I think one of the most historic places in Franklin Township is a house at 261 Quakertown Road, Quakertown, New Jersey. I picked this house because it is in the historic village of Quakertown and belongs to friends of our family.

Samuel Large and his wife, Susan, built the oldest part of the house in the mid to late 1700's. It was just a small space (15 feet by 18 feet) with a little room above for sleeping. There as a 7 foot wide walk-in fireplace. The fireplace was used for cooking and is now the kitchen in this house.

By 1880, the old Indian trail through Quakertown had widened into a dirt road. It was now being called the Great Road from Easton to New Brunswick.

In 1809, the Larges sold their small lot along the road for $200.00. The man who bought it was James Powers. There is little known about him, except that just three years later he went bankrupt and was sent to debtor's prison in Flemington. The house went back to William and Susan Large. Sometime between 1810 and 1813 an addition was added onto the house. The stone structure has cut stones carefully joined in front, with a Greek Revival porch. In 1814, they sold it again for $850.00 to William Probasco.

The Probascos were not Quakers, and in the 19th century they were one of the most important families in town. Their family lived in this house almost 150 years. William was the first to come to Quakertown, and he was the great-grandson of Juriaen Probasco who came to this country around 1650 and lived on Long Island.

I think it is historic because it was built in the 1700's. I got my form Mr. Vincent Dotti who is the present owner of this house.