Freehold Township is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is both a regional commercial hub for

Central New Jersey Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation of Central New Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. Geographic area and descriptions While the State of New Jersey is often divided into North and ...

(home to the Freehold Raceway and Freehold Raceway Mall) and a bedroom community of New York City, located within the Raritan Valley region of the much larger New York Metropolitan Area.Fowler, Glen
"In Monmouth, Homes Still Rise, Defying Lag: Freehold, N.J."
'' The New York Times'', April 19, 1970. Accessed June 14, 2022. The township is located roughly away from Manhattan and about away from

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

. As of the

2020 United States census The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to of ...

, the township's population was 35,369, reflecting a decrease of 815 (−2.3%) from the 36,184 counted in the 2010 Census. Freehold Township was first formed on October 31, 1693, and was incorporated as a township by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and the ...

on February 21, 1798. Portions of Freehold Township were taken to form Upper Freehold Township (), so some wills and official records following the split referred to "Lower Freehold Township" although the official name has always been Freehold Township. Additional portions formed Millstone Township (February 28, 1844), Jackson Township (March 6, 1844), Atlantic Township (February 18, 1847; now Colts Neck Township), Marlboro Township (February 17, 1848) and

Manalapan Township Manalapan Township (, ) is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The township is centrally located within the Raritan Valley region and is a part of the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the t ...

(March 9, 1848). Freehold town was formed within the township on March 25, 1869, and formally separated when it was reconstituted as a borough on April 15, 1919, including additional portions of the township.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 179-180. Accessed March 15, 2012. The

Battle of Monmouth The Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Court House, was fought near Monmouth Court House in modern-day Freehold Borough, New Jersey on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, co ...

was fought in June 1778 in what has been preserved as Monmouth Battlefield State Park, which is in Freehold Township and

History

Early history

The Lenni Lenape Native Americans were the earliest known people to live in the area that became Freehold.History
Township of Freehold. Accessed November 30, 2022. The Lenape were a

hunter-gatherer A traditional hunter-gatherer or forager is a human living an ancestrally derived lifestyle in which most or all food is obtained by foraging, that is, by gathering food from local sources, especially edible wild plants but also insects, fungi, ...

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 The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...

. 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.Pepe, p. 19. In 1498,

John Cabot John Cabot ( it, Giovanni Caboto ; 1450 – 1500) was an Italian navigator and explorer. His 1497 voyage to the coast of North America under the commission of Henry VII of England is the earliest-known European exploration of coastal North ...

became the first European to sight this land. By the late 17th century, the English had begun to take over the area. In 1664, the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of English (later British) monarchs. The equivalent title in the Scottish peerage was Du ...

(later James II & VII) granted a patent to Sir George Carteret to develop the area. In 1685, Scottish

Presbyterians Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

from Scotland, along with English

Baptists Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only ( believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compe ...

and Quakers from New England fleeing religious persecution at home, became the first to settle within the area. In 1693, along with Middletown and

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'Sh ...

, Freehold was established by act of legislature as one of the three original townships in Monmouth County. The name of the township comes from the word '' freehold'', an English legal term describing

fee simple In English law, a fee simple or fee simple absolute is an estate in land, a form of freehold ownership. A "fee" is a vested, inheritable, present possessory interest in land. A "fee simple" is real property held without limit of time (i.e., perm ...

property ownership.

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 A surveyor general is an official responsible for government surveying in a specific country or territory. Historically, this would often have been a military appointment, but it is now more likely to be a civilian post. The following surveyor ge ...

of East Jersey, wanted the county seat located in Freehold. Reid's offer to sell the property to the Board of Chosen Freeholders at a heavily discounted price may have been the deciding factor in choosing Freehold—rather than Middletown or Shrewsbury—as the site of the county seat. As part of the deal, Reid placed a

restrictive covenant A covenant, in its most general sense and historical sense, is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action. Under historical English common law, a covenant was distinguished from an ordinary contract by the presence of a se ...

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. Moore's_Tavern_in_Wintertime

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. A small village quickly began to develop around the courthouse. At first, the village was called Monmouth Courthouse. 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. 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. The differences within Freehold between the growing settlement 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.Pepe, p. 29. In modern Freehold, many important streets bear the name of early colonial families, including Barkalow, Applegate, Rhea, Throckmorton, and Schanck.

