History: Green Tree Inn, Freneau (1934)

The 31 Aug 1934 edition of The Matawan Journal announced the opening on 1 Sep 1934 of the Green Tree Inn at the corner of upper Main Street and Mill Road in Freneau, in the location once occupied by the Monmouth Inn and Green Pump Inn. (Thomas Welstead's leasing of the Monmouth Inn to be operated as the Green Tree Inn was mentioned briefly in The Matawan Journal of 24 Aug 1934.)

Thomas Welstead Takes Over Monmouth Inn

Thomas Welstead, commander of Matawan Post 176 of the American Legion, has taken over the Monmouth Inn on upper Main Street in the Borough of Matawan and it will be known as the Green Tree Inn.

Mr Welstead has completely redecorated the interior and has arranged all plans for a gala opening tomorrow night. A special steak dinner will be served; the widely-known Penn's Pennsylvanians have been engaged to furnish the dance music and entertainment. There will be no cover or minimum charge and the management is prepared to take care of a large crowd. (pg 1 col 3)

Another Retail Liquor License Granted Here by Boro Council

Another alcoholic beverage license was granted Tuesday night at the regular meeting of the Mayor and Council of the Borough of Matawan in Borough Hall. Thomas G Welstead, proprietor of the Arrowhead Garage, Main Street near Valley Drive, by unanimous action was voted a license to sell for consumption on the premises at the Green Tree Inn, formerly known as Farry's Monmouth Inn and the Green Pump Inn, corner Main Street and Mill Road in the Freneau section. . . .  (pg 1 col 6)

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I did some research on the ownership of the property at the corner of Mill Road and Route 79 and was able to trace its names back almost 135 years. There are some loose ends, which I hope to sort out over time. For now, here is a reverse chronological listing of the names I've found and some evidence from The Matawan Journal.

Brass Rail Bar and Grill  (2009 - )

The Brass Rail is located at 89 Main Street, variation 89 Freneau Avenue, variation 89 Route 79, in Freneau or Matawan, NJ.

Comeback Inn featuring the Dugout Bar (2007)

The 6 Jun 2007 edition of The Independent has a story about the bar's reopening.

Poet's Inn (1961 - ?)

The grand opening of the Poet's Inn took place on 28 Dec 1961.

Charlie's Matawan Inn (1948 - 1961)

Charlie Messina held the grand opening of Charlie's Matawan Inn under new management on 2 Jul 1948, according to the above ad in the 1 Jul 1948 edition of The Matawan Journal.

 The 5 May 1949 edition of The Matawan Journal included the above ad for Charlie's Matawan Inn.

Charles Messina applied for a liquor license for Charlie's Matawan Inn, according to a public notice in the 22 Jun 1950 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Charles Messina applied for renewal of his liquor license for Charlie's Matawan Inn, according to a public notice in the 16 Jun 1960 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Closed? (1939 - 1948)

Matawan Inn (c 1936 - 1939)

The 19 Jan 1939 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that the Matawan Inn had suspended operations and was now closed. The liquor license had been issued to Christopher Daly but the establishment had been operated by his brother, a former Staten Island resident.

Green Tree Inn (c 1934 - 1936)

The Green Tree Inn was mentioned in The Matawan Journal from 1934 to 1936.

A connection between Green Tree and Mrs Rosa Bergen, a prominent socialite and member of Democratic Women in the borough and the county, appeared in 1935. She died in 1958.

 The 30 Aug 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal included the above ad for Rosa Bergen's Food Shop at the Green Tree Inn.

The 8 Nov 1935 edition of The Matawan Journal included an ad for Rosa Bergen's Food Shop at the Green Tree Inn encouraging patrons to secure their Thanksgiving reservations.

The 14 Feb 1936 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 6 col 2) mentioned an event held at the Green Tree Inn.

The 30 Jul 1936 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that Thomas Welstead was refused a liquor license for a new location for several reasons - petitions received from local residents, lack of precedent for having a licensed tavern in that vicinity, and the danger to the driving public of having a tavern located on Route 34 at Route 4/Route 9.

Monmouth Inn (1926 - c 1932)

I found mentions of the Monmouth Inn in The Matawan Journal from 1926 to 1932.

The 3 Dec 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that John Farry, formerly of Matawan but currently of New York, had purchased the Green Pump Inn. Farry would winter in Florida and take possession of the restaurant on 1 March 1927. 

The proprietor of the Monmouth Inn was identified as John H Farry in the 17 Jun 1927 edition.

Green Pump Inn (c 1923 - 1926)

The earliest mention I could find of the Green Pump Inn was in the 23 Nov 1923 edition of The Matawan Journal.

The 6 Nov 1925 edition contained the above advertisement for the Dickson Green Pump Inn, a tea and chop shop. A society page piece reported that the Green Pump Inn's owner, James Dickson, was enjoying a visit from his father, Frederick W Dickson, of Brooklyn.

The 18 Jun 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal contained the obituary of Mrs Helen Potts-Hall. The obituary reported that she had purchased the Mount Pleasant Hotel (presumably the Freneau Hotel?). She renovated it as a tea house and opened it under the name Green Pump Inn. She found the work too arduous for her liking, so about 1925 she sold it on contract (presumably to James Dickson), but that contract has since been forfeited. She lived much of her life with her brother, Frank G Potts.

The above ad appeared in the 23 Jul 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal.

Freneau Hotel (1921)

"Around Matawan and Aberdeen" mentioned that the location of the Poet's Inn served as a hotel under various names: Matawan Inn, Freneau Hotel, Mount Pleasant Hotel and Applegate's Hotel among them.

The 13 Jan 1921 edition of The Matawan Journal mentions the Freneau Hotel several times.

Applegate's Hotel (c 1907 - c 1920)

"Around Matawan and Aberdeen" mentioned that the location of the Poet's Inn served as a hotel under various names: Matawan Inn, Freneau Hotel, Mount Pleasant Hotel and Applegate's Hotel among them.

The 22 Nov 1917 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that taxes would be collected at J E Applegate's Hotel in Freneau on 17 December.

The 1920 Federal Census showed Jacob E Applegate, 49 NJ, to be the owner and keeper of a hotel enumerated on Freehold Turnpike in Matawan Township. Jacob was living in the household of his widowed mother-in-law, Lou Hartenstein, 60 NJ. Also in the household was Jacob's wife, Lou Hartenstein's daughter,  Elizabeth (Hartenstein) Applegate, 37 NJ; and Jacob and Elizabeth's children John Applegate, 11 NJ, and Elizabeth Applegate, 7 NJ. Also in the household was Sarah Applegate, 34 NJ, but I couldn't read the relationship.

