History
The Prallsville Grist Mill
Stockton is located along the Delaware River north of Lambertville. The community was first known as Reading Ferry and later as Howell’s Ferry. The name was changed to Centre Bridge Station to match the name of the post office and hamlet on the Pennsylvania side of the river. The name became Stockton with the creation of a local post office in 1851. The town was named in honor of U.S. Senator Robert Field Stockton, who was instrumental in the creation of the Delaware and Raritan Canal. The Borough was incorporated in 1898, having been separated from Delaware Township
Historic Locations and Sightseeing
The tiny town remains today much as it was in the eighteenth century. For all its small size and charm, the town is presided over by an old inn, the Stockton Inn (formerly known as Colligan’s Stockton Inn). Established in 1710, it is the inn that was immortalized by Richard Rodgers in the song “There’s a Small Hotel (with a wishing well)” sung in the Broadway play On Your Toes. First built as a private residence it is believed to have been converted to an inn around 1832. The Stockton Inn was a historic restaurant with fireside dining in winter and garden dining in season. The building is currently undergoing renovations.
The Delaware River Mill Society was formed to preserve and promote the buildings and site known as the Prallsville Mills. John Prall, Jr., became the owner of the site in 1794 and with his settlement the area became known as Prallsville.
The Delaware River Mill Society is a private non- profit organization responsible for the restoration, maintenance, and operation of the historic John Prall Jr. House and the Prallsville Mills Complex, which was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The entire property became part of the D & R Canal State Park in 1973. In 1976 when the State of New Jersey was unable to fund the restoration of its newly acquired Prallsville Mills, local citizens formed the Delaware River Mill Society, to “restore, preserve, operate, maintain and interpret” the historic site. The Mill Society’s mission is to save a segment of our past and make it a part of today’s community. The Mill has become a place of cultural and environmental events attracting widespread participation. Concerts, art exhibitions, antique shows, holiday parties, school fund-raiser auctions, meetings, as well as private parties, are a source of income for restoration and maintenance of the site.[67] On the site is a local artists gallery in the former linseed mill which was once the studio of plein air artist Ty Hodanish. The Mill is situated on the Wickecheoke Creek in the center of the Delaware River Scenic Byway.