History Freehold Borough, New Jersey

1 history

1.1 history
1.2 colonial freehold
1.3 revolutionary war in freehold
1.4 freehold in 19th century
1.5 freehold divided
1.6 borough in 20th century

history
early history

the lenni lenape native americans earliest known people live in area became freehold. lenape hunter-gatherer society. largely sedentary, changing campsites seasonally. prolific hunters of small game , birds. skilled fisherman, , known harvest vast amounts of clams bays , inlets on jersey shore. practiced agriculture augment food supply. during time, important crossroad of 2 major lenape trails located in area of freehold.

in 1498, john cabot became first european sight land. dutch first settle , develop area. 17th century, english had taken on area. in 1664, duke of york (later james ii & vii) granted patent sir george carteret develop area. in 1685, scottish immigrants, fleeing religious persecution @ home, became first settle area. in 1693, along middletown , shrewsbury, freehold established act of legislature 1 of 3 original townships in monmouth county. name of borough comes word freehold, english legal term describing fee simple property ownership.

colonial freehold

in 1714, when colonial government deciding locate county seat , courthouse, freeholder john reid, first surveyor general of east jersey, wanted county seat located in freehold township. reid sold land suitable use courthouse board of chosen freeholders @ bargain price, , may have been deciding factor why freehold selected on middletown , shrewsbury. in return heavily discounted price, reid placed restrictive covenant in deed that, should property ever cease being used courthouse, ownership revert reid family. direct descendants of john reid still reside in freehold township.

freehold officially designated seat of monmouth county government, , court house commissioned built on land purchased john reid. monmouth courthouse opened in 1715. small village began develop around courthouse. @ first, village called monmouth courthouse. on time, other government buildings opened near courthouse, including sheriff s office, prison , post office. number of homes , commercial businesses sprang in village, including blacksmith, general store, bank, hotel, , saloon.

in area surrounding monmouth courthouse, many successful farms began appear. farms in freehold particularly known production of potatoes, beans, , rye, sold in markets of nearby cities. freehold became known excellent horse farms. differences within freehold between growing village around courthouse , surrounding farmland seeds eventual division of freehold 2 separate municipalities in 20th century.

as of 1745, majority of families in freehold still scottish immigrants. in modern freehold today, many important streets bear name of colonial families, including barkalow, applegate, rhea, throckmorton, , schanck.

the revolutionary war in freehold

freehold impacted american revolution. 1770s, sons of liberty actively recruiting local members in freehold, , agitating relationship between british government , colonists. in 1775, after battles of lexington , concord, capt. elias longstreet recruited first company of freeholders join continental army. freehold known center of patriot activity. declaration of independence publicly proclaimed, read aloud, steps of freehold courthouse few days after being signed in philadelphia.

however, after british success @ battle of long island, freehold , of monmouth county fell under control of loyalists. british government continued operate freehold courthouse, , several people involved in revolutionary activism arrested , tried treason @ courthouse. success of continental army @ battle of trenton helped weaken loyalist control of freehold.

in june 1778, british army began major strategic evacuation of city of philadelphia. attempted protect long, slow moving column of loyalist families, equipment, , other supplies seized in philadelphia, moved towards ships in new york harbor. on june 28, 1778, continental army intercepted column in freehold. battle of monmouth 1 of largest battles of revolutionary war, involving on 25,000 soldiers combined in continental, british, , hessian forces. continental army able repel british forces, , hold ground on battlefield. however, british forces successful in completing primary goal, evacuation of philadelphia. both sides claimed victory in battle.

molly pitcher fighting @ battle of monmouth in freehold, new jersey

several famous figures revolutionary war fought @ battle of monmouth. british forces commanded sir henry clinton , charles cornwallis. continental army commanded george washington , charles lee. charles lee court martialed continental army behavior @ battle of monmouth. nathaniel greene, alexander hamilton, marquis de lafayette , friedrich wilhelm von steuben fought continental army @ battle of monmouth. famous figure @ battle of monmouth molly pitcher, manned cannon during battle after husband wounded.

in aftermath of battle of monmouth, loyalist control of freehold faltered. town ceased have functioning municipal government, , courthouse closed until end of war. minor clashes between loyalists , continentals flared in town, violence peaking around 1780. colonel tye, escaped slave , leader of prominent loyalist guerilla force, conducted several raids in , around freehold. 1 famous incident capture , hanging of joshua huddy british loyalists under direction of richard lippincott. colonel tye killed during raid on huddy s home. patriots later cut down huddy s body hanging gallows , buried in freehold, @ old tennent church. @ end of war, community divided, , 120 loyalist families left freehold, fearing persecution neighbors. of these families re-settled in canada.

freehold in 19th century

during 1800s, freehold steadily grew in size. village around courthouse called freehold, along surrounding farmland. in 1852, when long distance railroad systems first being developed, railroad station, trains making regular stops, built near courthouse in freehold. freehold had public sewers in village , in of outlying farmland. 1883, there electrical grid , telephone switchboard, @ time when these inventions still brand new. these public advancements caused rapid economic growth in freehold. village of freehold became important commercial , industrial hub in central new jersey. farms in rest of freehold benefitted being able sell products more in new york , philadelphia. both village , farms prospered together, public policies sought 2 different communities continued grow further apart. municipal government increasingly divided between villagers , farmers.

in 1824, american hotel opened on main street in freehold. still standing today, , 1 of oldest buildings in freehold. in 1853, freehold raceway opened. though original grandstand burned down in fire, racetrack still open today, , 1 of oldest harness racetracks in america. great fire of freehold happened on october 30, 1873. fire reportedly began in commercial building on main street. spread engulf large section of village, , many wooden buildings, including monmouth courthouse, burned down.

freehold has relatively forgotten important place in history of bicycle. cycling champion arthur augustus zimmerman resided in town during racing career in 1880s , 1890s, , 1896–1899 operated zimmerman bicycle co.; company s bicycles known zimmy. today, freehold borough home metz bicycle museum, extant zimmy can seen.

freehold divided

at beginning of 20th century, freehold increasingly divided community. issue of local tax dollars, used funding public works , infrastructure projects, primary point of contention. freeholders living in downtown area, around courthouse had different ideas how spend public money compared freeholders living in surrounding farmland. tension within community increased in 1916 when severe polio epidemic swept through freehold. after contentious public debate, referendum held on future of freehold, , voters overwhelmingly decided split town 2 separate municipalities.

on april 15, 1919, freehold borough formally separated freehold township. freehold residents refer different municipalities borough , township. borough, downtown area around courthouse, retained existing government buildings around court street , main street. borough kept designation county seat. freehold township, farming communities surrounded courthouse, set new city hall complex on schanck road. township encircles borough. on september 7, 1926, freehold borough annexed additional territory township.

the borough in 20th century

freehold borough prospered in 20th century. however, mid-century, borough began decline downtown areas across country shrank, , suburban areas began growing. in 1961, & m karagheusian rug factory closed. factory had long been largest employer in area, , closure had devastating effect on economic stability of borough. borough managed turn around economic decline establishing downtown area center restaurants , nightlife. several well-known local restaurants on main street crowded every night of week.

freehold borough important center of african american civil rights activity in new jersey during years leading brown v. board of education decision in 1954. in 2007, jaye sims became first african american official elected office.

bruce springsteen grew in borough , lived on south street. in 1963, graduated eighth grade st. rose of lima school, , graduated freehold borough high school in 1967. in 1973, released first album, , rocketed international fame. springsteen has remained loyal freehold , makes reference in several of famous songs, including hometown . in 1996, conducted small benefit concert in freehold st. rose of lima.