Old Bridge (unincorporated community), New Jersey

Last updated

Old Bridge, New Jersey
Unincorporated community
152 Main Street, Old Bridge, NJ.jpg
Victorian house on Main Street
Location map of Middlesex County, New Jersey.svg
Red pog.svg
Old Bridge
USA New Jersey location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Old Bridge
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Old Bridge
Coordinates: 40°24′53″N74°21′56″W / 40.41472°N 74.36556°W / 40.41472; -74.36556 [1]
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of New Jersey.svg  New Jersey
County Middlesex
Township East Brunswick
Elevation
[1]
13 ft (4 m)
GNIS feature ID878951 [1]

Old Bridge, also known as the Historic Village of Old Bridge, is an unincorporated community located within East Brunswick in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. [1] [2] It is on the South River, a tributary of the Raritan River. [3] The community is named after the first bridge built here to cross the river, the South River Bridge. After other bridges were built crossing the river, it became known as the Old Bridge. [4] The Old Bridge Historic District, encompassing much of the village, is listed on the state and national registers of historic places.

Contents

History

Located at the head of navigation of the South River, Old Bridge was at the junction of several trade routes. Settlers came to area as early as 1685. The Bordentown and South Amboy Turnpike, a stagecoach route, went through here in 1740. A freight station was built in 1832 on the Camden and Amboy Railroad, which ran through the community. [5] It had a tavern and several houses. [6] On August 9, 1853, there was a major head-on collision between two trains near the station, resulting in several deaths. [7] From c. 1906 to 1921, the Brookfield Glass Company operated a plant here producing bottles and jars. [8] [9]

Historic district

Old Bridge Historic District
10 Kossman Street, Old Bridge, NJ.jpg
James Crawford Thom House on Kossman Street
LocationRiver Road; Kossman, Pine, Chestnut, Main, Everson, Squire, Maple, and Oak streets; Rutgers Place
Area108 acres (44 ha)
Architectural styleGreek Revival, Italianate
NRHP reference No. 77000882 [10]
NJRHP No.1835 [11]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 29, 1977
Designated NJRHPSeptember 26, 1975

The Old Bridge Historic District is a 108-acre (44 ha) historic district located along several streets in the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1977, for its significance in art, education, and industry. The district includes 78 contributing buildings. [5]

The artist James Crawford Thom lived at an Italianate style house at 10 Kossman Street from c. 1870 to his death in 1898. The Old Bridge Baptist Church at 21 Kossman Street was built in 1844 and features a gothic arched double door entrance. [5] It was originally known as the Independent Bethel Baptist Church of Washington and Herbertsville. [12] The Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church at 16 Maple Street was built in 1860 and named after Bishop Matthew Simpson. [5] It was purchased in 1977 by the township to be used as the East Brunswick Museum. [13] General Obadiah Herbert (1775–1856), businessman and entrepreneur, lived at 146 Main Street, starting in 1810. For a while, the village was known as Herbertsville in his honor. [5] His son, Jacob V. W. Herbert (1812–1899), was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly representing Monmouth County in 1855. The Alice Appleby Devoe Memorial Library is located at 166 Main Street. [5]

Transportation

General Obadiah Herbert House at the intersection of CR 527 and CR 615 County Route 615 and County Route 527 Intersection, Old Bridge, NJ.jpg
General Obadiah Herbert House at the intersection of CR 527 and CR 615

There are several main roads in the community. CR 527 (Old Bridge Turnpike, Old Bridge–Matawan Road) runs north–south [14] and intersects with CR 615 (Main Street), which also runs north–south. [15] CR 677 (River Road) runs north from CR 615 near the South River. [16] Route 18 can be accessed from CR 615. [17]

Points of interest

Located to the north on Old Bridge Turnpike, the nearby Chestnut Hill Cemetery, also known as the Old Bridge Cemetery, has the remains of many of the families from the community. [4] [18] Tours of the cemetery have been organized by the New Jersey Cultural Alliance. [19]

South of Main Street and along the South River, Keystone Park offers hiking and natural areas. [20]

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Old Bridge include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 18</span> State highway in central New Jersey, US

