Freehold Borough, New Jersey
Borough
Monmouth County Courthouse George Taylor House Downtown Freehold at the intersection of West Main Street and Throckmorton Street
Seal
Location of Freehold Borough in Monmouth County highlighted in yellow (right). Inset map: Location of Monmouth County in New Jersey highlighted in black (left).
Census Bureau map of Freehold Borough, New Jersey Interactive map of Freehold Borough, New Jersey
Freehold Borough Location in Monmouth County Show map of Monmouth County, New Jersey Freehold Borough Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Freehold Borough Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 40°15′37″N 74°16′33″W / 40.260219°N 74.275884°W / 40.260219; -74.275884[1][2]
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Monmouth
Incorporated	March 25, 1869 (as town)
Reincorporated	April 15, 1919 (as borough)
Named for	English legal term of freehold
Government [7]
• Type	Borough
• Body	Borough Council
• Mayor	Kevin A. Kane (D, term ends December 31, 2023)[3][4]
• Administrator	Stephen J. Gallo[5]
• Municipal clerk	Traci L. DiBenedetto[6]
Area [1]
• Total	1.93 sq mi (5.01 km2)
• Land	1.93 sq mi (5.00 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0.10%
• Rank	419th of 565 in state 32nd of 53 in county[1]
Elevation [8]	171 ft (52 m)
Population  (2020)[9][10]
• Total	12,538
• Estimate  (2023)[9][11]	12,430
• Rank	206th of 565 in state 17th of 53 in county[12]
• Density	6,496.4/sq mi (2,508.3/km2)
• Rank	82nd of 565 in state 7th of 53 in county[12]
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07728[13][14]
Area code(s)	732/848[15]
FIPS code	34-25200[1][16][17]
GNIS feature ID	0885226[1][18]
Website	www.freeholdboroughnj.gov

Freehold is a borough and the county seat of Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.^[19][20] Known for its Victorian era homes and extensive colonial history, the borough is located in the Raritan Valley region within the New York Metropolitan Area, located about 33 miles (53 km) from Manhattan and 17 miles (27 km) from Staten Island.^{[21][22][23][24]} The borough has grown to become a commuter town of New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 12,538,^[9][10] its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 486 (+4.0%) from the 12,052 recorded at the 2010 census,^[25][26] which in turn reflected an increase of 1,076 (+9.8%) from the 10,976 counted in the 2000 census.^[27]

The Freeholds region, which includes the borough and Freehold Township (which completely surrounds the borough), is a commercial hub for central New Jersey. The borough is located relatively close to the Raritan Bayshore communities to the north, including The Amboys, Old Bridge, Matawan, Keyport, Keansburg, and Middletown, along with being relatively close to the Tri-City region of Jersey Shore municipalities (and their vicinities) to the east, including Red Bank, Long Branch, and Asbury Park.^[28]

What is now Freehold Borough was originally incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 25, 1869, from portions within Freehold Township. The town became independent of the township in 1888. On April 15, 1919, Freehold was incorporated as a borough, including all of Freehold and additional portions of Freehold Township, based on the results of a referendum held on July 8, 1919. Additional portions of Freehold Township were annexed on September 7, 1926.^[29]

The Hispanic and Latino population has been rapidly growing in Freehold Borough for the last 40 years. The Hispanic population making up 4.6% (0.2% Mexican) in the 1980 Census,^{[citation needed]} 11.3% (2.8% Mexican) in the 1990 Census,^[30] 28.0% (17.3% Mexican) in 2000,^[31] 42.9% (29.6% Mexican) in 2010,^[25] and recently in 2020, a majority at 53.0% Hispanic.^[32] Meanwhile, the Black or African American population has decreased in recent decades: 17.1% in 1970, 19.8% in 1980, 18.2% in 1990, 15.8% in 2000, 12.6% in 2010 and 9.4% in 2020.

In 2021, Freehold Borough became one of few towns in the state (including, Bellmawr, Egg Harbor Township, Montclair and Woodbridge Township) that has authorized the sale of cannabis through authorized dispensaries and for the allowance of cultivators, distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers.^[33][34][35]

History

Early history

The Lenni Lenape Native Americans were the earliest known people to live in the area that became Freehold.^[36] The Lenape were a hunter-gatherer society. They were largely sedentary, changing campsites seasonally. They were prolific hunters of small game and birds. They were also skilled fisherman, and were known to harvest vast amounts of clams from the bays and inlets on the Jersey Shore. They also practiced some agriculture to augment their food supply. During this time, an important crossroad of two major Lenape trails was located in the area of Freehold.^[37]

By the late 17th century, the English had begun to take over the area. In 1664, the Duke of York (later James II & VII) granted a patent to Sir George Carteret to develop the area. In 1685, Scottish Presbyterians from Scotland, along with English Baptists and Quakers from New England fleeing religious persecution at home, became the first to settle within the area.^[36][38] In 1693, along with Middletown and Shrewsbury, Freehold was established by act of legislature as one of the three original townships in Monmouth County.^[39] The name of the borough comes from the word Freehold, an English legal term describing fee simple property ownership.^[40]

