Millstone is a borough in Somerset County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The borough was originally known as Somerset Courthouse and was the county seat. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 448, an increase of 30 (+7.2%) from the 2010 census count of 418, which in turn reflected an increase of 8 (+2.0%) from the 410 counted in the 2000 census.
Millstone was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on May 14, 1894, from portions of Hillsborough Township, based on the results of a referendum held that day. The borough was reincorporated on March 12, 1928. The borough was named for the Millstone River (a major tributary of the Raritan River), whose name derives from an incident in which a millstone was dropped into it.
A historic district in Millstone, comprising 58 buildings, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The borough possesses a military significance for 1700–1749, 1750–1799, 1850–1874.
New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Millstone as its 7th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey.
History
Millstone, then called Somerset Courthouse, was the county seat of Somerset County from 1738 until the British burned it to the ground in 1779 during the American Revolutionary War. After the victory at Princeton on January 3, 1777, General George Washington headquartered at the Van Doren house, while the army camped nearby that night. The next day, they marched to Pluckemin on the way to their winter encampment at Morristown.
Millstone was briefly connected to the Pennsylvania Railroad when the Mercer and Somerset Railway was extended to the town in the 1870s and connected via a bridge across the Millstone River to the Pennsylvania Railroad's Millstone and New Brunswick Railroad, but that arrangement did not last into the 1880s. Remnants of the railroad bridge can still be seen.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 0.70 square miles (1.82 km2), including 0.68 square miles (1.76 km2) of land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) of water (2.86%).
The borough borders Franklin Township and Hillsborough Township.
Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Millstone would have an Appalachian Oak (104) vegetation type with an Eastern Hardwood Forest (25) vegetation form.
Demographics
2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 418 people, 162 households, and 118 families in the borough. The population density was 566.5 per square mile (218.7/km2). There were 167 housing units at an average density of 226.3 per square mile (87.4/km2). The racial makeup was 95.69% (400) White, 1.20% (5) Black or African American, 0.00% (0) Native American, 1.67% (7) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 0.96% (4) from other races, and 0.48% (2) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.59% (15) of the population.
Of the 162 households, 30.9% had children under the age of 18; 58.0% were married couples living together; 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 27.2% were non-families. Of all households, 22.2% were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.03.
23.7% of the population were under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 29.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 86.5 males.
The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $97,500 (with a margin of error of +/− $18,039) and the median family income was $102,708 (+/− $20,734). Males had a median income of $73,250 (+/− $8,715) versus $50,625 (+/− $15,872) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $37,678 (+/− $5,017). About none of families and 0.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 410 people, 169 households, and 126 families residing in the borough. The population density was . There were 173 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the borough was 97.56% White, 0.98% African American, 0.98% Asian, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.17% of the population.
