In the 1830s, the village had a store, hotel, church, and post office. The village was originally named after Joseph Reckless, who had bought a mill here in 1712.[3] His grandsons, Anthony and Robert, served in the American Revolutionary War. The name of the community was changed to Chesterfield in 1888 by congressman Anthony Bullock. The oldest part of the Recklesstown Tavern, now the Chesterfield Inn, was built c. 1710. The tavern was expanded in 1774.[4]
The Recklesstown Historic District is a 200-acre (81 ha) historic district encompassing the village. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1975, for its significance in agriculture, religion, and transportation. The district includes 49 contributing buildings. The Kessler House is a two and one-half story brick building built c. 1849. The Chesterfield Baptist Church was built in 1848 and features Greek Doric columns. Across the street is the Clayton House, once the church rectory, now a florist.[4]
Chestefield Baptist Church
Clayton House
Notable people
Charles Newbold (1764–1835), blacksmith, invented the first one piece cast iron plow, patented in 1797[4]
United States
New Jersey