The Revolutionary War in Freehold

Freehold was deeply impacted by the American Revolution. In 1765 with the passage of the Stamp Act, dissidents in Middletown and Upper Freehold established Sons of Liberty groups. In late 1775, Capt. Elias Longstreet recruited the first company of colonists from the county to join the Continental Army for an ill-fated invasion of Canada. Freehold was a known center of patriot activity. The Declaration of Independence was publicly proclaimed, read aloud, from the steps of the Monmouth Courthouse just a few days after being signed in Philadelphia. However, after British success at the Battle of Long Island, Freehold and all of Monmouth County fell under the control of Loyalists.Adelberg, p. 17. The British government continued to operate the Monmouth Courthouse, and several people involved in revolutionary activities were arrested and tried for treason at the courthouse. The success of the Continental Army at the Battle of Trenton helped to weaken loyalist control of Freehold. In June 1778, the British Army began a major strategic evacuation of the city 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.Adelberg, p.20 The

was one of the largest battles of the Revolutionary War, involving over 25,000 soldiers combined in Continental, British, and

Hessian A Hessian is an inhabitant of the German state of Hesse. Hessian may also refer to: Named from the toponym *Hessian (soldier), eighteenth-century German regiments in service with the British Empire **Hessian (boot), a style of boot **Hessian f ...

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, British forces were successful in completing their primary goal, the evacuation of Philadelphia. Both sides claimed victory in the battle. Molly Pitcher currier ives

Several famous figures from 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 George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

and Charles Lee. Charles Lee was later court martialed by the Continental Army for his actions at the Battle of Monmouth. Nathanael Greene,

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

"Mad" Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mil ...

, the Marquis de Lafayette and Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben also fought at the Battle of Monmouth for the Continental Army.Adelberg, p.11 Another famous figure at the Battle of Monmouth was Molly Pitcher, who manned a cannon during the battle after her husband was wounded. In the aftermath of the Battle of Monmouth, Loyalist control of Freehold faltered. The township 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.

Colonel Tye Titus Cornelius, also known as Titus, Tye, and famously as Colonel Tye ( – 1780), was a slave of African descent in the Province of New Jersey who escaped from his master and fought as a Black Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War; h ...

, was an escaped slave formerly named Titus, and the leader of a prominent loyalist guerrilla force, which conducted several raids in and around Freehold. In one famous incident

Joshua Huddy Joshua "Jack" Huddy (November 8, 1735April 12, 1782) was a captain in the Monmouth militia and of the privateer ship ''The Black Snake'' during the American Revolutionary War. Following his capture, Huddy was controversially executed by irregular ...

was captured and hung by British Loyalists under the direction of Richard Lippincott and Colonel Tye. Colonel Tye later died from injuries sustained during that raid. Patriots later cut down Huddy's body hanging from the gallows and buried it in Freehold, at Old Tennent Church. At the end of the war, the community was deeply divided and nearly 120 loyalist families left Freehold, fearing retribution from their neighbors. Most of these families re-settled in Canada.

19th-century Freehold

During the early 1800s, Freehold steadily grew in size. The village around the courthouse was now called Freehold, along with the surrounding farmland.Pepe, p. 23 In 1852, when long distance railroad systems were first being developed, a railroad station, with trains making regular stops, was built running nearly parallel with Throckmorton Street in Freehold. 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. 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 benefited greatly by being able to sell their products more easily in New York and Philadelphia. 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. Freehold also has a relatively forgotten but important place in the history of the bicycle. Cycling champion

Arthur Augustus Zimmerman Arthur Augustus Zimmerman (June 11, 1869 – October 22, 1936) was one of the world's greatest cycling sprint riders and winner of the first world championship in 1893. His prizes as an amateur were a consideration in the establishment of the Int ...

resided in the town 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. Freehold town hall

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. 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. 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. Freeholders 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.Pepe, p. 135 Freehold Township, the farming communities that surrounded the courthouse, set up a new town hall complex on Schanck Road. The Township completely encircles the Borough. On September 7, 1926, Freehold Borough annexed additional territory from the Township.

The Township in the 20th century

In the early 20th century, the farms in Freehold Township continued to be prosperous and successful, and the area steadily grew in population. However, after World War II, the Township experienced rapid growth. By this time, transportation systems had increased to a point to allow workers to commute daily to jobs in larger cities, such as Newark, Philadelphia, and New York City. Highways, including

U.S. Route 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...

and Route 33 helped to make it possible for commuters to live in Freehold and work in nearby cities. The township quickly developed large neighborhoods of suburban single family homes. Soon, the Township began to grow commercial and industrial businesses that rivalled the Borough. Brockway Glass built their initial facility off Center Street in 1955 with additional facilities added in 1956, 1967, 1969 & 1976 and ceased operations in 1991.''Brockway Glass Co. v. Freehold Tp.'' Tax Court of New Jersey (Feb. 28, 1999)
Casemine. Accessed March 14, 2022.Lockhart, Bill, et al
''Brockway Machine Bottle Co. and Brockway Glass Co.''
Society for Historical Archaeology. Accessed March 14, 2022. The site is now operated by Iron Mountain.''Master Plan Circulation Plan Element Amendment'' (adopted June 16, 2011)
Freehold Township. Accessed March 14, 2022. "Iron Mountain to Kozloski Road – This roadway would provide for an alternate access from Iron Mountain (formerly Brockway Glass Company) and future development areas southwest of Kozloski Road and north of N.J. Route 33 to intersect Kozloski Road." 3M opened a magnetic tape production facility in 1957. In 1971, a major medical complex, originally called Freehold Area Hospital, and today called

CentraState Medical Center CentraState Healthcare System is a non-for-profit community health organization consisting of an acute-care hospital, an ambulatory care campus, three senior living communities, a Family Medicine Residency Program, and a charitable foundation. Es ...