Colonial Freehold

In 1714, when the colonial government was deciding where to locate the county seat and courthouse, Freeholder John Reid, the first Surveyor General of East Jersey, wanted the county seat located in Freehold Township. Reid sold land suitable for use as a courthouse to the Board of Chosen Freeholders at a bargain price, and this may have been the deciding factor why Freehold was selected over Middletown and Shrewsbury. In return for the heavily discounted price, Reid placed a restrictive covenant in the deed that, should the property ever cease being used as a courthouse, ownership would revert to the Reid family. Direct descendants of John Reid still reside in Freehold Township.^[42]

Freehold was officially designated as the seat of the Monmouth County government, and a court house was commissioned to be built on the land purchased from John Reid. The Monmouth Courthouse opened in 1715.^[43] A small village quickly began to develop around the courthouse. At first, the village was called Monmouth Courthouse.^[44] Over time, other government buildings opened near the courthouse, including a sheriff's office, a prison and a post office. A number of homes and commercial businesses also sprang up in the village, including a blacksmith, a general store, a bank, a hotel, and saloon.^[45]

In the area surrounding Monmouth Courthouse, many successful farms began to appear. The farms in Freehold were particularly well known for the production of potatoes, beans, and rye, which were sold in the markets of nearby cities. Freehold also became known for its excellent horse farms.^[37] The differences within Freehold between growing village around the courthouse and the surrounding farmland were the seeds for the eventual division of Freehold into two separate municipalities in the early 20th century.

As of 1745, the majority of families in Freehold were still Scottish immigrants.^[46] In modern Freehold today, many important streets bear the name of early colonial families, including Barkalow, Applegate, Rhea, Throckmorton, and Schanck.^[46]

Revolutionary War

Freehold was deeply impacted by the American Revolution. By the early 1770s, the Sons of Liberty were actively recruiting local members in Freehold, and were agitating the relationship between the British government and the colonists.^[47] In 1775, immediately after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, Capt. Elias Longstreet recruited the first company of Freeholders to join the Continental Army.^[48] Freehold was a known center of patriot activity. The Declaration of Independence was publicly proclaimed, read aloud, from the steps of the Freehold Courthouse just a few days after being signed in Philadelphia.^[46]

However, after British success at the Battle of Long Island, Freehold and all of Monmouth County fell under the control of Loyalists.^[49] The British government continued to operate the Freehold Courthouse, and several people involved in revolutionary activism were arrested and tried for treason at the courthouse.^[49] The success of the Continental Army at the Battle of Trenton helped to weaken loyalist control of Freehold.^[50]

In June 1778, the British Army began a major strategic evacuation of Philadelphia. They attempted to protect a long, slow moving column of loyalist families, equipment, and other supplies seized in Philadelphia, as they moved towards ships in New York Harbor. On June 28, 1778, the Continental Army intercepted the column in Freehold (the area is now part of Freehold & Manalapan Townships).^[51] The Battle of Monmouth was one of the largest battles of the Revolutionary War, involving over 25,000 soldiers combined in Continental, British, and Hessian forces. The initial engagement was in doubt until Washington arrived because Charles Lee was retreating from the battlefield. Washington rallied the Continentals and strongly engaged the British forces and they held their ground on the battlefield. However, the British forces were successful in completing their primary goal, the evacuation of Philadelphia. Both sides claimed victory in the battle.^[51]

Several notable figures during the Revolutionary War fought at the Battle of Monmouth. British forces were commanded by Sir Henry Clinton and Charles Cornwallis. The Continental Army was commanded by George Washington and Charles Lee. Charles Lee was court martialed by the Continental Army for his behavior at the Battle of Monmouth. Nathaniel Greene, Alexander Hamilton, the Marquis de Lafayette and Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben also fought for the Continental Army at the Battle of Monmouth.^[52] Another famous figure at the Battle of Monmouth was Molly Pitcher, who manned a cannon during the battle after her husband was wounded.^[52]

In the aftermath of the Battle of Monmouth, Loyalist control of Freehold faltered. The town ceased to have a functioning municipal government, and the courthouse was closed until the end of the war. Minor clashes between loyalists and continentals flared up in town, with the violence peaking around 1780.^[53] Colonel Tye, an escaped slave and leader of a prominent loyalist guerilla force, conducted several raids in and around Freehold. One famous incident was the capture and hanging of Joshua Huddy by British Loyalists under the direction of Richard Lippincott. Colonel Tye was killed during the raid on Huddy's home.^[54] Patriots later cut down Huddy's body hanging from the gallows and buried it in Freehold, at Old Tennent Church.^[55] At the end of the war, the community was deeply divided, and nearly 120 loyalist families left Freehold, fearing persecution from their neighbors. Most of these families re-settled in Canada.^[56]

