Town guide · Somerset County
Living in Millstone Borough, NJ
Millstone Borough is a tiny historic village on the Millstone River in Somerset County, well under a square mile. It was once the county seat, General Washington made his headquarters here in January 1777, and most of the old village is a National Register historic district.
- County
- Somerset
- Population
- About 450 (2020 census)
- Size
- About 0.7 square miles
- Setting
- Historic village on the Millstone River
- Main roads
- County Route 514 (Amwell Road) and County Route 533
First things first
Not Millstone Township, and not East Millstone
Millstone Borough in Somerset County is a different place from Millstone Township in Monmouth County, which is a much larger rural township. We have a separate guide for Millstone Township.
East Millstone, just across the Millstone River, is also not part of the borough. It is a village in Franklin Township. Millstone Borough shares the 08844 ZIP code with Hillsborough Township, but it is its own municipality with its own government and taxes.
A little history
The old county seat
Millstone was first known as Somerset Courthouse, and it served as the Somerset County seat from 1738 until the British burned it to the ground in 1779. After the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777, General Washington made his headquarters at the Van Doren house here while his army camped nearby. The borough was formed from part of Hillsborough Township in 1894 and takes its name from the Millstone River.
- The historic district: The Millstone Historic District, with 58 buildings, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
- The river: The Millstone River forms the borough's edge with Franklin Township, with East Millstone and the Delaware and Raritan Canal on the far bank.
- Neighbors: The borough borders only two towns: Hillsborough Township and Franklin Township.
Homes
What you will find
- Historic village homes: Many of the borough's houses are part of the Millstone Historic District.
- A small housing stock: The borough counted 167 homes in the 2010 census, so few come up for sale in any given year.
Worth knowing: Because so much of Millstone is a historic district, we check early whether a home is part of it and whether any local rules affect exterior changes. Homes near the Millstone River also deserve a look at the flood zone map. And since the borough shares 08844 with Hillsborough, we check the block and lot on every property.
Property taxes
What taxes look like in Millstone Borough
- 2.030%2025 effective tax rate, as a share of market value
- $8,8232025 average residential tax bill
A home worth $450,000 on today's market would pay roughly $9,135 a year at Millstone Borough's 2025 effective rate. Your actual bill depends on your assessment, so we pull the real tax record for any home you are considering.
Source: New Jersey Division of Taxation, 2025 general and effective tax rates. Rates are set each year.
Getting around
Roads and commuting
No interstate, U.S. or state highway runs directly through Millstone. The main roads are County Route 514 (Amwell Road), which crosses the river to East Millstone, and County Route 533. U.S. Route 206 is a short drive west in Hillsborough. There is no train station. A railroad bridge once crossed the Millstone River here in the 1870s, and its remnants can still be seen.
Places worth knowing
Parks, landmarks and open space
- Millstone Historic District: The heart of the borough, with 58 buildings listed together on the National Register of Historic Places since 1976.
- John Van Doren House: The house where Washington made his headquarters after the Battle of Princeton in January 1777.
- Millstone Borough Hall: The borough's offices, in a historic 1860 building in the village.
- Delaware and Raritan Canal State Park: The canal and its towpath trail run along the far bank of the Millstone River in East Millstone.
- Colonial Park Arboretum and Gardens: A Somerset County park near East Millstone, with an arboretum and a rose garden of more than 3,000 roses.
Common questions
Questions people ask us about Millstone Borough
What are property taxes in Millstone Borough, NJ?
Millstone Borough's 2025 effective tax rate is 2.030 percent of market value, and the average residential tax bill is $8,823, according to the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Actual bills depend on each home's assessment.
Is Millstone Borough the same as Millstone Township?
No. Millstone Borough is a small historic village in Somerset County. Millstone Township is a separate, much larger township in Monmouth County. They have different governments and different property taxes.
Is East Millstone part of Millstone Borough?
No. East Millstone is a village in Franklin Township, across the Millstone River from the borough. It has its own historic district and uses a Somerset ZIP code.
Was Millstone ever the county seat?
Yes. Known then as Somerset Courthouse, it was the Somerset County seat from 1738 until the British burned it in 1779 during the Revolutionary War.
What ZIP code does Millstone Borough use?
Millstone Borough uses the 08844 ZIP code, which it shares with Hillsborough Township. The two are separate municipalities, so we always confirm which one a home is in.
Nearby towns
Towns that border Millstone Borough
Buying or selling in Millstone?
A small village, a careful sale
With about 167 homes in the whole borough, every sale stands on its own. We look at the house, the historic district and how close it sits to the river before we talk about value.
Call or text either of us directly.