, opened in the Township, a regional hospital for communities in western Monmouth County and southern Middlesex County.Pepe, p. 140 Not all industrial developments in the Township were positive. In 1983, the United States Environmental Protection Agency designated the Lone Pine Chemical Site in the Township as a

Superfund Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the United States Environmental Pro ...

site. The site has been called "one of the worst environmental disasters in the country". Based on the latest EPA five-year review in 2019, remediation work has contained the spill. In 1990, with the opening of Freehold Raceway Mall, the second-largest mall in the state, the Township had solidified in being a premier commercial center for

.Pepe; p. 148 As the Township grew, Route 33, which ran through the heart of Freehold, became increasingly congested, in which studies suggested the construction of a new freeway. This was due to the fact that there was no room to widen the highway to 4 lanes between Route 9 and a railroad bridge at the eastern end would need to have been widened to accommodate 4 lanes. After several years, the new freeway was downsized to merely a bypass of Freehold. Construction from near Sweetmans Lane ( CR 527) to

was finished in 1972. Eventually construction began again and the bypass was extended to Halls Mill Road in 1989. For decades traffic was detoured, and congestion continued to worsen. The delay was lengthened when an endangered species was found in the path of the proposed roadway. Finally, after 32 years of waiting, the bypass was fully completed in January 2003, reducing congestion on Route 33 and Route 33 Business, albeit not a completely 4 lane highway between Halls Mills Road and the Howell Road intersection. The Township has thousands of jobs located within the municipality, along with a growing numbers of commuters who work in neighboring cities such as New York City,

Newark Newark most commonly refers to: * Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States * Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area Newark may also refer to: Places Canada * Niagara-on-the ...

, Trenton, and Philadelphia. Five residents of the Township died in the

September 11, 2001, terrorist attack The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commercial ...

on the World Trade Center and are listed on the county's 9/11 memorial. The COVID-19 pandemic, like many communities, affected Freehold Township. Early in the pandemic, the township (and county at large) made news for the numbers of cases that were being reported. In particular, one Freehold family named the Fuscos had made news for having lost five of their relatives during the first few months of the pandemic, with 19 other family members coming into contact with the virus. As of March 1, 2021, the township had reported 2,793 positive COVID-19 cases, with Monmouth County as a whole ranked fourth in the state for new COVID-19 cases. The township implemented protocols in an attempt to slowing down the spread of the virus, by providing support to local citizens, businesses, and services. The township's health department has implemented an intricate contact tracing system for Freehold Township residents. On May 26, 2020, the township adopted an ordinance to help in simplifying the process for restaurant owners to obtain permits for seasonal outdoor dining. As of June 25, 2021, the township and county has been ahead of the Biden Administration's Coronavirus vaccine goal, with at least 73.5% of adults receiving at least one dose, compared to the national average of 65.6% of adults receiving at least one dose.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 38.88 square miles (100.71 km²), including 38.65 square miles (100.11 km²) of land and 0.23 square miles (0.59 km²) of water (0.59%). Hayride_at_Battleview_Orchards

The township completely surrounds the borough of Freehold, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another. The township borders Colts Neck Township, Howell Township,

, Marlboro Township and Millstone Township in Monmouth County; and Jackson Township in Ocean County. The municipality of Upper Freehold Township is not connected, geographically or politically, to Freehold Township. East Freehold (2010 Census population of 4,894) and West Freehold (13,613 as of 2010) are unincorporated communities and census-designated places located within Freehold Township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Blue Ball (now Adelphia), Burlington Heights, Georgia, Monmouth Heights, Orchard Estates, Siloam, Smithburg, Southburg, Stonehurst East and Stonehurst West. The township is one of two municipalities in Monmouth County that are part of the Toms River

watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...

, most of which is located in Ocean County.

Ecology

According to the

A. W. Kuchler August William Kuchler (born ''August Wilhelm Küchler''; 1907–1999) was a German-born American geographer and naturalist who is noted for developing a plant association system in widespread use in the United States. Some of this database has beco ...

