The Township was established by royal patent on June 8, 1708, from Queen Anne, the first sovereign of the combined kingdom of Great Britain, while the area was part of West Jersey.

[2] The township was named for Great and Little Amwell, Hertfordshire in England.

[1][2] On December 14, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, local militia led by Captain John Schenck ambushed a party of British dragoons returning from a raid on Flemington.

On December 14, 1976, as part of the United States Bicentennial, the township dedicated a monument to the Amwell Militia here.

[5] A memorial monument to Geary is located nearby along with a plaque describing the Amwell Skirmish.