Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey

Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey
Unincorporated community
Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey Lake Hiawatha's location in Morris County (Inset: Morris County in New Jersey) Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey (New Jersey) Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey (the United States) Show map of Morris County, New JerseyShow map of New JerseyShow map of the United StatesShow all
Coordinates: 40°52′57″N 74°22′54″W / 40.88250°N 74.38167°W / 40.88250; -74.38167Coordinates: 40°52′57″N 74°22′54″W / 40.88250°N 74.38167°W / 40.88250; -74.38167
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Morris
Township	Parsippany-Troy Hills
Elevation	253 ft (77 m)
ZIP code	07034
GNIS feature ID	0877634[1]

Lake Hiawatha is an unincorporated community located within Parsippany-Troy Hills in Morris County, New Jersey, United States.^[2] The area is served as United States Postal Service as ZIP code 07034. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population for ZIP Code Tabulation Area 07034 was 9,360.^[3]

Lake Hiawatha was named in honor of Hiawatha, a 16th-century First Nations leader and peacemaker, as evident by plaques on the gazebo on Beverwyck Road, the name of its park, and in the name and emblem of its fire department.

The name may be considered a misnomer because there is no longer a lake in the community.

History[]

Pre-colonial history[]

Lake Hiawatha is part of the Lenapehoking, the traditional territory of the Munsee subtribe of the Lenape tribe. Lenape tribes inhabited the lands for thousands of years prior to European arrival.

Beverwyck plantation[]

Beverwyck Road is the central road that divides downtown Lake Hiawatha, containing the majority of its small businesses,^[4] and leads to Route 10.^[5]

The road was named for the 2,000-acre (3.125 mile) Beverwyck plantation, a forced labor camp consisting of enslaved Africans, which was in operation from the 1730s to the early 1800s.^[6] Its owners included William Kelly, Abraham Lott, and Lucas Von Beverhoudt, and it was also called Beaverwyck, Beaverwick, and the Red Barracks.^[7] In 1768, a newspaper advertisement for the property mentioned a "Negro House" which was constructed to house over 20 enslaved workers, including a blacksmith, a shoemaker, and a mason.^[7][8] In 1780, Von Beverhoudt posted a newspaper notice providing a description to re-capture "Jack," an enslaved person who had escaped; this notice is on file at the Morristown National Historical Park.^[7]

Phebe Ann Jacobs (1785 - 1850) was born enslaved on the Beverwyck plantation, and later became a freewoman, laundering clothes for students of Bowdoin College. Mrs. T. C. Upham, the wife of a theology professor at Bowdoin, published the biography of Jacob's life titled Narrative of Phebe Ann Jacobs in 1856. The book served as inspiration for famed author Harriet Beecher Stowe, who wrote 1852 anti-slavery novel Uncle Tom's Cabin.^[9]

During the Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1783, Beverwyck Road was known as Washington's Trail,^[4] and was often traversed by French and Continental armies en route to Morristown.^[5]

Historically significant visitors who were entertained during a stay at the Beverwyck property include George Washington, Nathaniel Greene, and Marquis de Lafayette.^[6]

Addition of lake[]

In the 1920s, developers redirected the Rockaway River into a lake and used the shoreline to construct summer houses and a meeting house for its country club.

By the 1960s, the lake had dried up and the cabins were rebuilt into year-round homes. What was once the clubhouse became the post office on 494 North Beverwyck Road.^[10]

Geology[]

The area was created when a chain of volcanic islands collided with the North American plate. The islands went over the North American plate and created the highlands of New Jersey. Then around 450 million years ago, a small continent collided with proto North America and created folding and faulting in western New Jersey and the southern Appalachians. When the African plate separated from North America, this created an aborted rift system or half-graben. The land lowered between the Ramapo fault in western Parsippany and the fault that was west of Paterson.

The Wisconsin Glacier covered the area from 21,000 to 13,000 BC. When the glacier melted due to climate change, Lake Passaic was formed, covering all of what is now Lake Hiawatha. Lake Passaic slowly drained and much of the area is swamps or low-lying meadows such as Troy Meadows. The Rockaway River flows over the Ramapo fault in Boonton and then flows along the northwestern edge of Lake Hiawatha. In this area, there are swamps near the river or in the area.

Notable people[]

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Lake Hiawatha include:

• Hector A. Cafferata Jr. (1929 - 2016), United States Marine awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic service at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir during the Korean War.^[11]
• Bobby Darin (1936–1973), singer, who owned a house in Lake Hiawatha, purchased with income from his 1959 rock and roll single "Dream Lover."^[12]
• Garrett Reisman Keynote speaker, physics professor, former NASA astronaut, author and former SpaceX executive. Lived in Lake Hiawatha and graduated Parsippany High School in 1986. Was an astronaut aboard the International Space Station, spent a combined 107 days in space and performed 3 space walks. ^{[13] [14]}

References[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lake Hiawatha, New Jersey.