Pleasant Valley
Rural Historic District - Transportation |
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Pleasant Valley Road and Valley Road
These roads were part of the original road connecting Trenton and Lambertville. They brought travelers to Pleasant Valley who could take advantage of the blacksmith shop, gristmill, and justice of the peace services provided the Phillips family. The road was replaced as the main route between Trenton and the northern Delaware River Valley when the present River Road was built in 1820.
Both these roads were in use by 1700. The road was cut
inland to avoid the steep ridges, cliffs and outcroppings along the
Delaware River.
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"Thank
you, Ma'ams" provide the stepped appearance of the road surface (as
seen on present day Valley Road above) and are an original feature of
its engineering. These level areas connected by sloping risers were
built into the road to give relief to horses pulling loads. On either
side of the road are Osage Orange hedgerows which form a thorny barrier
to keep unwanted animals out of crop fields. The hedge on the right
is a boundary of Howell Farm and shows a well maintained, "horse
high and hog tight" hedge. On the left can be seen the overgrown
remnants of an earlier hedge. 
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