This will be my final post on this blog. It has been a great learning experience and rewarding to know that the public has been looking at the work I have produced this semester.
Unfortunately, 579 is a road with not too many developments occuring, so it has become a bit difficult to give readers new material.
As a result, I am retiring from NJ 579, but I hope that through this publication, I have motivated those in the area to check out this road that I enjoy so much.
In life, and especially as journalists, we are taught not to take everything at face value and a lot of times the term “what you see is what you get” is not always true.
As I have traveled up and down county road 579, it has become apparent to me and hopefully to the readers that what looks like a simple house, structure or piece of land can hold a story and a history that does not show itself right away to passing strangers.
What is now 579 was once called Kings Highway with as much as 28 historic properties, according to the book Rural Recollections published in 1988.
Through this map, I have selected a few places that I have encountered and shared with viewers of my blog. After all, it is a road, and a map of where these unfamiliar places have grown their roots on 579 seems to be the best way to explain.
For next week’s feature post, I am going to try and re-master my google map that I posted some time ago. Since this whole blog beat is about a road, townships and landmarks, a map of the final product seems to be appropriate so that readers can visualize where I have been babbling about this whole semester. On top of the map, I will be sharing my interview with a local historian who answered some of my questions about 579.
I hope you all will click on over to the site and check out the last project!
Brian Teeling is a resident of 579 in Union Township, NJ. As a daily commuter and a joy rider of 579, he tells all about his experience and some hidden secrets about this county road.
Q: What makes 579 a significant route in your travels?
A: To start, it’s not a stressful drive because I can use it instead of the major highways like Route 31 and Interstate 78. It also eliminates the road rage I sometimes feel from being in bumper to bumper traffic on 78 and the stop and go from the lights on 31. There are only three stop lights on 579 from beginning to end.
Q: Where do you usually travel to when your on 579?
A: I go on it as much as I can for any place I want to drive to. The bigger towns like Flemington and Phillipsburg help me avoid headaches of the major roads. It’s honestly the best. I use it frequently to get to I 95 and I 295, too.
Q: What are some acitivites you do on 579 besides using it for commuting?
A: I love to take joy rides in my car with my dog, Callie, hanging out of the window. A lot of times I also like to take pictures of the awesome scenery. Every season on 579 is beautiful. I can look around and see land that has not yet been touched by humans, only the wildlife. But my favorite thing to do is get away from a busy life and take off on my motorcycle and cruise for a while.
Q: Do you mind sharing any secrets you have of lesser known places on 579?
A: There is a place that I have been going to with my family since I was a child. It is a small bakery called Perricone’s in Pittstown. In my opinion, they have the best bread I have ever tasted and the pizza and cheesesteaks are definitely something to brag about. It’s like walking back into the time when no one was rushing around and gabbing on their blue tooth. I know people that travel from New York and Pennsylvania during the holidays just to get the huge loaves of bread.
Q: What would you want people to know most about this road?
A: As much as I want others to know about 579, at the same time the purpose of it, for me, is that many don’t know. I’ve never experienced traffic and always feel calm. I think keeping its peacefulness preserved is what matters most.
Another stop worth seeing during one’s travels on 579 is the Servis-Quick family cemetery. This cemetery 
is located in East Amwell and holds a lot of history dating back to George Washington’s time when Captain Jacob Servis served in his army.
Although there are other cemeteries that are located on 579, like the one on the side of Mount Salem Church in Union Township readers may remember, the Servis-Quick family one contains the tombs of over 100 residents of the long gone town.
A sunset over the hills and open land
Along with my last post’s theme, there are other things to check out on 579 involving animals, particularly horses. There are numerous farms dotted along the road that have Stallions grazing, Arabian horses practicing jumps and a Miniature Horse ranch, just like the mini horse made famous on the MTV show, “Rob and Big”.
Horseback riding and breeding are popular activities in Hunterdon County because of the vast amount of open space. Almost every Sunday over the summer while driving on 579, these horse farms would be jam-packed with cars and trailors sporting showcase horses.
If you are travelling 579 one day, check out Maple Hill Farm on 579 in Ringoes. Maple Hill Farm breeds, boards, rehabilitates horses and more.
So far from this blog, viewers maybe able to tell that 579 is a rather random road. There are many different sites and landmarks that travel along it, and The Ruff House is just another one of these. Traveling south on 579, drivers will see a sign for The Ruff House on the right-hand side in a town called Lambertville. In today’s media, celebrities are constantly being photographed or are talking about their beloved little four-legged pals and tote them around wherever they go. For the common pet owner in Hunterdon County who is not as fortunate to bring their pup where they please, The Ruff House seems to be a good option.
It is a cool indoor and outdoor daycare as well as boarding facility strictly for dogs. At a rate of $25 per day and night, it is one of the best around. Bigger poochs are separated from the smaller, an abundance of toys are provided, and from making a quick visit with a friend to pick up their dog, The Ruff House holds up to owners’ standards. If you aren’t like Paris Hilton and can tote your pet around in a silly costume, check this place out on 579.
One of the most southern points of 579 is a town called East Amwell. Aside from its busy neighboring sister, Flemington, East Amwell is more quiet, but it does have a noisy feature, the Black River and Western Railroad station. It was built in 1854 by the Flemington Transportation Co. and used as part of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1871.
The station was never modernized and when you visit it, it feels like you have stepped back in time. The trains still operate today and were used recently for what is called the Crazy Train Maize during the fall seasons to go pumpkin picking and walk through vast corn mazes. The train picked passengers up from the station and took them to the fields.
The property also includes businesses such as a creamery, lumber yard and feed mill.
Going blog strolling is a good way to find out who else is out there in the world writing about some similar or interesting material for viewers to look at. I want to focus on some blogs that have to do with traveling.. not necessarily traveling down roads like 579, but any way people are discovering that they and others enjoy.
First stop is taking a look at the Indie coffee scene going on in South Jersey and Philly. There are not too many Indie coffee shops on 579 (if any), but it is interesting to know what’s available if an energy boost is required during long rides and travels.
The second blog I stumbled upon is Hidden History, which focuses on “South Jersey’s lesser known past”. This blog gives background and some details that the curious traveler would love to know. Similar to 579, there are some major parts of history hidden in NJ, people just have to know where to look.
Finally, we come to the last blog on this cyber journey called Them’s my sentiments. Even though this blogger is writing from a place I am very unfamiliar with, Eastern Ontario, they are dealing with familiar problems that drivers and residents of 579 deal with on this county road, DEER. She gives an all too familiar account of hitting a deer with her car and I can’t help but think: Trust me, it happens.
