Chesterfield Township comprises three distinct communities: Chesterfield, Crosswicks and Sykesville. The area was first settled in 1677, when a group primarily consisting of Quakers settled in the area of Crosswicks, the oldest of the Chesterfield's three villages.[8] Its name derives from the Lenape language word "Crossweeksung", meaning "house of separation".[9]
Crosswicks is home to a Friends Meeting House, as well as a historic library which used to house the Crosswicks Fire Department. The fire department's current home is in the former schoolhouse on New Street, which it has occupied since 1968. The building was completed in 1909. The current engine bay (where trucks are kept) was built in 1914, although the original 1909 cornerstone lies in the new section (it was moved).
The Crosswicks Community Association holds an annual family-style croquet tournament and music festival on the village green in July. There is live music provided by local bands during the day. Food is available from vendors. There are lawn games set up for children.
The Crosswicks Historic District is a 50-acre (20 ha) historic district encompassing the area along County Route 660 (Chesterfield-Crosswicks Road, Main Street), Church and Front Streets in the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 3, 1976, for its significance in architecture, military history, religion, and transportation. The district has 95 contributing buildings, including the Crosswicks Friends Meeting House.[13] The meeting house, historically known as the Chesterfield Friends Meeting House, was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1936.[14] Chesterfield Friends Meeting, now known as Crosswicks Friends Meeting, was founded in 1684.[15] The first meeting house was built here in 1692. It was replaced by a larger brick building in 1706. The third and current one is a 2+1⁄2-story brick building from 1773 featuring Provincial Georgian architectural style. Next to it is the Friends First Day School which has the same style. The J. M. Bunting House is a three-story building featuring Italianate architecture. The public library building was formerly a firehouse.[13]
Crosswicks Friends Meeting House, built 1773
Friends First Day School, built c. 1784
Crosswicks Public Library, built 1922
Crosswicks Community House, built 1923
Geography
The community has an area of 51.98 square kilometres (20.07 sq mi) and is located on the bank of Crosswicks Creek, a tributary of the Delaware River. The community is located 9.1 kilometres (5.7 mi) from Trenton, the capital of the U.S state of New Jersey and 27 kilometres (17 mi) from Philadelphia.
