Denville Cemetery
Savage Rd.
Map / Directions to the Denville Cemetery
Map / Directions to all Denville Revolutionary War Sites
There are at least five Revolutionary War veterans buried in Denville Cemetery: [1]
John Harriman
Private, NJ Militia
Stephan Harriman
Sergeant; Continental Line
Eliakim Anderson
1752 - 1830
Private, Continental Line
Jacob Harriman
Private, NJ Militia
James Ketcham
April 10, 1753 - March 18, 1820
Private, Continental Line
Job Allen Iron Works Site
Pocono Rd. and Diamond Spring Rd.
Map / Directions to the Job Allen Iron Works Site
Map / Directions to all Denville Revolutionary War Sites
A historic sign at the intersection of Pocono Road and Diamond Spring Road marks the site of the Job Allen Iron Works. Job Allen, Sr. (1700 - November 5, 1767) built iron works here circa 1730. What is now Denville was then part of Rockaway, and the Iron Works played a significant role in the early business of Rockaway.
Allen's son Job Allen, Jr. (1750 - 1798), ran the iron works after his father's death in 1767. He later served as a captain of cavalry in the New Jersey Militia during the Revolutionary War.
Job Allen, Sr. was one of the founders of the Rockaway Presbyterian Church in Rockaway Borough, which began construction as a wooden meeting house in 1758. Job Allen, Jr. completed construction of the church in 1794. That original structure no longer stands, having been replaced by the current church building which was built in 1832. Job Allen, Jr. is buried in the Rockaway Presbyterian Church Cemetery. His father is likely buried there as well in an unmarked grave. [2]
Kitchel Homestead
Kitchell Rd. and Ford Rd.
Map / Directions to the Kitchel Homestead
Map / Directions to all Denville Revolutionary War Sites
This house is a private residence.
Please respect the privacy and property of the owners.
The Kitchel Homestead was built circa 1770 and enlarged during the 1800's. The Kitchel (also spelled Kitchell) family lived here until 1927. [3] Two members of the Kitchel family that lived here played roles in the Revolutionary War, one in politics and one in the military.
The original owner of the property, Abraham Kitchel, was elected May 2, 1775, as one of Morris County's delegates to the Provincial Congress of New Jersey. The Provincial Congress was the governing body of New Jersey during the early period of the Revolutionary War as the transition was made from British colony to a state of the United States of America. The first meeting of the Morris County delegates occurred just hours after the election. This was only thirteen days after the April 19, 1775 Battles of Lexington and Concord, the first battles of the Revolutionary War, and the minutes for that first meeting make it clear that the raising of forces in Morris County was their first priority: [4]
"Voted, That three hundred men should be raised exclusive of Commissioned Officers.
Voted, That the said three hundred men be Volunteers.
Voted, That the three hundred men so raised shall be divided in Five Companies, sixty men each.
Voted, That those Companies shall be commanded by three Commissioned Officers, viz. : a Captain and two Lieutenants.
Voted, That two Field Officers shall be appointed and that each of them shall supply the place of Captain in the two first Companies.
Voted, That William Winds shall be Colonel."
(Winds later rose to the rank of Brigadier General. He is buried in the Rockaway Presbyterian Church Cemetery.)
Abraham Kitchel died at the age of 71 on January 11, 1807. He is most likely buried in the Vail Memorial Cemetery in Parsippany, however his gravestone no longer exists. [5]
Abraham's son, James Kitchell (1759 - 1842), served as a private in the Continental Line during the Revolutionary War. He is buried in the Rockaway Presbyterian Church Cemetery [6]
1. ^ Information drawn from grave markers within Denville Cemetery
2. ^ Information in this entry was drawn from:
• J. Percy Crayon Rockaway Records of Morris County, N.J. Families (Rockaway: Rockaway Publishing Co. 1902 / Reprinted 1982 by Historical Society of Boonton Township, Inc.) Available to be read at the Internet Archive here
• Job Allen, Jr. Grave markers in Rockaway Presbyterian Church
• Email correspondence with Rockaway Presbyterian Church cemetery sexton Robert W. Nichols
I would like to thank Robert W. Nichols for taking the time to provide me with information.
• The historic marker identifying this as the location of the iron works is a Morris County Heritage Commission sign.
3. ^ Morris County Heritage Commission sign
4. ^ Information about Abraham Kitchel's election as delegate to the Provincial Congress, and the direct quote from the minutes from:
Minutes of the Provincial Congress and the Council of Safety of the State of New Jersey (Trenton: Naar, Day & Naar, 1879) p. 104 - 105
Available to be read at the Internet Archive here
5. ^ CEMETERY RECORDS OF MORRIS COUNTY, NEW JERSEY PARSIPPANONG CHAPTER, N. S. D. A. R. - (Posted by Brianne Kelly-Bly, the volunteer county coordinator for the NJGenWeb Morris County website here)
This record of grave tombstone inscriptions made in 1938 lists "Abraham Kitchell Esq. Died Jan 11, 1807. Age 71 yrs." with a note about the state of the tombstone at that time, "brown stone good." The tombstone apparently no longer exists.
The date of death matches the listing for Abraham in the Daughters of the American Revolution Genealogical Research System, where he is Ancestor # A065759, so this was most likely the same person.6. ^ Grave marker at the Rockaway Presbyterian Church Cemetery