19th century

During the early 19th century, Freehold steadily grew in size. The village around the courthouse was now called Freehold, along with the surrounding farmland.^[57] In 1852, when long distance railroad systems were first being developed, a railroad station, with trains making regular stops, running along what is now known as Throckmorton Street, about one block from the courthouse. Freehold soon had public sewers in the village and in some of the outlying farmland. By 1883, there was an electrical grid and a telephone switchboard, at a time when these inventions were still brand new.^[57] These public advancements caused rapid economic growth in Freehold. The village of Freehold became an important commercial and industrial hub in central New Jersey. The farms in the rest of Freehold benefitted greatly by being able to sell their products more easily in New York and Philadelphia.^[58] Both the village and the farms prospered together, however the public policies sought by the two different communities continued to grow further apart. The municipal government was increasingly divided between the villagers and farmers.

In 1824, the American Hotel opened on Main Street in Freehold; It is still standing today, and is one of the oldest buildings in Freehold. In 1853, the Freehold Raceway opened. Though the original grandstand burned down in a fire, the racetrack is still open today, and is one of the oldest harness racetracks in America. The Great Fire of Freehold happened on October 30, 1873. The fire reportedly began in a commercial building on Main Street. It soon spread to engulf a large section of the village, and many wooden buildings, including Monmouth Courthouse, were burned down.^[59]

Freehold also has an important place in the history of the bicycle. Cycling champion Arthur Augustus Zimmerman resided in the borough during his racing career in the 1880s and 1890s, and from 1896 to 1899 operated the Zimmerman Bicycle Co.; the company's bicycles were known as the "Zimmy." Today, Freehold Borough is home to the Metz Bicycle Museum, where the only extant "Zimmy" can be seen.^[60]

Freehold divided

At the beginning of the 20th century, Freehold was an increasingly divided community. The issue of local tax dollars, used as funding for public works and infrastructure projects, was the primary point of contention.^[62] The Freeholders living in the downtown area, around the courthouse had very different ideas about how to spend public money compared to the Freeholders living in the surrounding farmland. Tension within the community increased greatly in 1916 when a severe polio epidemic swept through Freehold.^[63]

After contentious public debate, a referendum was held to on the future of Freehold, and voters overwhelmingly decided to split the town into two separate municipalities.

On April 15, 1919, Freehold Borough formally separated from Freehold Township. Freehold residents generally refer to the different municipalities simply as the Borough and the Township. The borough, the downtown area around the courthouse, retained all the existing government buildings around Court Street and Main Street. The borough also kept the designation as county seat.^[64] Freehold Township, the farming communities that surrounded the courthouse, set up a new city hall complex on Schanck Road. The township completely encircles the borough. On September 7, 1926, Freehold Borough annexed additional territory from the township.^[64]

The Borough in the 20th century

Freehold Borough initially prospered in the early 20th century. However, by mid-century, the Borough began to decline as downtown areas across the country shrank, and suburban areas began growing. In 1961, the A & M Karagheusian rug factory closed.^[65] This factory had long been the largest employer in the area, and its closure had a devastating effect on the economic stability of the borough. The borough managed to turn around its economic decline by establishing the downtown area as a center for restaurants and nightlife.^[66] Several well-known local restaurants on Main Street are now crowded every night of the week.

Freehold Borough was an important center of African American civil rights activity in New Jersey during the years leading up to the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954.^[67] In 2007, Jaye Sims became the first African American official to be elected to office.^[68]

Bruce Springsteen grew up in the borough. His family lived in various homes on Randolph St, Institute St and finally South St. In 1963, he graduated eighth grade from St. Rose of Lima School, and graduated from Freehold Borough High School in 1967.^[69] In 1973, he released his first album, and rocketed to international fame. Springsteen has always remained loyal to Freehold and makes reference to it in several of his famous songs, including "My Hometown". In 1996, he conducted a small benefit concert in Freehold for St. Rose of Lima.^[69]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 1.93 square miles (5.01 km²), including 1.93 square miles (5.00 km²) of land and <0.01 square miles (<0.01 km²) of water (0.10%).^[1][2] It is situated in the heart of Monmouth County and is located approximately 35 miles (56 km) south of New York City and 50 miles (80 km) northeast of Philadelphia.^[70] Freehold is also about 16 miles (26 km) west of Asbury Park on the Jersey Shore.^[71]

Freehold has an elevation of 174 feet (53 m) above sea level at its center.^[8]

The borough is completely surrounded by Freehold Township,^[72][73][74] making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.^[75]

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Freehold Borough sits on the northern border between the humid subtropical climate (Cfa) zone and the humid continental climate (Dfa) zone, with the borough being one of the most northern localities in North America that has a humid subtropical climate. Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average temperature above 32.0 °F (0.0 °C), at least four months with an average temperature at or above 50.0 °F (10.0 °C), at least one month with an average temperature at or above 71.6 °F (22.0 °C) and no significant precipitation difference between seasons.