The original area, known as West New Jersey, was inhabited by a division of the Lenape Indians and settled around 1700. In 1742, William Allen leased a 3,000-acre site extending from present day Califon, New Jersey, to Pattenburg from the West Jersey Society, on which he and his partner, Joseph Turner, established the first ironworks in Philadelphia's colonial times. In 1752, Allen and Turner purchased 10,849 acres in Bethlehem and Lebanon Townships which included our present-day High Bridge. In early 1758, Robert Taylor came to the area from Ireland at the age of 17. Well educated, he first taught school in Kingwood Township, but became bookkeeper for Allen and Turner toward the close of 1758 having taken residence with then ironworks Superintendent Colonel Hackett in a house now a portion of the Taylor mansion (now Solitude House located at 7 River Road). When Colonel Hackett died in 1775, Robert Taylor was chosen as his successor.

Solitude House, abutting Lake Solitude, was built in 1725 or earlier. Although Allen and Turner held allegiance to the English, Robert Taylor was an ardent patriot. During the American Revolution, the foundry cast cannonballs for the American Army. In the original portion of the homestead known as "Solitude," Robert Taylor was given the responsibility of holding John Penn, the last colonial Governor of Pennsylvania and his attorney-general, Mr. Chew. They were sent there as prisoners of war by the American Government. The stone "Annex" behind the "Solitude" is supposed to have been a supply store kept by Allen and Turner as early as 1757, and was used for trading until the company store was moved to the center of High Bridge near the railroad.

At the close of the Revolutionary War, Robert Taylor purchased the forge and 366 acres of adjacent land. Due to transportation problems, the forge was closed until 1851, when Robert's grandson, Lewis H. Taylor (for whom the L.H. Taylor Firehouse is named) restored the foundry upon the arrival of the New Jersey Central Railway. The Taylor family remained prominent citizens in the area. L.H. Taylor's brother, General W. Taylor, served in the Mexican War as well as the Civil War, dying at the battle of Manassas in 1862 while in charge of the First New Jersey Brigade. The most modern-day member of the Taylor family to achieve local prominence was Knox Taylor, who built "Greystone," a stone mansion on Nassau Road for his wife Lucy in the early 1900's.

High Bridge was named for a 1,300 foot long, 112 foot high bridge built by the Central Railroad Company across the South Branch of the Raritan River. It was too costly to maintain and was subsequently filled in with an earthen embankment, leaving a double-arch culvert by which the river and Arch Street passes through. Construction of the embankment began in 1859 and took five years to complete.

High Bridge Township was formed in 1871 and contained a large portion of what is now Lebanon and Tewksbury Townships as well as portions of Clinton Township. On February 19, 1898, the Borough of High Bridge, in its present form was established. While the Borough will celebrate its 100th Anniversary in 1998, the community surrounding the original forge has existed approximately 300 years. During its history, various businesses flourished to accommodate the needs of the residents. Settlers not engaged with he foundry were engaged in farming and support businesses. Other names prominent in the development of the community during the 18th and 19th centuries were Seale, Sharp, Apgar, Cregar, Hann, Fritts, Beavers, Lance, Philhower and Hoffman. The "company store" was the only one until 1860 when it was purchased by Nicholas Emery. Johnson and Lance opened another store.

Most of our non farming history centers around the foundry. In 1912, Taylor Iron Works merged with the William Warton Jr. Co. of Philadelphia and became Taylor-Wharton Iron and Steel Company. Taylor-Wharton built houses for their workers and company executives constructed lovely Victorian homes. When the foundry closed in the mid-1960's, High Bridge developed into a community of commuters and a number of developments have been constructed on the outskirts of the Borough's center.

The first school was constructed on Silverthorne Road in 1825. In 1848, a stone school was constructed on Dewey Avenue which was replaced in 1875 by a frame structure on Arch Street. Although the Silverthorne structure is gone, the other two remain and are used as residences. Our present Middle School, on Thomas Street, was built in 1906 and later enlarged. Until 1973 it housed grades kindergarten through twelfth, when the elementary school was built to house grades kindergarten through fourth and grades nine through twelve were transferred tot he North Hunterdon-Voorhees High School District.

Since 1898, High Bridge has operated under the Borough form of government which calls for a six-member council with three-year terms each that are staggered to provide two newly elected council members each year.

Although High Bridge was settled around 1700 and has been a continuing village or hamlet ever since, the Borough as we know it today with its boundaries and form of government was established on February 19, 1898. It is governed by a Mayor, independently elected for a four-year term, and a six member Common Council, with each Council Member elected to three-year, staggered terms. Each year two seats are "open" on the ballot. The Mayor and Council meet on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at Borough Hall which is located at 71 Main Street (also a portion of County Route 513) with the exception of the fourth Thursdays of July, August and November. The Council is further divided into three-member sub-committees to oversee various departments, (i.e. Police, Public Works, etc.) with each Council Member being the Chair of one or more sub-committees. All are basically volunteers who receive a small compensation to cover out-of-pocket expenses. The Chair of each sub-committee then reports on the consensus of his/her committee at meetings.