The 1910 Federal Census showed Elmer Applegate, 39 NJ, to be running a hotel on Freehold Road in Matawan. Also in the household were his wife of 4 years, Elizabeth Applegate, 25 NJ; their son John Applegate, 2 NJ, and widowed boarders Loie Hartenstein, 48 NJ, and Mary Applegait, 88 NJ. (Elmer is obviously Jacob E Applegate's middle name.)

The 1900 Federal Census showed Jacob Applegate, 30 NJ, to be running a hotel in Matawan Township. He was enumerated with his wife of 8 years, Nona Applegate, 25 NJ. She had borne one child that did not survive. Two boarders were enumerated in the household, one being a bartender.

Mount Pleasant Hotel (c 1880 - c 1907)

"Around Matawan and Aberdeen" mentioned that the location of the Poet's Inn served as a hotel under various names: Matawan Inn, Freneau Hotel, Mount Pleasant Hotel and Applegate's Hotel among them.

The 31 Jan 1880 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 2) carried the above ad offering the Mt Pleasant Hotel for sale or lease.

An 1892 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that an ox roast and jollification had taken place at the Mt Pleasant Hotel on Tuesday afternoon and was well attended. Food was free; drink was not. I found this article memorialized in the 9 Dec 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal, reporting what had been in the paper 40 years earlier.

The 1900 Federal Census showed Loie Hartenstein, 42 NJ, living in Montclair, NJ with husband Edward Hartenstein, 42 CT, operator of a hotel. In their household was niece Sarah Applegate, 12 NJ.

The 30 Jan 1902 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that pigeon shooting contests were in vogue at the Mount Pleasant Hotel.

"Shooting at Pigeons - Interest in pigeon shooting is being revived in this vicinity and several matches have recently been shot at the Mt. Pleasant Hotel. Last Thursday Dr. Bogardus outshot H L Bennett, both of Keyport, the score being l 9-14. A team match between Werner and Johnson and Abe Morris and Richard Gill was won by the former, 6-5. . . . "

The 16 May 1907 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that Mrs Loie Hartenstein had been granted a renewal of her license for the Mt Pleasant Hotel. Note: Loie Hartenstein's relationship to the hotel in Freneau in 1907 was as the owner's mother-in-law. She obviously had some management responsibilities, perhaps because of her previous experience in hostelry from Montclair. Her daughter Elizabeth married Jacob Applegate about 1906. Jacob likely was widowed when he remarried.

The 12 Dec 1907 edition of The Matawan Journal announced that the Matawan Township tax collector would be meeting tax payers at Harvey Stillwaggon's Hotel in Cliffwood on 10 December; the Mt Pleasant Hotel in Freneau on 11 December; the Aberdeen Hotel in Matawan on 12 December; P Sullivan's Hotel in Oak Shades on 13 December; and Township Hall on 20 December.

Applegate's Hotel (1874)

The 20 Jun 1874 edition of The Matawan Journal mentioned Applegate's Hotel but didn't provide a location. This may not have been in Freneau.

History: Patrick A Hagan, Chief of Police, Matawan Township

Patrick A Hagan

Patrick Albert Hagan (May 1865 - July 1932) served as Chief of Police of Matawan Township from 1924 to 1932 and as township constable from 1899 until his death. He came to America from Ireland with his parents when he was about five years old, grew up and married in Jersey City, and had several children there. He moved to Matawan after his wife died in the mid-1890's. He worked with Charles E Close as a contractor for 20 years. He attended St Joseph's in Keyport and is buried in the church's graveyard. Related families include Barham, Murphy and Flood.

Below are some research notes about Patrick:

The 1870 Federal Census showed Patrick Hagan (6) living in the Jersey City Ward 6 household of his parents, Thomas (40) and Ann (32) Hagan. Thomas was a carpenter. Patrick was living with his three older sisters - Rosann (16), Maria (14) and Eliza (12), and two older brothers - Thomas (10) and Pete (8). All were listed as born in Ireland.

The 1880 Federal Census showed Patrick's parents, Thomas (50 Ireland) and Ann (40 Ireland), and his sister Maria Hagan (19 Ireland), plus children Eliza (5), Thomas (3), Katie (2) and Patrick (1) all living together in Jersey City.

The 1900 Federal Census showed Patrick, born May 1865, as a widowed head of household in Matawan. He was a day laborer by occupation. In his household were daughter Annie (Jul 1885) and sons Thomas (Jan 1889) and James (Feb 1892). Patrick's mother, Ann Hagan (Jan 1840), and his sister Marie (May 1860) were enumerated just above him on the same page of the census. Patrick, Ann and Marie were all listed as born in Scotland and having arrived in the US in 1870. Patrick's children were listed as born in NJ.

The 1910 Federal Census showed Patrick (32 NJ) as a widowed head of household in Matawan. He was employed as a house carpenter. His household included his daughter, Anna Hagan (19 NJ), grandson George Hagan (2), and brothers James (16) and Thomas (17). This record is full of errors.

Patrick's brother, Thomas F Hagan (45 Ireland), was enumerated in Matawan that year with his wife Isabelle F (41 Ireland) and adopted daughter Ruth G Hagan (4 NJ). His sister Rosann appeared as Roasan Barham (50 Scotland), widow.

The 1920 Federal Census showed Patrick (51 Ireland) as a widower living in Matawan. His occupation was with the municipal police. He immigrated to the US in 1880 and was naturalized the same year. This record is full of errors.

Patrick's 1920 Census household (above) included his daughter Anna Murphy (32 NJ), her husband, James Murphy (34 Scotland), and grandsons James (7 NJ) and George (5 NJ). James's occupation was as a laborer in the buff factory. He immigrated to the US in 1907 and remained an alien. Patrick's son Thomas (28 NJ) was also in the household. His occupation was railroad laborer. Patrick's widowed sister Roseann Barham was enumerated just below this listing as Rosannie.

The 7 Aug 1925 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 5 col 2) reported that Constable Patsy Sarabuchello of Union Beach and Chief Patrick Hagan of Matawan Township worked jointly on a burglary case. Their investigation resulted in the arrest of two Keansburg teenagers who had broken into James Cerrati's Bakeshop and Pool Room on Poole Avenue in Union Beach. The younger of the two confessed that they stole a nickel slot machine, broke it open at home and split the cash they found inside.

