From_Townships_To_Municipality

*1790*	Columbian Academy founded on site of Martin Luther King Elementary School (No. 11).
*1804*	Cornelius Van Vorst property sold to Associates of the Jersey Company.
	Anthony Dey of New York acquired Paulus Hook with ferry privileges from Cornelius Van Vorst.
	Founding of Township of Van Vorst.
*1812*	Robert Fulton purchased land on Steuben Street and Green and Morgan Streets for his shipyard.
*1815*	Isaac Edge windmill built at foot of Montgomery Street.
	George Tise placed the cornerstone of the former Stuyvesant Tavern on the rear wall of his new tavern.
*1816*	Col. Richard Varick built Prospect Hall overlooking the Hudson River.
*1820*	Paulus Hook incorporated as the City of Jersey in the County of Bergen by the New Jersey Legislature (January 28); five freeholders were chosen annually to constitute the Board of Selectmen of Jersey City.
1824	Jersey City Glass Works (later P.C. Dummer & Company) founded by George Dummer and Associates at Washington and Essex Street.
	American Pottery Manufacturing Company opened by David Henderson at corner of Essex and Warren Streets.
*1825*	William Colgate established a factory at Harsimus.
	Jersey Porcelain & Earthenware Company founded by P.C. Dummer.
*1827*	Dixon Crucible Company founded.
*1829*	Second charter of incorporation (January 23) changes name of community to Jersey City.
	Volunteer fire department and night watchmen initiated.
	Harsimus Cemetery began at Newark Avenue.
*1831*	St. Peter's R.C. Church founded (January 29). It was the first parish in Jersey City and Hudson County. It was dedicated in 1839.
*1833*	Treaty between New York and New Jersey to settle riparian rights to Hudson River.
	American Pottery Manufacturing Company founded by David Henderson.
*1835*	Greek-revival Barrrow Mansion built in Van Vorst Historic District.
*1836*	Morris Canal extended to Jersey City.
	New Jersey Railroad cut through Bergen Hill near present site of Journal Square and filled in much of Mill Creek.
*1837*	Third charter of incorporation of Jersey City; it separated from Bergen Township and was granted its own mayor and city council.
*1838*	Jersey City separated from Bergen Township and became an independent municipality; Charter for the City of Jersey City adopted (February 22); it permitted the election of a mayor and common council; Dudley Gregory became first mayor of Jersey City.
	Buck's Hotel on York Street was used for first meeting of mayor and council (April 16).
	Beacon Racetrack opened in Jersey City Heights area.
*1839*	The current Provident Savings Institution Bank is founded by Dudley S. Gregory. It was Jersey City's first banking firm.
*1840*	Southern portion of Bergen County separated from the north becoming Hudson County.
*1840s*	New Jersey Railroad built depot on west side of Hudson Street North of Montgomery Avenue.
	Bay View-New York Bay Cemetery opened on Ocean Avenue and Garfield & Chapel Avenues.
*1841*	Cunard Line began at Jersey City docks.
	Third and present building of Old Bergen Church.
	Township of Van Vorst (former Harsimus) separated from Bergen Township and received a charter (March 11) to be an independent municipality (most of downtown Jersey City, excluding Paulus Hook). Ten years later is joined the municipality of Jersey City.
*1844*	First Presbyterian Church building moved to Paulus Hook from New York City.
*1845*	Old Hudson County Court House opened at Newark Avenue
*1847*	Dixon Crucible Company relocated from Massachusetts to Jersey City.
*1848*	New York Bay Cemetery laid out on the Jersey City Bergen Point Plank Road (now Garfield Avenue).
*1849*	Central Railroad of New Jersey opened its first terminal at the Jersey City waterfront.
*1850s*	Erie-Lackawanna Railroad reached Jersey City as its eastern terminus.
*1851*	In March, the Township of Van Vorst became part of Jersey City, becoming the Third and Fourth Wards. Horticulturalist Peter Henderson designed Victorian-style Van Vork Park.
	Construction for Reservoir 3 begun on Summit Avenue.
1852	Town of Hudson separated from North Bergen and was chartered by the New Jersey Legislature in April.
*1853*	Associates of the Jersey Company sold their rights to the waterfront and ferry service to the New Jersey Railroad.
	Grace Van Vorst Church on Erie Street is consecrated.
*1854*	Hilton-Holden Homestead built at Clifton Place. It became part of the Underground Railroad.
*1855*	Township of Bergen was chartered. It extended from present-day Journal Square to approximately Communipaw Avenue. It had a population of 4,792.
	City of Hudson was chartered in April; it had a population of approximately 3,000. The first mayor was Gen. E.R.V. Wright. It is popularly referred to as Jersey City Heights.
*1856*	Keeney & Halladay laid out grid for Lafayette section.
	Hasbrouck Institute at Mercer Street is opened as a private school for young men. It moved to Crescent Avenue in 1893.
*1857*	Speer Cemetery on Vroom Street made a public burial ground on former DeMott estate. .
*1859*	First police headquarters constructed at Cooper's Alley and Gregory Street.
*1861*	City Hall of Jersey City constructed at Cooper Place.
	Central Railroad of New Jersey opened a station in Greenville.
*1863*	Greenville received charter, making it a separate town from Bergen.
*1865*	North Baptist Church founded on Jersey Avenue.
*1866*	Library Hall became the town hall of the Township of Bergen.
	Holy Name Cemetery on West Side Avenue began as a Roman Catholic burial ground.
*1867*	The Evening Journal, Jersey City's first newspaper, began at Exchange Place.
	The Lincoln Association of Jersey City began tradition of commemorating the birth of Abraham Lincoln.
*1868*	Township of Bergen was renamed Bergen City amd John Hilton became its first mayor.
	Hudson City Savings Bank founded by Garret D. Van Reipen (second Mayor of Hudson City) at Five Corners location.
1870	Jersey City, City of Bergen and Hudson City merged into one municipality called Jersey City.

By: Carmela Karnoutsos
Project Administrator: Patrick Shalhoub