Glimpse of History: Looking for a better life in Edison (original) (raw)

By

• Greg Hatala | For NJ Advance Media

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photo courtesy of the Metuchen-Edison Historical Society

EDISON — Members of the Potters Crossing Volunteer Fire Department are shown in this circa-1940s photo.

According to the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Edison, Potter’s Crossing was a thriving self-sufficient African-American village known for its social, economic, civic and religious spirit. The community was said to have begun when seven upper-middle-class African-American families moved to the area from Harlem in 1917.

Following them in the 1920s, men from the South seeking work and a better life for their families were attracted to the community and the farmland in the area. By the 1940s, the community had grown to include three churches, a volunteer fire department and more than 1,500 residents.

On July 28, 2013 ,the Township of Edison recognized the historical village by unveiling a sign designating the site of the historic Potter’s Crossing community.

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