U.S.

potential natural vegetation In ecology, potential natural vegetation (PNV), also known as Kuchler potential vegetation, is the vegetation that would be expected given environmental constraints (climate, geomorphology, geology) without human intervention or a hazard event ...

types, Freehold Township would have an Appalachian oak (''104'') vegetation type with an Eastern

hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes from ...

forest (''25'') vegetation form.U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)
Data Basin. Accessed October 13, 2020.

Major bodies of water

Due to the township's location in New Jersey, it is the home of numerous headwaters for various important rivers, brooks, and streams that flow throughout the state. The township is located on a

ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

within the geographic heartland of New Jersey, as most sections of the township fall within the hillier terrain and fertile soil found in the Inner coastal plain, while the southeastern sections of the township fall within the more flat terrain and sandier soil found in the Outer coastal plain. The township is located within the much larger Raritan Valley region (as many of its brooks and streams flow into the aforementioned river), while also being located relatively close to the Raritan Bay. The township is also closely tied to the Jersey Shore region, being located about west of Asbury Park. The township also encompasses some of the northernmost stretches of the Pine Barrens. Notable bodies of water within the township include:

Lakes

Lake Topanemus Lake Topanemus is a suburban park located in Freehold Township, New Jersey, but owned and operated by Freehold Borough, New Jersey. The park's pond was originally the site of Forman's Mill in the 1800s. The pond's attractions, include freshwater ...

* Turkey Swamp

Rivers

* Barnegat Bay Watershed **

Metedeconk River The Metedeconk River is a tributary of Barnegat Bay in Ocean County, New Jersey in the United States. The Metedeconk River flows from its U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, acces ...

***North Branch Metedeconk River ***South Branch Metedeconk River ** Toms River * Raritan Basin Watershed **

Manasquan River The Manasquan River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed April 1, 2011 waterway in central New Jersey. It flows from western Monmouth County, beginning in Freehold T ...

***Applegate Creek ***Burkes Creek ***Debois Creek ** South River *** Manalapan Brook *** Matchaponix Brook ****McGellairds Brook ****Tepehemus Brook ****Weamaconk Creek ****Wemrock Brook * Navesink River Watershed ** Swimming River ***Yellow Brook

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification system, Freehold Township sits on the northern border between the

humid subtropical climate A humid subtropical climate is a zone of climate characterized by hot and humid summers, and cool to mild winters. These climates normally lie on the southeast side of all continents (except Antarctica), generally between latitudes 25° and 40° ...

(''Cfa'') zone and the humid continental climate (Dfa) zone, with the township 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 > , at least four months with an average temperature ≥ , at least one month with an average temperature ≥ and no significant precipitation difference between seasons.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...

showed that (in 2010

inflation-adjusted In economics, nominal value is measured in terms of money, whereas real value is measured against goods or services. A real value is one which has been adjusted for inflation, enabling comparison of quantities as if the prices of goods had not c ...

dollars) median household income was $94,735 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,749) and the median family income was $112,094 (+/− $4,124). Males had a median income of $85,099 (+/− $6,540) versus $48,926 (+/− $4,407) for females. The per capita income for the township was $40,504 (+/− $2,006). About 2.8% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...

there were 31,537 people, 10,814 households, and 8,283 families residing in the township. The population density was 820.2 people per square mile (316.7/km²). There were 11,032 housing units at an average density of 286.9 per square mile (110.8/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 87.09% White, 5.12% African American, 0.14% Native American, 5.15%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.19% from other races, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 5.19% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Freehold township
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 17, 2011.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Freehold township, Monmouth County, New Jersey
, United States Census Bureau. Accessed December 4, 2012. There were 10,814 households, out of which 37.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 20.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.76 and the average family size was 3.21. In the township the population was spread out, with 25.3% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 25.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.3 males. The median income for a household in the township was $77,185, and the median income for a family was $89,845. Males had a median income of $62,545 versus $36,668 for females. The per capita income for the township was $31,505. About 2.8% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.8% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Due to suburbanization within the township, its location near the

, along with its proximity to major cities such as

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Trenton, and Philadelphia, the township has been a longtime economic center in the

Central Jersey Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, ...

region.Garbarine, Rachelle
"In The Region: New Jersey; Freehold Is Getting Its First Major Mall"
'' The New York Times'', March 25, 1990. Accessed May 9, 2021. "Strip centers have sprung up along the highways and work is nearing completion on the township's first major shopping complex, the Freehold Raceway Mall. It will have 1.3 million square feet of space in 200 shops and food outlets, as many as five department stores and parking for 6,500 cars. The mall is being built by the Wilmorite Corporation of Rochester on a 176-acre site in the south central corner of the township along Route 9 at its intersection with Routes 33 and 537. The $125 million project is scheduled to open Aug. 1."

