Benjamin Shotwell House

The Benjamin Shotwell House, also known as the Shotwell–Runyon House, is a historic house located at 26 Runyon's Lane in the township of Edison in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. It was documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in 1938, noted as being near Metuchen.^[3] The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 4, 1987, for its significance in architecture and exploration/settlement.^[1][4] The farm on which is located in part of Route 287.^[5] The Shotwells were early settlers of "The Plains", an early reference to Plainfield, New Jersey.^[6]

Benjamin Shotwell House Shotwell-Runyon House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Show map of Middlesex County, New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Show map of the United States
Location	26 Runyon's Lane Edison, New Jersey
Coordinates	40°32′51.5″N 74°24′15.5″W
Built	ca. 1750-1775
NRHP reference No.	87000875[1]
NJRHP No.	1840[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	June 4, 1987
Designated NJRHP	April 28, 1987

History

Benjamin Shotwell bought 27.5 acres (11.1 ha) from Jonathan Dunham and Joseph FitzRandolph in 1775. At the time, this area was part of the township of Piscataway. The property was inherited by his daughter, Nancy Shotwell, who had married Lewis Thornall. They sold it in 1801 to John Runyon, a farmer and carpenter. It was owned until 1946 by his descendants: Ephraim Runyon, Isaac S. Runyon, Herbert Runyon, and Gilbert Runyon.^[4]

HABS photo from 1938

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Middlesex County, New Jersey
• Homestead Farm at Oak Ridge
• List of the oldest buildings in New Jersey

References

1. "National Register Information System – (#87000875)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places – Middlesex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. September 11, 2023. p. 3.
3. "Shotwell–Runyon House". Historic American Buildings Survey. 1938.
4. Brecknell, Ursula C. (July 1986). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Benjamin Shotwell House". National Park Service. With accompanying 13 photos
5. Spies, Stacy E (2001), Edison, Acadia Publishing, ISBN 978-0-7385-0549-7
6. Dudley, William L. (March 29, 1929). "Friendly Families: The Shotwells". The Story of the Friends in Plainfield Including A History of Early Quaker Families. Retrieved 2011-07-17.

External links

• Media related to Benjamin Shotwell House at Wikimedia Commons
• Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) No. NJ-55, "Shotwell–Runyon House, Happy Valley Lane, Metuchen, Middlesex County, NJ", 2 photos, 10 measured drawings, 3 data pages
• www.historicmapworks.com
• www.plainfieldquakers.org
• Annals of our Colonial Ancestors and their Descendants, text-only version
• Shotwell Family Annals - Annals of our Colonial Ancestors and their Descendants, Google Books