In 1754, Thomas Van Horn acquired a large tract of land in the Pohatcong valley from John Moore and later built a mill on the creek.

[2][3][4] William M. Warne, husband of daughter, Susan Sherrerd, bought the property in 1833 after Samuel's death.

[3] With the completion of the Morris Canal, which bypassed Pleasant Valley and favored Washington, the area had little growth.

He dredged and enlarged the mill pond, and upgraded the dam and causeway with the goal of generating hydroelectric power.

[5] Eckel was one of the founding members and the first vice president of the Antique Automobile Club of America in 1935.

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 17, 1994 for its significance in engineering, transportation, and architecture from 1830 to 1942.