Although Denville was officially founded in 1913, its history began a long time ago. Immigrants filtered to the Denville area as early as 1690. These settlers were a mix of Quakers, Dutch, English, and Germans. William Penn, who is credited for creating the state of Pennsylvania, surveyed the area in 1715; however, it’s unknown whether he purchased any properties at the time. The oral history that was written down in the early 1800s suggests the name, Denville, is because hunters found a “den” of wild animals in a swampy area that later would become the site of the town.