The 8 Jan 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 6) reported that Patrick Hagan and Patsy Sarabuchello were bonded as constables by Matawan Township at its organizational meeting in January 1926. The township also named special officers for Cliffwood, Freneau, the east side, Oak Shades and Cliffwood Beach.

The 30 Jul 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 2) reported that Patrick Hagan, Chief of Police of Matawan Township and also constable, was serving 30 days in Monmouth County jail for being drunk and disorderly at an event in the back of the Matawan fire house at Oak Shades. When he and two friends were asked to leave the event, Hagan refused and was arrested in front of twenty witnesses by the New Jersey State Constabulary.  Lewis Stemler, Chairman of the Matawan Township Committee, claimed to have warned Hagan several times to mend his ways. The paper opined, "Hagan has made a good officer except at such times as he has taken too freely of intoxicants." (Note: The above link consists of 3 editions of The Matawan Journal - 23 and 30 July and 6 August 1926. The 24 pages should be split up into their appropriate editions and listed separately in the Browse By Date section of this online collection. Presently the collection shows the two latter editions as missing.)

The 5 Nov 1926 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 12 col 1) included the public announcement of a constable's sale being conducted in Matawan by Patrick A Hagan, Constable.

The 29 Jul 1927 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 7 col 1) reported six colored persons detained by Matawan Township Officers Patrick Hagan and Patsy Sarabuchello at a disorderly house near Cliffwood Avenue in Cliffwood. "The house is a new one and has had a bad name in the neighborhood," the article said.

Patrick Hagan is likely a match to Pal Hagan (65 NJ), a widower enumerated in the 1930 Federal Census for New Jersey. He was living alone in the Freneau section of Matawan and listed his occupation as none.

The 8 Apr 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that Matawan Township Chief of Police Patrick Hagan and Constable Umberto Sardello planned to arrest a colored man named Toby Rice, of Atlantic Avenue, who accidentally shot himself in the leg with a revolver concealed in his pants pocket and was recovering in the Matawan Private Hospital.

The 15 Apr 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal reported that Matawan Township Chief of Police Patrick Hagan attempted to maintain public order at a fraught meeting of the Township Committee during discussions related to the continuation of the Freneau water project. Heated arguments were being made over footing the bill for this work while a referendum being discussed would allow Freneau to join Matawan Borough.

Patrick Hagan died in office on 20 July 1932. His obituary, as follows, appeared in the 22 Jul 1932 edition of The Matawan Journal: Obituary - Patrick A Hagan, who for the past 33 years has served as constable for Matawan Township, died at his home, Tuesday afternoon, from kidney trouble. For the past eight years he has been Chief of Police in the township. Chief Hagan was born in Jersey City in 1864. While in Jersey City he served for many years as a plumber in the City Water Department. About 40 years ago he and his children came to settle in Matawan and in recent years he has made his home on Bank Street in the township. For about 20 years he worked under Charles E Close in the contracting business until he had a breakdown in his health. Since then he has had no regular occupation but was always to be seen in his official capacity until a week ago, when he became confined to his bed. Mrs Hagan died before the family moved to Matawan. Surviving him are three children, Joseph Hagan, Mrs Annie Murphy, and Thomas Hagan; a sister, Mrs John Barham, and a brother, Thomas Hagan, of Keansburg. Funeral services will be held Saturday morning from St Joseph's Church and burial will be in the church cemetery. 

The 6 January 1933 edition of The Matawan Journal (pg 1 col 1) reported that Angus McKenna would fill Patrick Hagan's unexpired term as Matawan Township Constable.

History: Biddle Aviation Field, Matawan (1930)

Albert Biddle, 24, of Mamaroneck, NY and Red Bank, and two area residents were killed when Biddle's biplane crashed near Matawan on 27 July 1930, according to the 1 Aug 1930 edition of The Matawan Journal. The crash was also mentioned in the 30 Jul 1930 edition of The Red Bank Register.

Biddle, who had logged 400 hours of flight time, and another pilot had been providing joy rides to local thrill seekers throughout the day, carrying a total of 17 passengers over Matawan and neighboring areas in two biplanes. The flights -- $3 for one passenger, $5 for two -- took off from Biddle Aviation Field, a Matawan airport that young Albert and his brother, John Biddle, of Freneau, had opened only the Sunday before.

At 6:15 pm, as the daylong event was nearing an end, two exuberant Cliffwood passengers disembarked from Biddle's plane and quickly lined up to buy tickets for the next ride. Biddle then took two more passengers up to experience his stunt flying. He had completed one loop the loop and started a second when the plane stalled at about 1,500 feet. The plane went into a steep dive, engine off, and the pilot simply could not recover.

The plane lost its wings and trees their branches as the plane crashed into a fifty-foot deep wooded gully about a mile outside of Matawan. The plane came to rest with its nose embedded in a clay embankment on the John Orsha farm, property better known to locals at the time as the old Heuser farm. The crash site was  about a mile from the airfield.

The crash gravely wounded the pilot and Edward D Haseman, 22, of Wickatunk. Both were rushed to the Matawan Private Hospital, where they died. George Schrank, 19, of Freneau, died at the scene of the crash. Rescuers were quick to respond but the injuries were simply too severe to overcome.

At the airfield for this horrible occasion were Biddle's father, Albert Biddle, Sr; the young pilot's fiancée, Miss Gladys Snyder, of Red Bank; and Louis Branin, of Alice Place, Riverside Heights, Red Bank, at whose home young Biddle routinely stayed when visiting the area. Many local residents, eyes attracted to the skies above them by the planes' noisy antics, also witnessed the crash, but from various vantage points in the area.

The Red Bank Register mentioned that the Biddles were staying at the Molly Pitcher Inn in Red Bank at the time of the accident.

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Albert N Biddle Jr was 22 years old and born in Mamaroneck, when he was enumerated in the 1930 Federal Census in the Mamaroneck, Westchester County, NY household of his parents, Albert N Biddle, Sr (64 born in NYC to NYC parents) and Nanette C Biddle (48 yrs old NY NY NY). Also in the household was a younger brother, George Biddle, 18 years old, and a servant couple from Germany, Emil and Augusta Ledogar. The elder Biddle was a retired stock broker with $40,000 in property. The younger Albert was listed as a pilot in the aviation industry.

Edward D Hasemann, 22 years old, carpenter, was enumerated in the Marlboro household of his brother Charles F Hasemann, a truck farmer, sister-in-law Gertrude, and the latters' seven children in the 1930 Federal Census. Edward and Charles' brother, Conrad Hasemann, also lived in the household. The three brothers were born in New York to a German father and New York mother.

