road just south of Laird's Corner that has been in use from early settlement of the area until the present day.
Since the early 19th century (and possibly even earlier), the area featured a one-room schoolhouse
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
known as the Pleasant Plains School. Located on the north side of Suydam Road about a half mile west of Laird's Corner, it remained in use until about 1931 when the Township started decommissioning its one-room schoolhouses in favor of larger regional schools. Moved across the road on log rollers, it was converted into a residence and used until the late 20th century when it was threatened with demolition to make way for the Town and County development. Instead, it was moved to the Township's Municipal Complex on DeMott Lane were it awaits further rehabilitation.
The Six Mile Run Historic District listed on the New Jersey
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
The New Jersey Register of Historic Places is the official list of historic resources of local, state, and national interest in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The program is administered by the Historic Preservation Office of the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.The register was...
and National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
includes a number of properties in the Pleasant Plains area.