The Watershed Institute, formerly known as the Stony Brook–Millstone Watershed Association, is a
New Jersey
New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
nonprofit organization devoted to promoting and protecting the
watershed
Watershed may refer to:
Hydrology
* Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins
* Drainage basin, an area of land where surface water converges (North American usage)
Music
* Watershed Music Festival, an annual country ...
s of
central New Jersey
Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative division, administrative toponymy, toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Je ...
's
Stony Brook and
Millstone River
The Millstone River is a tributary of the Raritan River in central New Jersey in the United States.Gertler, Edward. ''Garden State Canoeing'', Seneca Press, 2002.
The Millstone River begins in western Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth Co ...
, along with associated natural resources and beauty.
History
Claiming to be central New Jersey's first environmental group, it was established in 1949. The organization promotes and advocates conservation and restoration of natural habitats, collects data on environmental conditions in its watersheds, and provides environmental education through numerous programs.
The organization is centered on its 950-acre
nature reserve
A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geologic ...
in
Hopewell Township,
Mercer County, near
Pennington, which includes portions of Stony Brook, Wargo pond, over ten miles of trails, the seasonal Kate Gorrie Butterfly House, and the LEED-platinum Watershed Center for Environmental Advocacy, Science, and Education.
The Watershed Institute hiking trails are typically open to the public from dawn to dusk, with exceptions occurring during hunting season and days after severe weather events. The trails include the 2.2 mile Stony Brook trail (on the east side of the preserve), the 6 mile Watershed trail (spanning the whole reserve and going North to South), the 1.6 mile Farm/History trail (on the west side), and the 2.5 mile Meadow/Pond trail (circling Wargo pond).
Farmstead
The Andrew and Hannah Drake Farmstead, also known as Drake Farmstead and Brookdale Farm, is a
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...
at the reserve. The farmstead was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
on September 16, 2024, for its significance in architecture and social history. It includes 7
contributing buildings
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic dist ...
, 2
contributing sites
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distr ...
, and 1
contributing structure
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing property or contributing resource is any building, object, or structure which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic distr ...
.
The farmhouse was once the home of Dr.
Muriel Gardiner Buttinger, a noted author and psychologist, from 1940 until 1965.
The oldest part of the farmhouse was built around 1780. The main part was built around 1830 with
Greek Revival style
Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...
by Andrew Drake. The main barn, a gable-roof, timber-frame
English barn, was built in phases, one around 1780, and another around 1830. The wellhouse was built around 1880 and features a steel-vaned windmill.
See also
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed Association
Environmental organizations based in New Jersey
Nature reserves in New Jersey
Organizations established in 1949
1949 establishments in New Jersey
Hopewell Township, Mercer County, New Jersey
Water organizations in the United States
Protected areas of Mercer County, New Jersey
Nature centers in New Jersey