Born 28 July 1911, George A Schrank would have celebrated his nineteenth birthday the day following the crash. He was the son of Ralph Jones Schrank and his wife Elizabeth Mary (DeLoskey) Schrank. In the 1930 Federal Census, George, 18, born in Pennsylvania, laborer, was living with his widowed mother in the Freneau section of Matawan.

John Johnson Orsha,  was born Ivan Umnikoff on 20 July 1887 in Russia and died in Matawan on 22 Oct 1954. He is buried at the Old Tennent Graveyard, according to Find A Grave.

The "Matawan Private Hospital" was likely the "Old Hospital" on Ravine Drive, a photo of which appears on page 62 of Around Matawan and Aberdeen, by Helen Henderson.

It is unclear where Biddle Aviation Field was situated. The plane crash seems to have ended the enterprise.

As for the Heuser farm, a couple of choices exist.

• The 1880 Federal Census shows a Charles Heuser, age 50, wife Anna, age 42, and sons George, Frederick, August, Christopher, and Richard and daughter Annie with a farm in Matawan.
• The 1910 Federal Census shows a James Heuser, 43, born in NJ to German parents, who was a truck farmer. James was enumerated in Matawan with a wife Margarite, 40, also from NJ with German parents, plus three daughters -- Ethel, Mabel and Nellie.

History: Major Thomas Hunn (1736-1797)

"This Old Monmouth of Ours", by William S Hornor, pp 162-3, contains the following biography:

"Major Thomas Hunn

Major Thomas Hunn was the son of Adrien (died June 15, 1738, aged 27-7-, buried at Topenemus) and Phoebe (Smith) Hunn. He kept store and tavern (which last was continued after his death by his widow) just in the rear of the present (1930) Farry Hotel at Freneau, in a house afterwards known as the Leadbeater House and now as the Hawkins place. This house is still standing, tho' somewhat modernized, and is an interesting revolutionary relic.

Major Hunn himself was born October 6, 1736 and died September 15, 1797. He is buried in the old cemetery between Matawan and Freneau, by the side of his wife Catherine, who was the daughter of Peregrine and Catherine (Provoost) VanEmburg. His daughter Phoebe married Judge Cornelius P Vanderhoff, of Monmouth County. His brother, John S Hunn, a sterling patriot, married Margaret Freneau, sister of the poet, subsequently removing to Newburg, New York, where he was still living in 1812. The whole family and its connections were of high social position."

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This brief biography is preceded in Old Monmouth by a transcript of court martial proceedings against Major Hunn et al in 1781. Page 165 contains a certificate of death signed by a Captain Thomas Hunn in 1779. His daughter Phoebe is referenced in a brief biography of Nicholas Morgan Disbrow on pg 411. The marriage of his brother, John S Hunn, is referenced in the Fresneau section of the book at the top of pg 126.

The Official Record of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War, published by the Adjutant General's Office, pg 344, identifies Thomas Hunn as having served the First Regiment, Monmouth County, first as a Captain and then as a Second Major.

History: Poet's Inn, Matawan (1961)

The 21 Dec 1961 edition of The Matawan Journal contained an advertisement for The Poet's Inn, which was announcing the opening of their bar and cocktail lounge on Thursday 28 Dec 1961 at 5 pm. They were accepting New Year's Eve reservations for a buffet, favors and dancing.

2011 Princeton Poetry Festival

The 2011 Princeton Poetry Festival will be held Friday 29 April and Saturday 30 April 2011. Keep in mind that our local Revolutionary War poet laureate Philip Freneau, for whom the Freneau area of town is named and who is buried here, was a member of Princeton University's Class of 1771.

Monmouth County Budget in the Works; Are You Being Served?

These are extraordinary times for making ends meet. We and our governments are all having to make tough choices in this awful economy. But be mindful that the cuts we choose to make are a short term relief to the wallet but may cost us in the long term. There's never a good time to replace that old roof that isn't leaking yet or to pay for long-term care insurance, at least not until the roof is leaking or your spouse needs to enter a nursing home. The same holds true for government.  Short term cuts to social welfare can resolve the balance sheet but promote the growth of gangs, reduce public safety, and lead to the deterioration of public infrastructure and eventually our society itself.

Based on a press release and reporting in APP, Monmouth County plans to adopt its 2011 budget on 24 March. Public hearings are underway. The budget is austere, as it should be given the circumstances. Note that the freeholders will have drawn $83 million from the county's surplus to meet their budget goals over the past two years. For this they blame plummeting state and local revenues. Ratables are down $7 billion in the past year alone due to the economy. The county's portion of property taxes is necessarily creeping up; it will soon be 24 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Experts say that the glossier the cover on a corporation's annual report, the warier the investor should be. There are a lot of holes in the county's press release about the budget, and the APP article only "explains" what the county has already outlined in its public statements. I see no research and lots of gaps. Here are some of the things I noticed.

While the county freeholders claim to be such budget wizards that no services will be cut this year, a protracted municipal hiring freeze has left 90 vacancies at the county level that are now being eliminated. I wonder what services those folks provided? What services were we supposed to receive from the Health Department's forsworn $335,000 allocation? Surely a $10.8 million cut across the board on county department budget lines will mean a loss of services to the average citizen. Who are they kidding?

What about the educational services our children are meant to receive at Brookdale Community College. The county is cutting $6 million in their funding, yet neither article explains what percentage of funding that would be. The county made cuts last year, too, as did the state. What is the freeholders position on supporting Brookdale? The county's press release doesn't emphasize the $6 M cut's effect on students, staffing, facilities, and community programs. No one apparently wants to interfere with Governor Christie's little vendetta against unions and educators. Let there be no doubt that state and county cuts are making the low-cost alternative education route considerably less so. If you thought your children could do two years at Brookdale and save money before they head off to a 4-year school, that reality is passing you by.

The Newark Star Ledger reported last August that Brookdale tuition cost would rise 4.4% to $118.50 per credit hour, the highest in the state and one of the highest in the country. The school explained at the time that a 10% reduction in state aid and a 12% increase in student enrollment were the primary causes of the increase. Keep in mind that NJ community colleges were founded on the premise that the state, county, and students would each fund a third of the costs, but as of August students were footing nearly 60% of the bill with no ceiling imposed on future hikes. Brace yourself for even higher tuition costs in the fall.

