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Reverend Hobbs and historian recount Hobstown's century-long history at council meeting
Summary
At the public-comment portion of the Bridgewater council meeting, Reverend Hobbs and historian Nan Bennett highlighted Hobstown’s founding (circa 1920), community landmarks including Macedonia Baptist Church and Prince Rogers Road cemetery, and urged inclusive governance.
During the public-comment period of the Bridgewater Township Council meeting, Reverend Hobbs and historian Nan Bennett presented a local history program about Hobstown, the township’s long-standing African-American neighborhood.
Reverend Hobbs opened by thanking the council and inviting residents to Hobstown’s Family and Friends Day. He described a small roadside sign that marks Hobstown and recounted the community’s founding by Reverend Amos Hobbs and family as a haven from racism. Historian Nan Bennett traced Hobstown landmarks — including the Macedonia Baptist Church (founded by Reverend Amos Hobbs in the early 1920s) and the Prince Rogers Road burial site for formerly enslaved people — and noted civic mobilization in the 1960s to reroute Route 287 and preserve the community.
Reverend Hobbs urged council members to govern with inclusion and dignity, saying, "DEI is not your enemy," and asked elected leaders to "look into somebody's cup and see what they need." The presentation included an invitation to the community's annual reunion at Macedonia Baptist Church and recognition of multiple founding families whose descendants remain in Bridgewater.
What happens next: The council acknowledged the presentation and offered to take a group photo with attendees in the meeting room; no formal action was required. The remarks were recorded for the public record.