Agriculture

Despite suburbanization in recent decades, the township's agricultural roots have still been preserved. There are numerous crop farms, thoroughbred farms, sod farms, nurseries, and orchards in the township. Notable farms in the township include Brock Farms, Battleview Orchards, Clayton Family Farm, Crawford Farms, the historic Oakley Farm, Reid Sod Farm, and Wemrock Orchards. Tomasello Winery (originally based in Hammonton) has a wine tasting room located in Wemrock Orchards. The winery offers over 50 homegrown wines for tasting sessions (reservations strongly encouraged), but the winery is also open to retail transactions of their stocked wine. There are other wineries that are nearby to the township, including

Four JG's Orchards & Vineyards Four JG's Orchards & Vineyards is a winery in Colts Neck in Monmouth County, New Jersey. The vineyard was first planted in 1999, and opened to the public in 2004. Four JG's has 40 acres of grapes under cultivation, and produces 2,500 cases of win ...

Colts Neck Colts Neck Township is a township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 9,957, down from the 10,142 counted in the 2010 census, i ...

Cream Ridge Winery Cream Ridge Winery is a winery in the Cream Ridge section of Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey.

Cream Ridge Cream Ridge is an unincorporated community located within Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The rural area is made up of farmland, on which are located many horse farms. Numerous small business line with Cou ...

, Working Dog Winery in Robbinsville, and Hopewell Valley Vineyards in Hopewell.

Commerce

Established in 1853, making it the nation's oldest half-mile harness racing track, Freehold Raceway offers horse lovers and bettors an opportunity to see

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australi ...

. Completed in August 1990, the Freehold Raceway Mall was constructed at a cost of $125 million on a site covering more than across from the Freehold Raceway over

U.S. 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...

. A super-regional high-end shopping mall, it has a gross leasable area of , making it the second-largest mall in the state, behind Westfield Garden State Plaza. Outside of the Freehold Raceway Mall, the township itself has many other shopping malls and plazas. Diane & Co. is a dress shop that has been featured on the Oxygen Network's show ''

Jersey Couture ''Jersey Couture'' is an American reality documentary series that premiered June 1, 2010 on Oxygen. The series follows the Scali family as they run their dress boutique, Diane & Co., located in Freehold, New Jersey Freehold, New Jersey may refer ...

''. iPlay America is an indoor family entertainment and event center that opened in November 2011, offering rides, arcade and carnival games, along with Topgolf, music venues, laser tag, shops, bars, and restaurants.

Main Street

Freehold Borough (which the township surrounds) is home to Downtown Freehold, located on East and West Main Street (County Route 537). This downtown section has various eateries, bars, boutiques, historical sites, and other excursions. Within this section of town, there have been plans to revitalize the downtown area, as outlined in the Freehold Center Core Revitalization Plan (2008), in which NJ Transit has sponsored a project in transforming the Freehold Center Bus Station into a Transit Village. This new designation would foster in the creation of a transit-oriented development zoning district around by the Freehold Center Bus Station between West Main Street (County Route 537) and Throckmorton Street (County Route 522). This would have a huge positive impact to the Freehold area economy. There are many other shopping destinations right outside of ''the Freeholds'' region, including the Manalapan EpiCentre (formerly, the Manalapan Mall) in

, the Jackson Premium Outlets in Jackson Township, and The Shoppes in Old Bridge Township.

Manufacturing

Freehold Township and Borough began to grow in commercial and industrial manufacturing of goods during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Among most prominent of companies that began doing operations in the township was the

Brockway Glass Company Brockway Glass Company was founded in 1907 in Brockway, Pennsylvania by the Brockway Machine Bottle Company (which later became Brockway Glass). Brockway manufactured and sold glass containers and tubing along with plastic products manufactured th ...

, which had built a facility on Center Street in 1955. Brockway Glass then proceeded to build additional facilities in the region in 1956, 1967, 1969 & 1976. The company ceased operations in the township in 1991, in which the site is now operated by the Freehold campus location for Iron Mountain, an enterprise information management services company. Nestle opened a production plant in 1948, which is still in operation and has expanded its operations in logistics and engineering. 3M opened a magnetic tape production facility in 1957.

Sports

In 2004, the Freehold Township Senior League baseball team won the

Senior League World Series The Senior League World Series is a baseball tournament for adolescence aged 13 to 16 years old that began in 1961. In 2017, the tournament was moved from Bangor, Maine to Easley, South Carolina. (Easley was the site of the Big League World Seri ...

. Led by manager Mike Brach of Freehold Township, the team became the first from Freehold Township to make it to the World Series, let alone win it. In 2016, Freehold Township Little League 12u baseball team won the New Jersey state championship and made it to the Mid-Atlantic Regional Tournament, the first team from the township to take the state title since 2003.