The freeholders want our county library system for the first time to pay them $2.4 million annually to fund indirect costs previously paid for by the county.  Since libraries are purchasing fewer books and magazine subscriptions lately anyway, this cost shift will inevitably translate into fewer computer terminals and reduced access to expensive online databases for your middle and high school students doing research projects. And reduced staffing of teen services. Keep in mind that everyone doesn't have Internet at home, so the jobless visiting a county library to file an online application and poor school kids doing after school research will have to vie for limited resources. (To read more about indirect costs, read Recommendation #2 in A Study of Public Library Development in Texas, Himmel & Wilson, Library Consultants, 15 July 2003,  (pp 44-45/90).)

The Monmouth County Park System is tapping the Open Space Trust Fund for an "additional contribution" of $1.3 million to aid the 2011 county budget crisis. That word "additional" suggests that this was done last year as well, seemingly institutionalizing this contribution to the state against the spirit of the public's will. Whatever they spend it on, the county will effectively be expending monies that would otherwise have gone to half a dozen grants to local municipalities for parks and land preservation, such as the Freneau monies Aberdeen won in 2010. The fund's policy manual makes it pretty clear that the county is not to use these dedicated monies to pay for general  budget line items related to park administration, so presumably the county's bean counters have devised a way to tap the Open Space Fund and make this redirection of monies fit the rules.

I hope everyone will take a moment and consider the county budget process this year. Some of you might even want to attend the public hearing set for later next month. It is more than a pocketbook issue.

UPDATE: The Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders have lashed out at the President of Brookdale because he dared to criticize their decision to slash his school's county funding again this year. APP put the salacious accusations on the first couple of pages of its article, only including the explanations and justifications towards the end.

The man has headed the school for twenty years and is paid a salary only slightly higher than our schools superintendent. He is a highly desirable commodity and other campuses have tried to recruit him away from BCC, so the trustees increased his perquisites to keep him in place when he planned to relocate. So now that the school is world class, the board trashes him for his excessive perqs. It's like an episode of Entertainment Tonight. What a sleazy bit of political drama. This is just another example of short sightedness on our leaders' part. We're definitely not being served.

Revolutionary War New Jersey Website - Matawan Page

Matawan is nicely represented on the Revolutionary War New Jersey website.

News Updates as of 31 July 2010

• Jaysi Rodriguez of Matawan, 31, has admitted to repeatedly sexually assaulting one of her young special needs patients at the facility in Franklin, New Jersey, where she worked, according to APP. Prior to this job in Somerset County, Rodriguez worked at various health facilities in Monmouth County.
• Community Bible Fellowship is hosting a summer camp that is keeping scholastic skills up for Aberdeen-Matawan area kids during the long school break, per APP. The camp has 44 students grade 3 to 8.
• Aberdeen Council seeks $1 million Green Acres grant to acquire 183 acres of Freneau section for parks, a section of the Henry Hudson Trail, and other public lands, according to The Independent.

Major General Charles Lee and the Battle of Monmouth

I don't know about you, but I'm always caught offguard by the after the fact news coverage of the annual re-enactment of the Battle of Monmouth  Well, maybe this year will be different. I've got about a three month head start on this year's festivities. The 232nd Anniversary Commemoration will take place at Monmouth Battlefield State Park on 19-20 June 2010, each day from 10 am to 5 pm. We'll all have to check back at the battlefield website, which promises further details as the event get closer.

In the meantime, what does the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library have for us about the battle? A nice summary of the battle, which took place on 28 June 1778, is the locally published The Battle of Monmouth by Samuel Stelle Smith (Monmouth Beach: Philip Freneau Press, 1964) (974.946 Sm). A more detailed read is also called The Battle of Monmouth, but was written by William S Stryker (Port Washington: Kennikat Press, 1927, reissued 1970) (974.946 St). A pamphlet based on Smith's work is available in pdf format online from the NJ State Library (until it loses its website, that is). There are also plenty of websites that provide useful information about the battle, including History of War, My Revolutionary War, and British Battles.

Besides the fact that the heat killed about as many men and horses as gunfire and bayonettes, the most interesting aspect of the battle seems to have been the questionable actions of Major General Charles Lee. Some think that Lee might have turned to the British side while being held prisoner just before this battle. Others think he disagreed with Washington about attacking the British and did his best to prove his point about the folly of the orders he was given. Yet others thought he was offended at being told to serve under Lafayette, who was only a lad when named a General in the Continental Army. Embittered by his court marshall, Lee died about two years later at age 50.

Along with the citations in Smith (especially pp 24-26), you will want to read George Washington's letter to his brother Jack dated 4 July 1778 included in New Jersey in the American Revolution, 1763 - 1783: A Documentary History, edited by Larry R Gerlach (Trenton: NJ Historical Commission) (974.903), pp 306 - 08. There is also an interesting section in New Jersey and the Revolutionary War, by Alfred Hoyt Bill (Princeton: D Van Nostrand Co, 1964) (974.9 Bi), pp 78-84.

Aberdeen and Matawan on Wikipedia - February 2010 Update

I updated the membership of the Township Council in the Aberdeen Township article at Wikipedia. Check through the article for accuracy and update it with any facts you can add.

Hopefully we can come up with more notable residents of Aberdeen than the creator of the Melissa worm. Maybe we should add Philip Freneau, whose home can still be found here? And Charles McKnight, a pastor at Matawan who was a chaplain during the Revolutionary War? And let's not forget Jim Jeffcoat of the Dallas Cowboys.

Note that there are distinct Wikipedia articles on Cliffwood Beach, Strathmore, Matawan, Matawan Creek, the shark attacks in 1916, and the Henry Hudson Trail. Those articles could use editing. If you feel really creative, Wikipedia lacks articles on Cliffwood, Freneau, and Mount Pleasant. Wikipedia is also waiting for someone to write articles about the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan and registered historic places like Burrowes Mansion and the Matawan Train Station.

If you're shy or unsure about editing Wikipedia articles, add a comment here or send me an email and I'll make the changes for you. If you'd like help in authoring an article, let me know and we'll work something out.

Fire District Elections Scheduled for 20 February 2010

According to APP, Aberdeen Fire District No 1 expects to raise over half a million dollars in taxes this year, a slight increase over previous years. The net result is an increase in taxes of about five dollars on a $280,000 home in the township. A member of the Board of Commissioners will also be elected. Voting will take place at Township Hose and Chemical Company 1 at 490 Lloyd Road on 20 February from 2 pm to 9 pm.