Route 18 is a 47.92-mile-long (77.12 km) state highway in the central part of the US state of New Jersey. It begins at an intersection with Route 138 in Wall Township, Monmouth County, and ends at Interstate 287 (I-287) in Piscataway, Middlesex County. Route 18 is a major route through Central New Jersey that connects the Jersey Shore to the Raritan Valley region, connecting the seats of Monmouth County (Freehold) and Middlesex County respectively. The route runs through Ocean Township, Marlboro, East Brunswick, and is the main thoroughfare for Rutgers University. Much of the route is a freeway. The remainder of the route is an arterial road with traffic lights in the East Brunswick and Old Bridge areas, and a boulevard in the remainder of Piscataway. Route 18 was designated in 1939 as a proposed freeway from Old Bridge to Eatontown. The section west of Old Bridge was formerly designated as part Route S28, a prefixed spur of State Highway Route 28 from Middlesex to Matawan. The designation, assigned in the 1927 renumbering, remained until a second renumbering in 1953. At that point, Route S28 was redesignated as Route 18, though the section from Old Bridge to Matawan was signed as TEMP 18, as this section would be decommissioned when the Route 18 freeway was built.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 27</span> Highway in New Jersey

Route 27 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States. It runs 38.5 mi (61.96 km) from US 206 in Princeton, Mercer County, northeast to an interchange with McCarter Highway and Broad Street in Newark, Essex County. The route passes through many communities along the way, including New Brunswick, Highland Park, Edison, Metuchen, Rahway, and Elizabeth. Route 27 is a two- to four-lane undivided highway for most of its length, passing through a variety of urban and suburban environments. It intersects and interchanges many roads along the way, including Route 18 in New Brunswick, I-287 in Edison, the Garden State Parkway in Woodbridge, Route 35 in Rahway, Route 28 in Elizabeth, and U.S. Route 22 in Newark. Route 27 crosses the Raritan River on the Albany Street Bridge, which connects Highland Park on the east with New Brunswick on the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 35</span> State highway in eastern New Jersey, US

Route 35 is a state highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey, primarily traveling through the easternmost parts of Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties. It runs 58.1 mi (93.5 km) from the entrance to Island Beach State Park in Berkeley Township, Ocean County, to an intersection with Lincoln Highway/St. Georges Avenue (Route 27) in Rahway, Union County. Between Seaside Park and Mantoloking, Route 35 follows the right-of-way of the former Pennsylvania Railroad along the Jersey Shore. The route heads through Point Pleasant Beach and crosses the Manasquan River on the Brielle Bridge, meeting the intersection of Route 34 and Route 70 at the former Brielle Circle in Wall Township. From there, Route 35 heads north and interchanges with Route 138, an extension of I-195, continuing north through Monmouth County before crossing the Victory Bridge over the Raritan River into Perth Amboy, where the route continues north to Rahway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middlesex County, New Jersey</span> County in New Jersey, United States

Middlesex County is a county located in the north-central part of the U.S. state of New Jersey, extending inland from the Raritan Valley region to the northern portion of the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 United States census, the county was the state's third-most populous county with a population of 863,162, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 53,304 (+6.6%) from the 2010 census count of 809,858, which in turn reflected an increase of 59,696 (8.0%) from the 750,162 counted in the 2000 census. Middlesex is part of the New York metropolitan area. Many communities within the county serve as commuter towns to and from New York City and other points north. The county is part of the Central Jersey region of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 26</span> State highway in New Jersey, US

Route 26 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States, running 2.54 miles (4.09 km) along Livingston Avenue from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in North Brunswick Township northeast to Nassau Street at the border of New Brunswick. Prior to the 1953 renumbering, the route continued southwest along US 1 to Trenton. Livingston Avenue inside New Brunswick, southwest of Suydam Street, is the 1.08-mile (1.74 km) County Route 691 (CR 691). The 0.39 miles (0.63 km) from Suydam Street to its end at George Street is part of Route 171, also maintained by Middlesex County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 33</span> State highway in central New Jersey, US

Route 33 is a state highway in the central part of the US state of New Jersey. The highway extends 42.0 miles (67.6 km), from an interchange with US 1 in Trenton, Mercer County, east to an intersection of Main Street (Route 71) in Neptune, Monmouth County. Route 33 is a major route through Central New Jersey, as it runs from the greater state capital area in the Delaware Valley Region, through a mixture of farmland, housing, and commercial developments in the lower Raritan Valley Region, en route to the greater Asbury Park area on the Jersey Shore. The route traverses through historic towns such as Hightstown, Monroe Township, Manalapan, Freehold, and Tinton Falls. There are several intersections on Route 33 with future developments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Brunswick, New Jersey</span> Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, US