Parks and recreation

Monmouth Battlefield State Park,

Turkey Swamp Park Turkey Swamp Park is a park located in Freehold Township, New Jersey on the northern fringes of the Pine Barrens. The Turkey Swamp area is located on a ridge within the geographic heartland of New Jersey. The region includes the headwaters of ...

, and Michael J. Tighe Park (formerly known as Liberty Oak Park) are all located within the township and provide assorted recreational opportunities. Smaller parks in the township include Durand Park, Whittier Oaks Park, Opatut Park, Wynnefield Park, Stonehurst Park, Sandy Brook Park, Duchess Court Park, Greentree Park, Medford Park, Woodgate Park, Woodcrest Park, Orchard Hills Park and Sargent Park. The southernmost segment of the Henry Hudson Trail starts in Freehold Borough and runs northeast through the township, to the Raritan Bayshore region. The parking area is located at 119 Dutch Lane Road in the township and is used by walkers, runners and bicyclists. Michael J. Tighe Park was formerly known as Liberty Oak Park, the park having been renamed in 2001.

Government

Local government

Freehold Township is governed under the Township form of New Jersey municipal government, one of 141 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form, the second-most commonly used form of government in the state. The Township Committee is comprised of five members, who are elected directly by the voters

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

in partisan elections to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year as part of the November general election in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'', Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 110. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Township Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor. The Township Committee enacts local ordinances, levies municipal taxes and conducts the affairs of the township. In almost all cases, it can review and approve the actions of other Freehold Township boards, committees and agencies. The Township Committee conducts all of its business during monthly meetings open to the public. , the members of the Township Committee are Mayor Maureen Fasano ( R, term on committee and as mayor ends December 31, 2022), Deputy Mayor Alan C. Walker (R, term on committee ends 2023; term as deputy mayor ends 2022), Anthony J. Ammiano (R, 2024), Thomas L. Cook (R, 2024) and Lester A. Preston Jr. (R, 2023).Committee Members
Township of Freehold. Accessed April 20, 2022. "Freehold Township is governed by five Committee persons, each of whom is elected for a three-year staggered term. At the beginning of each year, the Committee members elect one of their members to serve as Mayor and one as Deputy Mayor."November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results
Monmouth County, New Jersey, December 13, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.November 3, 2020 General Election Official Results
Monmouth County, New Jersey, updated November 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019 Official Results
Monmouth County, New Jersey Clerk, updated December 16, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. In January 2020, the Township Committee appointed Alan C. Walker to fill the seat expiring in December 2020 that had become vacant following the resignation of David M. Salkin.

Federal, state, and county representation

Freehold Township is located in the 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts2022 Redistricting Plan
New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 11th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011–2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as we ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey

League of Women Voters The League of Women Voters (LWV or the League) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan political organization in the United States. Founded in 1920, its ongoing major activities include registering voters, providing voter information, and advocating for vot ...

. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Freehold Township had been in the 12th state legislative district.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 57, New Jersey

. Accessed May 22, 2015. Prior to the 2010 Census, Freehold Township had been split between the 4th Congressional District and the , a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections. Monmouth County is governed by a

Board of County Commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

comprised of five members who are elected

to serve three year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects one of its members to serve as Director and another as Deputy Director. , Monmouth County's Commissioners are Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone ( R,

Neptune City Neptune City is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,869,Hazlet Township, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2024; term as deputy commissioner director ends 2022),

Lillian G. Burry Lillian G. Burry is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, she has served on the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners since January 2006. She first served as Director of the Board in 2008, the first woman and the firs ...

(R, Colts Neck Township, 2023), Nick DiRocco (R, Wall Township, 2022), and Ross F. Licitra (R, Marlboro Township, 2023). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are

County clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

Christine Giordano Hanlon (R, 2025; Ocean Township),

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

Shaun Golden (R, 2022; Howell Township) and

Surrogate A surrogate is a substitute or deputy for another person in a specific role and may refer to: Relationships * Surrogacy, an arrangement where a woman agrees to carry and give birth to a child for another person who will become its parent at bi ...

Rosemarie D. Peters (R, 2026; Middletown Township).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 23,033 registered voters in Freehold Township, of which 5,014 (21.8%) were registered as Democrats, 5,058 (22.0%) were registered as

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

and 12,949 (56.2%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 12 voters registered as Libertarians or

Greens Greens may refer to: *Leaf vegetables such as collard greens, mustard greens, spring greens, winter greens, spinach, etc. Politics Supranational * Green politics * Green party, political parties adhering to Green politics * Global Greens * Europ ...

. In the

2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kirib ...

, Republican Donald Trump received 55.6% of the vote (9,972 cast), ahead of Democrat Hillary Clinton with 41.3% (7,410 votes), and other candidates with 3.1% (560 votes), among the 17,942 ballots cast by the township's voters. In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: E ...

, Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusetts f ...

received 55.3% of the vote (9,204 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 43.5% (7,242 votes), and other candidates with 1.2% (192 votes), among the 16,715 ballots cast by the township's 23,974 registered voters (77 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 69.7%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican

John McCain John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...

received 53.5% of the vote (9,480 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 44.2% (7,845 votes) and other candidates with 1.0% (185 votes), among the 17,733 ballots cast by the township's 23,935 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.1%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

received 56.6% of the vote (9,260 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 42.2% (6,915 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (131 votes), among the 16,373 ballots cast by the township's 22,061 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.2. In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Republican

Kim Guadagno Kimberly Ann Guadagno (; ''née'' McFadden; born April 13, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the first lieutenant governor and 33rd secretary of state of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Guadagno was the Republican nominee f ...

received 57.7% of the vote (6,060 cast), ahead of Democrat Phil Murphy with 40.4% (4,246 votes). In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 72.2% of the vote (7,009 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 26.0% (2,525 votes), and other candidates with 1.8% (175 votes), among the 9,826 ballots cast by the township's 24,098 registered voters (117 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 40.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 65.5% of the vote (7,900 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 27.5% (3,317 votes), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States En ...

with 5.7% (688 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (96 votes), among the 12,058 ballots cast by the township's 23,343 registered voters, yielding a 51.7% turnout.

Education

Public school students in

pre-kindergarten Pre-kindergarten (also called Pre-K or PK) is a voluntary classroom-based preschool program for children below the age of five in the United States, Canada, Turkey and Greece (when kindergarten starts). It may be delivered through a preschool ...

through

eighth grade Eighth grade (or grade eight in some regions) is the eighth post-kindergarten year of formal education in the US. The eighth grade is the ninth school year, the second, third, fourth, or final year of middle school, or the second and/or final ye ...

are educated by the

Freehold Township Schools The Freehold Township Schools serve students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Freehold Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprising eight schools, had ...

. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of eight schools, had an enrollment of 3,737 students and 329.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 11.3:1.District information for Freehold Township School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences (IES) that collects, analyzes, and publishes statistics on education and public school district finance ...

. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the

) are Early Childhood Learning Center (97 students; in grades Pre-K), C. Richard Applegate School (424; K–5), Joseph J. Catena School (488; K–5), Laura Donovan School (436; K–5), Marshall W. Errickson School (435; K–5), West Freehold School (501; K–5), Clifton T. Barkalow School (661; 6–8) and Dwight D. Eisenhower Middle School (686; 6–8). Students in

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, its ...

through twelfth grades attend either

Freehold Township High School Freehold Township High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Freehold Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, and is part of the Freehold Regional High School District. The school serves students ...

or Freehold High School (based on home address), as part of the

Freehold Regional High School District The Freehold Regional High School District is a public regional school district established in 1953, that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from eight communities in western Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The distric ...

(FRHSD) The district also serves students from Colts Neck Township, Englishtown, Farmingdale, Freehold Borough, Howell Township,

and Marlboro Township. Freehold Township High School is home to the Contemporary Global Studies Learning Center and Freehold High School hosts the Medical Sciences Learning Center; each program admits students on a selective basis from all over the Freehold Regional High School District. of the 2018–19 school year, Freehold Township High School had an enrollment of 2,043 students and 137.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 14.9:1, while Freehold Borough High School had an enrollment of 1,422 students and 103.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 13.7:1. The FRHSD board of education has nine members, who are elected to three-year terms from each of the constituent districts. Each member is allocated a fraction of a vote that totals to nine points, with Freehold Township allocated one member, who has 1.4 votes. High school students in Freehold Township have the opportunity of attending vocational schools such as

Biotechnology High School Biotechnology High School (BTHS), or commonly referred to as Biotech, is a four-year comprehensive high school, comprehensive vocational school, vocational state school, public Secondary education in the United States, high school serving studen ...

, High Technology High School, the Marine Academy of Science and Technology,

Communications High School Communications High School (CHS) is a four-year magnet public high school and career academy serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United Stat ...

, and the

Academy of Allied Health & Science The Academy of Allied Health and Science (AAHS), established in 1996, is a small magnet public high school located in Neptune Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of five career academies offered by the Mo ...

, which are part of the

Monmouth County Vocational School District The Monmouth County Vocational School District (MCVSD) is a vocational and technical public school district in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States, providing vocational education to students across the county. Monmouth County Vocational ...

, which are available to all students in Monmouth County on a selective basis. Rutgers University, in partnership with Brookdale Community College offers several bachelor's degree completion programs at Brookdale's Freehold Campus.