Aberdeen Fire District No 2 is asking for over $600,000 in taxes this year, according to APP, raising taxes about five dollars for a $280,000 home in the township. A member of the Board of Commissioners will also be elected. Voting will take place at the Cliffwood Volunteer Fire House at 478 Angel Street in Cliffwood.

The Fall 2009 Aberdeen Township Newsletter defines the two fire districts as follows:

• District #1 — consisting of the Strathmore, Oak Shades and Freneau sections— is served by the Aberdeen Township Hose & Chemical Co. located on Lloyd Road and Church Street.
• District #2 — covering Cliffwood, Cliffwood Beach and River Gardens — is served by the Cliffwood Volunteer Fire Co. located on Angel Street and Pengle Lane.

News Updates as of 11 January 2010

• Arcadian Chorale is seeking an accompanist for an immediate opening, per Chorale Net. See the Chorale's calendar for a schedule of upcoming events.
• Fresh Air Fund still has some openings for its March 2010 NYC Half-Marathon. My contact from FAF wrote on 7 January, "I have updated information on the NYC Half Marathon.  The NYC lottery closed last night and winners were announced today.  The FAF team still has spots available and think interested runners will start researching teams to join if they didn't win a coveted lottery spot."
  
• Rayriepl has posted some interesting photos of the Raritan Bay's frozen coastline at Cliffwood Beach, as well as icy shots of Whale Creek on his Flickr site.
• Local ecobusiness B Green Innovations has absorbed its parent company, iVoice Technology, and established a new market trading symbol, (OTCBB:BGNN), according to Fox Business.
• Matawan woman, 51, may be charged with filing a false police report after claiming last July that she was raped in the Point Pleasant jail while being held on disorderly conduct, according to APP.
• Atlanticville is running an article on the origins of many Monmouth County town names that contains this bit of local history. Check out the whole article for interesting details about other area towns.
  

Matawan and Aberdeen were part of Middletown. Matawan means where two rivers come together in Lenape. Its Native American name was “Mechananienk.” The Dutch settlers and Indian tribe name on a 1656 map was “Matovancons.”
The English granted land to Jonathan Holmes in 1677. In 1684 Gen. Thomas Rudyard purchased land in the Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach area. It became Warne’s Neck after the 1686 land grant to Stephen Warne.
Many streets and places are named after Philip Morin Freneau, the Poet of the Revolutionary War. He was classmates with President James Madison at Princeton University.
Rose Street and Rose Hill Cemetery were named after Joseph Rose in the Cliffwood section.
The Burrowes Mansion was built by John Bowne in 1723, who sold it to the merchant John Burrowes. Burrowes’ partners were the Imlays and the Hartshornes. Other land was owned by the Conovers, Terhunes, Longstreets, Stillwells and Herberts. Large-tract landowners were the Van Pelts, Van Brackles, John Bowne and John Reid.
In 1895 Matawan separated from Matawan Township.
Aberdeen Township broke away from Matawan Township in 1977. A section of Aberdeen is named after Freneau.

Aberdeen Township Council 2009 Election - Qs for the Republicans

The Aberdeen Republicans are putting up the following candidates for Aberdeen Township Council in the November 2009 elections: Tom Aljian for Mayor and Anthony Garaguso, Sheilah Balavram, and Michael Vail. I picked up their brochures and business cards while I was at Aberdeen Day over the weekend. You should read their biographies, which can also be found on their website. The brochures are ads, so their positions are presented as bullet points and thus require clarification and elaboration. I've formulated some questions and will surely have more as time goes along. You may have others.

1. Your brochure says a Republican administration would bring residents into the township's long-range strategic capital planning process. Are you talking about bringing representatives from the community into the government's process or bringing the government's process to the public? I'm curious how you see this working, especially given the low attendance by the public at council and school board meetings here.
2. I was concerned about Township efforts to concentrate COAH housing on a section of County Road near Route 35. Your brochure suggests that you would focus on "honest and affordable housing," which sounds good but really doesn't make any sense. What would you do to resolve the state mandate to provide affordable housing in the Township?
3. Your development plans center on the old Anchor Glass plant and the train station, but you don't say what you want to accomplish or in what time frame. I've read that these train station development plans are stalled across the region and turning over the old glass plant seems an unlikely proposition in the current economic environment. Why do you think you can close these deals when the Dems have struggled with them? Do you have new ideas or do you think you are simply better qualified?
4. Your brochure puts holding the line on taxes as your highest priority. That worries a Democrat like me, who wants to be sure the town functions with both fiscal and humanitarian sensibilities. Convince me that you'd be a caring steward of the community and not just blindly seek ratables and cut costs to please homeowners and businesses.
5. What would you do to develop the greater Cliffwood Avenue/Route 35 intersection? I'm concerned about the old drug store, the vacant lot where Burlew's Pizzeria once stood, the empty storefronts on the south side of Rte 35, Moore's Bar, and the old palette warehouse. Will you add that as a development focus?
6. What are your thoughts on merging the Township with Matawan Borough? What do you see as the pros and cons of Gov Corzine's initiative? Would you support the program that is looking into regionalizing waste management?
7. Would you work with the Chamber of Commerce to make Aberdeen Day a more commercially successful event? What specific things would you do to help promote the Township beyond what is already being done?
8. You mention a senior center and Freneau as development issues. Could you provide more details?
   

Familiarize Yourself with Philip Freneau's Poetry

Laurence B Holland discusses the poetry of Philip Freneau in a literary review found on pp 1-37 of The Literary Heritage of New Jersey, which is part of the New Jersey Historical Series published in the mid-1960s. For those interested in checking it out, the book can be found at the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library in the stacks under 974.9 H.

Freneau's important works include The Rising Glory of America (Holland discusses it on pp 10-11) and The American Village (Holland discusses the poem on pp 5-6, 11-16). If you want to read the actual poems, which I recommend, they can both be found in Poems of Freneau, edited with a critical introduction by Harry Hayden Clark. That book can also be found in the MAPL stacks, under 811 Fr. Rising Glory is found on pp 3-17 and Village on pp 213-225.

I won't attempt to review Freneau's works here. Both Holland and Clark can tell you a bit about the man and quite a bit about his writing. One thing I'll say is that Holland recommends reading Freneau's Village in comparison to Oliver Goldsmith's The Deserted Village. Goldsmith was lamenting the emptying of English villages as adventurers left the Old World for the New. Freneau's poem echoes Goldsmith's warning about the effects of commercial greed on the environment, the public welfare, and society at large. You can find Goldsmith's Village in Oliver Goldsmith: The Vicar of Wakefield and Other Writings, edited, with an introduction and notes, by Frederick W Hilles. Goldsmith's Village can be found on pp 477-489.

