Newton Township, Sussex County, New Jersey

Newton Township (formerly the Newtown Precinct and Newtown Township) is a defunct township that was located in Sussex County, in northwestern New Jersey, in the United States. The township was established as a precinct in 1751, the township is first mentioned in a description of its boundaries in the sessions of the Court of Common Pleas in Morris County. Before the establishment of Sussex County on 8 June 1753, Morris County controlled the sparsely populated areas in the northwestern corner of New Jersey and spanned the territory of three present-day New Jersey counties: Morris, Sussex, and Warren. After ceding territory on several occasions new municipalities were created, Newton Township ceased to exist on 11 April 1864.

The Newtown Precinct, after some divisions, was incorporated as one of New Jersey's initial 104 townships by an act by the New Jersey General Assembly on 21 February 1798.

The boundaries of Newtown Township at its creation were, as follows:

Therefore We humbly pray that we may be erected into a Township or Precinct as followeth, Beginning at Musconetriunk where the Quintipetite Line crosses said Musconetriunk Thence running up Musconetriunk to the great Pond to the North west Corner thereof from thence a North east point to the [New] York Line Then Northerly by York Line till they come to the foot of Pequale Mountain Thence SouthWesterly along the foot of said Mountain till it meet with the aforesaid Quintipolite Line Thence along said line to the place where it began. To be called by the Name of New Town.

The Quintipartite Line referenced in this description is the boundary line agreed upon in the 1675 agreement to divide the proprietary colonies of East Jersey and West Jersey. After several attempts to survey this boundary, it was accurately drawn in 1743 as the Lawrence Line. Today this line exists in as the boundary between Stillwater and Hampton Townships—Hampton Township being part of the original territory of Newtown Township. Pequale Mountain is a references to Pahaqualong Mountain, and old name for Kittatinny Mountain. Great Pond refers to Lake Hopatcong and Musconetriunk is the Musconetcong River.

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