Smithburg, New Jersey

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Smithburg, New Jersey
Smithburg Tavern.jpg
The Smithburg Tavern, located on the corner of Monmouth Road (CR 537) and Smithburg Road (CR 527)
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Smithburg
Location of Smithburg in Monmouth County Inset: Location of county within the state of New Jersey
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Smithburg
Smithburg (New Jersey)
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Smithburg
Smithburg (the United States)
Coordinates: 40°12′32″N74°21′11″W / 40.20889°N 74.35306°W / 40.20889; -74.35306
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of New Jersey.svg  New Jersey
County Monmouth
Township Freehold, Manalapan and Millstone
Elevation
[1]
171 ft (52 m)
Time zone UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
  Summer (DST) UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Area code(s) 732/848
GNIS feature ID880663 [1]

Smithburg is an unincorporated community located where the municipal boundaries of Freehold, Manalapan and Millstone townships intersect in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. [2] [3] County Route 527 and Monmouth Road (County Routes 537/524) pass through the center of the quaint village of Smithburg.

Contents

History

Southbound on CR 527 approaching the CR 537/524 intersection Smithburg, NJ.jpg
Southbound on CR 527 approaching the CR 537/524 intersection

In 1684, the 2nd Deputy Governor of East Jersey Gawen Lawrie instituted "The Burlington Path", a stagecoach route meant to connect Burlington, the Capital of West Jersey, and Perth Amboy, the Capital of East Jersey. [4] Much of modern day Monmouth Road (County Route 537) coincides in general direction and trajectory with this historic stagecoach route. By the mid 18th century, one of the stagecoach stops listed on the route was the Smithburg Tavern, suggesting that the community had already been rather established by this point.

The Smithburg Tavern was the birthplace of New Jersey politician Joel Parker, a prominent "War Democrat", who would later in life serve two nonconsecutive terms as the 20th Governor of New Jersey; one term from 1863-1866, and another term from 1872-1875. Parker died on January 2, 1888, in Philadelphia [5] and was buried in nearby Maplewood Cemetery, within the center of Freehold Township, New Jersey. His burial place also happens to be located right along the historic "Burlington Path" on what is now West Main Street (County Route 537), adjacent to the Freehold Raceway Mall.

The Smithburg General Store, the only store in the area, operated on the corner opposite the Smithburg Tavern on County Route 537 and Smithburg Road.

The only sawmill in the area, located on County Route 537, produced lumber for building in Smithburg and Freehold. [ citation needed ]

The historically preserved Monmouth Battlefield and the historic villages of Clarksburg [6] and West Freehold [7] are a short distance away.

Some farmers claim Hessians, mercenary German soldiers for the British during the Revolutionary War, either deserted their fighting at the Monmouth Battlefield or lost their way. Their bodies were found on the site of a local farm.[ citation needed ]

Geography

The Manalapan Brook flows through the center of this community. The brook continues to the South River, which starts along the border of Spotswood and Old Bridge Township. [8] The headwaters for the Manasquan River also originate near the community. [9]

Notable people

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

Related Research Articles

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

Monmouth County is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is bordered to its west by Mercer and Middlesex Counties, to its south by Ocean County, to its east by the Atlantic Ocean, and to its north by the Raritan Bay. Monmouth County's geographic area comprises 30% water. The county is part of the Jersey Shore region of the state. It has also been categorized under the Central Jersey region, though it was not among the four counties explicitly listed as included in Central Jersey as part of legislation signed into law in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Englishtown, New Jersey</span> Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freehold Borough, New Jersey</span> Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, US

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

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Freehold, New Jersey</span> Census-designated place in New Jersey, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walker-Combs-Hartshorne Farmstead</span> Historic house in New Jersey, United States

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References

  1. 1 2 "Smithburg". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed March 4, 2015.
  3. "Smithburg, Freehold Township, New Jersey" (Map). Google Maps . Retrieved March 4, 2015.
  4. Archived 2020-06-09 at the Wayback Machine , Freehold Township Heritage Society: 'History of the Burlington Path'. Accessed June 9, 2020.
  5. 1 2 "Joel Parker Dead. Stricken With Paralysis While Visiting Friends". The New York Times . January 2, 1888. Retrieved March 10, 2010. Ex-Gov. Joel Parker of New-Jersey, while visiting friends at 1019 Mount Vernon-street, this city, yesterday, was stricken with paralysis and died at 1 o'clock this morning.
  6. New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places: Monmouth County, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Historic Preservation Office, updated March 30, 2023. Accessed April 30, 2023.
  7. Freehold Township Heritage Society: 'History of the Village of West Freehold'. Accessed June 9, 2020.
  8. "Watershed Protection And Restoration Plan For The Manalapan Brook Watershed", New Jersey Water Supply Authority, on behalf of the Manalapan Brook Watershed Restoration and Protection Plan Project Committee Watershed Protection Programs. February 2011. Accessed November 21, 2020.
  9. . Raritan Basin. New Jersey Water Supply Authority: Manasquan Watershed. Accessed June 23, 2021.