Location of Milford in Hunterdon County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Hunterdon County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Milford was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 15, 1911, from portions of Holland Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 8, 1911. The borough's incorporation was confirmed on March 13, 1925.[21]
The borough is located on the Delaware River in the western portion of Hunterdon County, known as the Hunterdon Plateau. The borough dates to the mid-18th century when a grist mill was established beside a river in what was then Bethlehem Township. After the mill was destroyed by fire in 1769, the settlement became known as Burnt Mills in Alexandria Township. The area was renamed "Lowreytown" after Thomas Lowrey purchased land in the area in 1796. The community became commonly known as "Millford" or "Millsford" by the beginning of the 19th century, but by 1844 the name had lost a letter or two. By 1863 it was consistently spelled as "Milford".[22] The community was incorporated in 1911 but the official incorporation was not registered until 1925.[23][24]
^Our Town Now and ThenArchived 2015-07-09 at the Wayback Machine, Milford on the Delaware. Accessed September 7, 2015. "In 1796 Colonel Thomas Lowrey purchased the 333 acre Burnt Mills tract and renamed it Lowreytown. Two years later he sold the southern half of the tract, which became Frenchtown. The town was again renamed 'Millsford' upon the death of Colonel Lowrey, but by 1844 the name lost the 'S' and second 'L'."