East Brunswick is a township in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The suburban bedroom community is part of the New York City metropolitan area and is located on the southern shore of the Raritan River, directly adjacent to the city of New Brunswick and located roughly 29 miles (47 km) away from New York City. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 49,715, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 2,203 (+4.6%) from the 2010 census count of 47,512, which in turn reflected an increase of 756 (+1.6%) from the 46,756 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe Township, Middlesex County, New Jersey</span> Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, US

Monroe Township is a township located in southern Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is centrally located within the Raritan Valley region and is an outer-ring suburb of New York City within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 48,594, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 9,462 (+24.2%) from the 39,132 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn reflected an increase of 11,133 (+39.8%) from the 27,999 counted in the 2000 census. Monroe Township also comprises the largest land area of any municipality in Middlesex County, at approximately 42 square miles (110 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Amboy, New Jersey</span> City in Middlesex County, New Jersey, US

South Amboy is a suburban city in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located on Raritan Bay. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,411, an increase of 780 (+9.0%) from the 2010 census count of 8,631, which in turn reflected an increase of 718 (+9.1%) from the 7,913 counted in the 2000 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 130</span> Highway in New Jersey

U.S. Route 130 is a U.S. Highway that is a spur route of U.S. Route 30, located completely within the state of New Jersey. It is signed with north and south cardinal directions, following a general northeast–southwest diagonal path, with north corresponding to the general eastward direction and vice versa. The route runs 83.4 mi (134.22 km) from I-295 and US 40 at Deepwater in Pennsville Township, Salem County, where the road continues south as Route 49, north to US 1 in North Brunswick, Middlesex County, where Route 171 continues north into New Brunswick. The route briefly runs concurrent with U.S. Route 30 near Camden, about one-third of the way to New Brunswick. The road runs within a close distance of I-295 south of Bordentown and a few miles from the New Jersey Turnpike for its entire length, serving as a major four- to six-lane divided local road for most of its length. US 130 passes through many towns including Penns Grove, Bridgeport, Westville, Camden, Pennsauken, Burlington, Bordentown, Hightstown, and North Brunswick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 440</span> State highway in Hudson and Middlesex counties in New Jersey, United States

Route 440 is a state highway in New Jersey, United States. It comprises two segments, a 5.15-mile (8.29 km) freeway in Middlesex County linking Interstate 287 (I-287) and the New Jersey Turnpike (I-95), in Edison to the Outerbridge Crossing in Perth Amboy and an 8.18-mile (13.16 km) four-lane divided highway in Hudson County running from the Bayonne Bridge in Bayonne to US Route 1-9 Truck in Jersey City. These two segments are connected by New York State Route 440 (NY 440), which runs across Staten Island. The freeway portion in Middlesex County is six lanes wide and intersects the Garden State Parkway and US 9 in Woodbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 25</span> Former state highway in New Jersey, United States

Route 25 was a major state highway in New Jersey, United States prior to the 1953 renumbering, running from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge in Camden to the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City. The number was retired in the renumbering, as the whole road was followed by various U.S. Routes: US 30 coming off the bridge in Camden, US 130 from the Camden area north to near New Brunswick, US 1 to Tonnele Circle in Jersey City, and US 1 Business to the Holland Tunnel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manalapan Brook</span> Tributary of the South River in New Jersey

Manalapan Brook is a tributary of the South River in Monmouth and Middlesex counties, New Jersey in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Route 535 (New Jersey)</span> County highway in New Jersey, U.S.

County Route 535 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 32.31 miles (52.00 km) from Logan Avenue, at the boundary between Trenton and Hamilton Township in Mercer County to an interchange with U.S. Route 9 (US 9) and Route 35 in South Amboy, Middlesex County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Route 74</span> Proposed state highway in Middlesex County, New Jersey, US

Route 74 was a proposed limited-access state highway in Middlesex County and Monmouth County of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The route was to be a four-lane divided highway from Route 18 in East Brunswick eastward to an interchange with Route 35 in the Laurence Harbor section of Old Bridge Township. The freeway would have provided a much needed east–west connection between U.S. Route 9 and Route 18. Tentatively named the "Industrial Freeway", Route 74 was to be a 10.60-mile (17.06 km) long four-lane freeway, with eight exits. Also included in the proposal was a U.S. Route 9 expressway to Route 35 in South Amboy and a connector spur from Route 74 back to Route 35 near Morgan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Route 527 (New Jersey)</span> County highway in New Jersey, U.S.