When I looked it up in the electronic card catalog, I found Hilles book designated as being in the "Classics section" at the MAPL. I didn't know where that was, so I asked at the desk. To find the book of Goldsmith poetry and other treasures, go upstairs, turn right and proceed past the CD collection all the way to the wall. Turn left but look at the books on your right as you go. Most will have very familiar titles. Note that the book is under G for Goldsmith, not H for the editor's name.

The classics, all with large, round red stickers on the edge, are books you read in school eons ago. Or ones that you always wanted to get around to reading but for some reason never did. Maybe a few of them were required reading but you took a less than academic short cut to complete an English class assignment? You might have even felt the urge to buy one of them off the classics display at Barnes & Noble. Resist the urge. Take one home for free from MAPL. If you can't muster the strength to read the whole thing, do like I do and cherry pick a section or two of a classic novel or one or two poems from a collection. Flip through the pages, look for the best parts, and leave the rest. Go ahead and sample some good writing. It just might grow on you. You can always return any classic you don't enjoy and get an entirely different one. No charge. Actually, you have to return it. . .

Anyway, back to Freneau. If you do nothing else, read the Indian tale buried in the middle of The American Village (pp 219-223 of Poems of Freneau). The story is so personal I can't believe that it doesn't reflect a personal loss in his life. Ah, but I've said too much already. Start three-quarters down the page, beginning with this introductory section:

But one sad story shall my Muse relate,
Full of paternal love, and full of fate;
Which when ev'n yet the northern shepherd hears,
It swells his breast, and bathes his face in tears,
Prompts the deep groan, and lifts the heaving sigh,
Or brings soft torrents from the female eye.

Where the Dollar Store Stands

I went to Matawan Public Library on Sunday to do some local history research. While I was there, I picked up some books and CDs. Remember that the library is open on Sundays, btw. It was crowded this weekend -- I counted nearly 30 cars in the lot off Broad Street on Sunday afternoon!

I read through parts of the library's reference copy of Matawan, 1686 - 1936. Did you know that there was a big church on Main Street at Ravine Drive, the place where the Dollar Store (former Kings Drugs) currently stands? Or that there was an old schoolhouse at the corner of Routes 79 and 516 at Mount Pleasant? That book's got a nearly 75 year old perspective on the history of our local schools, churches, and so much more. And photographs.

I picked up The Literary Heritage of New Jersey, by Laurence B Holland, et al (1964) to read a bit more about the famous local writer, Philip Freneau. The book has a long chapter about him.

The library has two great books on picking a place to live in retirement: Where to Retire: America's Best and Most Affordable Places, by John Howells (5th ed, 2003) and Retirement Places Rated: Plan the Retirement You Deserve, by David Savageau (7th ed, 2007). Only one of the books suggests a place in NJ worth living in on the far side of employment: Lower Cape May, but it came in 180 out of 200. While it was rated highly for its ambiance, the more important services and cost of living were in the bottom 15% of all places. Seems about right. Actually, they don't recommend living anywhere near Central NJ. Go hundreds of miles away, my son. The closest spots in the Top 30 in one book were Charlottesville, Asheville, and Charleston. The other book likewise focused on Virginia and the two Carolinas.

The music collection is upstairs along the rail. I picked some jazz, some Broadway, and some opera:

• The Great Jazz Soloists: Finest Performances, including performers like Charlie Parker and Stan Getz and songs like Misty, Laura, and an exciting rendition of Cherokee.
• Jekyll and Hyde: The Musical comes with a booklet with the words.
• Kathleen Battle: Bel Canto, accompanied by the London Philharmonic conducted by Bruno Campanella

The wife is on an ancient history kick of late. Early Greeks. Early Romans. Persians. Spartans. I've set the Tivo to record 300. She missed that one -- I happened to see it with friends. I'm not sure she's prepared for the story of the Spartans told like a rock video.

Pictures of the Freneau Gravesite and House

As a follow up to my blog article about Philip Freneau, my daughter and I took a ride over to Poet Drive and walked through the graveyard and saw what used to be his house across the street. My daughter and a classmate created a video tour of the house and graveyard a few years ago as part of a history class assignment at Matawan Regional High School. Below are some of the pictures I took yesterday.

The graveyard is accessed by a brick staircase that takes you up to high ground, where a black metal fence surrounds a large grassy lot. A tree has been recently cut down and the stump ground to a pulp. The grave itself is in a shady corner of the lot covered by trees, which explains why so many pictures of the grave are dark.

The Freneau house is right across the beautifully manicured, tree-lined street. The house is brightly decorated in bunting with patriotic colors and adorned with an Uncle Sam yard ornament and a colorful mailbox. A flowering tree in front of the house is in full bloom. The road seems to cut deep into a hill that would have naturally sloped down from the gravesite to the house. Poet Drive has the shape of a noose, with the house just inside the knot and the gravesite just outside the loop to the right.

A local group ought to consider placing a statue of Freneau on the ample land available in the graveyard. It would certainly become one more in a long list of must-see historic sites in the area and would attract a moderate flow of tourists as well as create an atmosphere conducive to the bed and breakfast crowd.

To get to Poet Drive, take Main Street (Route 79) through Matawan towards Marlboro. Not far beyond Wilson Avenue and Mill Road and before Lloyd Road you'll find Poet Drive on your left. (see map at bottom)


























View Larger Map

How Freneau Got Its Name

Philip Morin Freneau, 1752-1832
Poet of the Revolution

Eloquently fired the spirit of the people with poems and ballads promoting the cause of liberty. Friend of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson, published the Jersey Chronicle, first newspaper in Monmouth County.

When the US Post Office sought to eliminate duplicate town names, Matavan Township's Mount Pleasant section was renamed Freneau in honor of Philip Freneau (1752-1832), a local poet who inspired the cause of liberty during the time of the American Revolution. Freneau owned a home in Mt Pleasant and was known to have conspired against the British from a nearby tavern on Mill Road operated by Major Thomas Hunn and his wife Phoebe. The tavern -- now known as Hawkins House and restored in the 1980s by John Lockwood -- is thought to be the oldest house in the township. (See Matawan Colonial Home Endures Through Changes, The Register, 7 November 1988, p. 10A.) A nice photo array of the Freneau gravesite can be found at Flickr. The Smithsonian maintains a record of the sculpture atop Freneau's grave. A cover story in the Matawan Journal issue of 23 November 1972 titled Hawkins House, Four Other Historic Sites to Be Noted discussed the erection of commemorative signs at Hawkins House, Burrowes Mansion, the Freneau grave, and the old hospital on Ravine Drive.

