This is the third entry in a multi-part series in which I’m sharing my favorite photographs of every small town in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, where I grew up, along with their current population numbers.

As I explained in the first two entries, I want to show you the extent to which these small country towns embraced a truly urban pattern, well over a century ago. These towns are still heavily settled and well-loved, and represent a pattern we could continue to build on, in contrast to both the “big city” and suburban sprawl.

Today’s last town, Annandale, has a very small central area, and the buildings pictured are not all in the same immediate area (the first two photos are different angles on the same large building). Yet they’re distinct from what we would build in a place like this today.

Here are the first and second entries.

Frenchtown, 1,370

High Bridge, 3,584

Annandale, 1,663

Related Reading:

Mayberry Wasn’t a Subdivision

How Many Places Are Worth Living In?

A Small Town With a Big Department Store

Thank you for reading! Please consider upgrading to a paid subscription to help support this newsletter. You’ll get a weekly subscribers-only post, plus full access to the archive: over 500 posts and growing. And you’ll help ensure more material like this!

Share