History:
The exact date of settlement by civilized man in this area will probably never be known, but there can be little doubt about it’s being among the earliest settlements within the limits of Warren County. We do know that a track of land containing 1000 acres was first surveyed by Samuel Green, Deputy Surveyor of West Jersey, in 1729, and was deeded to John Hyndshaw. This track of land was located west of Walnut Valley Creek and just north of the Paulinskill, then called the “Tonhonkneatkung” by the Lenni Lenape (Delaware) Indians, and is described as being a part of what was then known as “the last Indian purchase”. It is quite probable that there were white settlers in this vicinity as early as 1700, or even earlier. Trappers could have come up the great Delaware River from Philadelphia seeking furs or to trade with the Lenape, but there are no records to support this theory.   Blairstown’s original name was Smyth’s Mills. Many years before the revolutionary war, approximately 1760, a man by the name of Benjamin Smyth had built a gristmill. The inhabitants of Pahaquarry, now part of Hardwick, brought their grain on packhorses to be ground into flour. Smyth’s grist- mill was still standing at the beginning of the 19th century. The present mill on Main Street was built in 1825 and was purchased and remodeled by Blair Academy in 1904.

The second name given to our little town, around 1795, was ****’s Bridge. A gentleman named Michael Buttz (Butts) came to the little village of Smyth’s Mills and began to farm the rich soil. When Michael Buttz died, his son Jacob received the family’s land. The land was separated by the Paulinskill River, so Jacob joined his property by building the first bridge in town, hence the name ****’s Bridge. The first post office was established at ****’s Bridge on June 29, 1820, at which time William Hankinson was made postmaster. In 1820 the village consisted of a store/post office, several small dwellings, a tavern, a black smith shop, and a couple small barns.

John Insley Blair came to ****’s Bridge in 1822 and commenced business with his cousin John Blair, a prominent merchant in Hope Township. After only two years, John I. Blair purchased his cousin’s interest in the business. John I. Blair was born near Belvidere ( Foul Rift ) New Jersey on August 22, 1802, the fourth of 10 children of Scottish immigrants John Blair and Rachel Insley. Only nine years after opening his first general store at ****’s Bridge, John I. Blair owned a small chain of five stores and four flour mills. On September 20, 1828, John I. Blair married Nancy Ann Locke, and together they had four children: Emma Elizabeth, Marcus Laurence, Dewitt Clinton, and Aurelia Ann.

On November 20, 1824, Warren County was formed from parts of Sussex county by an act of Legislature. On August 25, 1825, the name of the town was changed again to Gravel Hill and John I. Blair was appointed postmaster. Blair remained postmaster until the appointment of Henry Space, in July, 1851.

The name of the village was officially changed to Blairstown by a vote of the citizens at a public meeting held Jan. 24, 1939. John I. Blair was only 36 years of age at the time. Blairstown Township was incorporated Feb. 20, 1845, and the first annual township meeting was held on April 14, 1845, at the home of John Hull.  Blairstown’s first township committee consisted of James Cool, Ira Cook, Walter Wilson, Abraham Wildrick, and John Flock.
Blairstown's first township clerk was Simeon Cooke.