Reverend Charles McKnight

The Reverend Charles McKnight was received by the Presbytery of New Brunswick in 1741 and was ordained a Presbyterian minister a year later. Born around 1710, Rev. McKnight was from a Scottish family that had planted in County Antrim, Ireland. He came to New Jersey around 1740 and worked in Cranbury with the Presbyterians. He was installed as minister for the Shrewsbury and Middletown Point congregations on 2 April 1767. The Reverend preached at the church in Mount Pleasant, which is present day Freneau in Aberdeen. Mount Pleasant Church was a precursor to the First Presbyterian Church of Matawan. He also served as a trustee at Nassau Hall, which later became Princeton University.

During the American Revolution, Rev. McKnight used the pulpit to speak out against the British. The Honorable J. T. Headley said of Rev. McKnight:

At the commencement of the dissatisfaction with the legislative acts of the mother country, he had been accustomed to express sentiments adverse to the crown, with a boldness that caused considerable dissension among his people.

Potter's American Monthly said years later his parishioners recalled "the fervid words and impassioned expressions of their pastor when he got on his favorite theme of the rights of the people, or was expressing his sympathy with those who were leading their countrymen towards national independence."

Rev. McKnight sent two sons to war. And to show the congregation his earnestness, even at an advanced age, Rev. McKnight himself joined the fighting. He received a head wound at the Battle of Princeton as General Hugh Mercer fell nearby.

According to "Presbyterians Pioneer at Matawan: 1682-1959:

• The Mount Pleasant Church and its green were being used regularly for patriotic meetings before and soon after the start of the Revolution -- meetings which had full support of the militant pastor.
• In retaliation for his activities, a British detachment assaulted the compound from several directions and after some sharp fighting in which men on both sides were killed or wounded, their aims were accomplished.
• The British burned down the church at Mount Pleasant and took the Reverend captive. Rev. McKnight was taken to New York, where he fell ill with pneumonia while incarcerated and died on New Year's Day 1778, soon after his release by the British.
  

His son, Dr. Charles McKnight, graduated Princeton in 1771, along with James Madison, Philip Freneau, et al. He served as a surgeon in the Continental Army, eventually being named Chief Physician of the Army and Surgeon General. You can see a picture of his surgical kit at the Smithsonian's The Price of Freedom: Americans at War website.

A Brief History of Aberdeen & Matawan - APP 2007

The Asbury Park Press provides a nice summary of the history of Aberdeen Township, formerly Matawan Township, and Matawan Borough, from which the township was formed, in its 11 January 2007 article Two Towns With a Shared History.

About a century ago, Cliffwood Beach, a section of Aberdeen, boasted a bustling boardwalk, played host to social activities such as baby pageants and was home to a swimming pool. There, visitors could compete with famous athletes such as Johnny Weissmuller, an Olympic swimmer who later became known for his role in "Tarzan" films, said Edward Fitzgerald, township historian.

It was around the same time that neighboring Matawan began to burgeon as a manufacturing hub for products such as ceramic tiles, while trains passed through the area to bring goods to other destinations, said Helen Henderson, a former president of the Matawan Historical Society who has written books on the Matawan-Aberdeen area.

"Today those factories are no longer manufacturing sites and, most of them, the buildings are no longer standing," said Henderson of Keyport.

Today, Matawan and Aberdeen are two different municipalities with two different forms of government, but they share a common past, both originating from Middletown Township, said Fitzgerald, 46, of Aberdeen.

The founding of the Matawan-Aberdeen area took place in the 1680s, when 24 Scottish Presbyterians settled in what is now known as the Freneau section of Aberdeen, according to "Matawan and Aberdeen: Of Town and Field," a book published in 2003 by Henderson and the Matawan Historical Society.

Like many Monmouth County communities, both municipalities have a strong agricultural background, Henderson said.

Established as Matawan Township in 1857, Aberdeen was part of an area that is now Matawan borough. In 1896, Matawan borough and Matawan township split, Fitzgerald said.

In November 1977, the voters of Matawan Township voted to changed the municipality's name to Aberdeen, creating a community identity separate from Matawan.

Aberdeen was, and still is, home to various neighborhoods that developed their own unique characteristics, Fitzgerald said.

The Oak Shades section, along Lower Main Street, began developing in the 1860s and at the turn of the 20th century saw an influx of Italian immigrants, whose descendents still are in the area. Developer William J. Levitt could be considered the father of the Strathmore section, Fitzgerald said.

"It was set up as a planned development, a community that would stand on its own," Fitzgerald said of the neighborhood, which included what are now Strathmore Elementary School and the Strathmore Bath and Tennis Club on Lloyd Road.

A notable event in Matawan's history was the shark attacks of July 12, 1916, at Matawan Creek.

While swimming with a group of boys in the Matawan Creek, just west of where it intersects with the train trestle, 11-year-old Lester Stillwell of Matawan was mauled and killed by a great white shark, according to Dr. Richard Fernicola, an expert on the attacks. When news of the attack spread, a group of men including W. Stanley Fisher, 25, of Matawan hurried to the creek. While Fisher was in the creek searching for Stillwell, he was attacked by a shark and nearly dismembered, according to newspaper reports at the time. The shark tore Fisher's right leg almost off his body. He died later at the hospital. Stillwell's body washed up near the train trestle two days later, Fernicola said during an interview last summer as the borough remembered the 90th anniversary.

A Matawan landmark is the Burrowes Mansion, which is listed on both the state and national Registers of Historic Places. The Main Street structure was built around 1723. It was later owned by John Burrowes, a businessman who had come to be known as the "Corn King." His son, John Burrowes Jr., was a major with George Washington's Revolutionary War army. On May 27, 1778, the younger Burrowes returned home from Massachusetts to visit his wife, Margaret Forman, who was living in the mansion with the elder Burrowes and family. In a skirmish, a company of British loyalists pursued junior through the house, firing muskets into the attic. He escaped through a window.

"Over the years, it has had many lives," Henderson said, adding that ownership changed several times. The house is now a museum.

The Burrowes Mansion is one of the few artifacts left that serve as a reminder what life was like centuries ago, she said.

Today Matawan, like other communities near major urban areas, has become a busy municipality home to many commuters, she said.

"Instead of a village with a farming development, it is now a suburban bedroom community," Henderson said.