County Route 527 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 84.8 mi (136.47 km) from Main Street in Toms River to Pompton Avenue in Cedar Grove. It passes through more counties (six) than any other county route in New Jersey. CR 527 is also the second longest 500-series county route in New Jersey after Route 519. The county route traverses through the northernmost stretches of the Pine Barrens in South Jersey, much of the Raritan Valley and Rahway Valley regions in Central Jersey, and the First and Second Watchung Mountains in North Jersey. It passes through Ocean, Monmouth, Middlesex, Somerset, Union, and Essex counties on the eastern side of the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Route 522 (New Jersey)</span> County highway in New Jersey, U.S.

County Route 522 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 21 miles (34 km) from Route 27 in South Brunswick Township to Main Street in Freehold Borough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Route 501 (New Jersey)</span> Highway in New Jersey

County Route 501 is a county highway in New Jersey in two segments spanning Middlesex, Hudson, and Bergen counties. The southern segment runs from South Plainfield to Perth Amboy, the northern segment runs from Bayonne to Rockleigh, and the two segments are connected by New York State Route 440 across Staten Island.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">County Route 514 (New Jersey)</span> County highway in New Jersey, U.S.

County Route 514 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 42.86 miles (68.98 km) from its western terminus U.S. Route 202 (US 202) and Route 31 in East Amwell Township to its eastern terminus Edgar Road in Elizabeth. West of its western terminus, CR 514 continues as Route 179.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 1 in New Jersey</span> Highway in New Jersey

U.S. Route 1 (US 1) is a U.S. Route which parallels the East Coast of the United States, running from Key West, Florida, in the south to Fort Kent, Maine, at the Canadian border in the north. Of the entire length of the route, 66.06 miles (106.31 km) of it runs through New Jersey. It enters the state from Pennsylvania on the Trenton–Morrisville Toll Bridge over the Delaware River in the state capital of Trenton, running through the city on the Trenton Freeway. From here, US 1 continues northeast as a surface divided highway through suburban areas, heading into Middlesex County and passing through New Brunswick and Edison. US 1 merges with US 9 in Woodbridge, and the two routes continue through northern New Jersey as US 1/9 to the George Washington Bridge over the Hudson River in Fort Lee. At this point, the road continues into New York City along with Interstate 95.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Old Bridge". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ↑ "Locality Search". State of New Jersey.
  3. ↑ Gannett, Henry (1894). Bulletin 118: A Geographic Dictionary of New Jersey (PDF). U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 89. doi:10.3133/b118. Old Bridge; village in East Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, on South River, and on Camden and Amboy Branch Pennsylvania R. R.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "History". East Brunswick, New Jersey.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Karschner, Terry (July 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Old Bridge Historic District". National Park Service. With accompanying 18 photos
  6. ↑ Gordon, Thomas F. (1834). "Old Bridge". A Gazetteer of the State of New Jersey. Trenton, New Jersey. p. 201. ISBN   9780608422114. on the turnpike-road, from Bordentown to South Amboy; contains a tavern, and some half dozen dwelling houses; surrounded by a sandy and light soil.
  7. ↑ Staff (August 10, 1853). "Another Railroad Tragedy. Collision on the Camden and Amboy Railroad. Five Persons Killed—Others Dying,—Twenty or Thirty Injured". The New York Times .
  8. ↑ "Brookfield Glass Company (Bushwick Glass Works)". Glass Bottle Marks.
  9. ↑ Garrison, Winton C. (1909). The Industrial Directory of New Jersey. New Jersey Bureau of Industrial Statistics. p. 330.
  10. ↑ "National Register Information System – (#77000882)". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  11. ↑ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Middlesex County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. March 23, 2021. p. 2.
  12. ↑ "Our History". Old Bridge Baptist Church.
  13. ↑ "Mission Statement". East Brunswick Museum.
  14. ↑ "County Route 527 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. p. 15.
  15. ↑ "Middlesex County Route 615 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. p. 9.
  16. ↑ "Middlesex County Route 677 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. p. 1.
  17. ↑ "New Jersey Route 18 straight line diagram" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Transportation. p. 10.
  18. ↑ "Chestnut Hill Cemetery". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior., Variant name: Old Bridge Cemetery
  19. ↑ James, George (October 25, 1998). "Putting an Ear to the Ground". The New York Times .
  20. ↑ "Keystone Park". East Brunswick, New Jersey.
  21. ↑ Theodore Frank Appleby, Biographical Directory of the United States Congress .
  22. 1 2 Shultise, Walter S. (December 16, 1945). "The Brasnos, Midget Trio of East Brunswick, Now in Musical on Broadway". The Sunday Times. New Brunswick, New Jersey. p. 2 – via Newspapers.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.