History of Allamuchy Township

The landscape that is now Allamuchy Township was shaped thousands of years ago by the movement of glaciers during the Ice Age. The area’s earliest known inhabitants were the Lenni Lenape, a Native American people who lived throughout what is now New Jersey.

In the 1700s, the first non-Native settlers arrived—members of the Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers.

Originally part of Independence Township, Allamuchy officially became its own municipality on April 4, 1873.

The name "Allamuchy" is derived from Lenni Lenape Chief Allamuchahokkingen, and is believed to mean “place within the hills.”

Historically, Allamuchy was home to a grist mill, sawmill, and grain distillery. During the Civil War, the township also served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, offering refuge to those seeking freedom.

One of Allamuchy’s most prominent landmarks is Rutherfurd Hall, the historic estate of the Rutherfurd family. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is known to have visited the Hall to call upon Lucy Mercer Rutherfurd, traveling by his private train car, the Ferdinand Magellan, to the Allamuchy Freight Depot. During these visits, he called at both the Rutherfurd and Stuyvesant estates.

To explore more about Allamuchy’s rich and diverse history, please visit the links provided on this page.