Infrastructure

Public safety

Emergency services

Freehold Township offers different departments of varying emergency services. The following are the emergency service departments in Freehold Township:

=Police

= The Freehold Township police department is composed of a large force that handles three major divisions; patrol, investigation, and services. The current Chief of Police is George Baumann, who started in this position in January 2020, following the retirement of former Police Chief Ernest Schriefer. Ernest Schriefer had served as Police Chief for nearly 20 years at the time of his retirement.

=Fire Prevention

= The township offers various fire prevention programs for Freehold Township residents.

Fire prevention courses

Freehold Township offers programs designed to prepare children on the importance of fire safety. These courses are engaging with students and are offered at Township schools and other municipal buildings.Fire Prevention and Safety
Township of Freehold. Accessed July 19, 2022.

Fire squads

Freehold Township has two volunteer fire companies: ;West Freehold * Freehold Township Independent Fire Company #1 is located on Stillwells Corner Road in West Freehold. It was established in 1964 to provide fire protection services across Freehold Township. *Freehold Township Fire Company No. 1 Station No. 2 in Smithburg *Freehold Township Independent Fire Company No. 1 Station No. 3 in Georgia ;East Freehold * East Freehold Fire Company (founded 1972) is located on Kozloski Road in East Freehold

=First aid squads

= Freehold EMS (founded 1941) is located in Freehold Borough and offers pre-hospital care to residents of both the borough and the township.

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the township had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Monmouth County and by the New Jersey Department of Transportation. Several major roads pass through the township. Major state routes include

US Route 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, betw ...

, Route 18, Route 33 (also known as the Freehold Bypass), and

Route 79 The following highways are numbered 79: Australia * Calder Highway * Silver City Highway * (South Australia) India * National Highway 79 (India) Iran * Road 79 Israel *Highway 79 (Israel) Korea, South * National Route 79 *Gukjido 79 New ...

. Major county routes that pass through are County Route 522,

524 Year 524 ( DXXIV) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) on the Julian calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Iustinus and Opilio (or, less frequently, year 1277 ''Ab urbe ...

527 __NOTOC__ Year 527 ( DXXVII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Mavortius without colleague (or, less frequently, year ...

, and

537 __NOTOC__ Year 537 ( DXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Second year after the Consulship of Belisarius (or, less frequently, year 1290 ...

. Access to Interstate 195 is available in neighboring Howell via Route 9 or Jackson via CR 537. The Garden State Parkway entrance at exit 100 is about ten miles east on Route 33 in Tinton Falls. The

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highways in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although maintained by NJTA, is not consi ...

entrance at exit 8 is about ten miles west on Route 33 in East Windsor.

Public transportation

=Rail

= In the 19th & 20th centuries, Freehold Borough and Freehold Township had two major railways. One major railway in the area was the

Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad The Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad was a short-line railroad in New Jersey. The railroad traversed through the Raritan Valley communities of Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Manalapan Township, Englishtown Borough, Monroe To ...

, which was owned and operated by the Camden & Amboy Railroad Company (C&A). Surveying for the line began on September 8, 1851, grading began on October 19, 1852, and the first track was laid on April 4, 1853. The first section of line was opened on July 18, 1853. The establishment of the Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad helped make the Freeholds a transportation hub. The other major railway in the area was the Central Railroad of New Jersey, which had a branch that connected the still-active former Penn Central line from Jamesburg to CNJ's Seashore Branch and the New York and Long Branch line (now owned by NJ Transit) at

Matawan Matawan is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A historic community located near the Raritan Bay in the much larger Raritan River, Raritan Valley region, the borough ...

. The Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad was abandoned by the early 1930s. A portion of the former railroad's right-of-way was later approved to be sold by the New Jersey Board of Public Utility Commissioners (PUC) to Jersey Central Power & Light Company in 1966, with occasional freight service still being used through the

Freehold Industrial Track The Freehold Secondary (also called the Freehold Industrial Track) is a partially active rail line in New Jersey, the active portion of which is owned by Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) and operated by the Delaware and Raritan River Railr ...

. Meanwhile, The Central Railroad of New Jersey went into bankruptcy in the early 1970s and entered into Conrail on April 1, 1976, with its freight service on the rails from Freehold to Matawan being terminated in 1979 (the rails were removed in 1980). Today, it is mostly a

rail-trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or streetcar ...

, converting into the Henry Hudson Trail. The

Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line (MOM) is a passenger rail project in the US state of New Jersey, proposed by NJ Transit Rail Operations (NJT) to serve the Central New Jersey counties of Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex. The line would originate/t ...

is a proposal by New Jersey Transit to restore passenger railway service to the region, by using the same tracks as the Freehold Industrial Track. The township and its neighboring borough would be potential stops for the 'MOM' Line. As of now, the nearest train stations to the township are located in Aberdeen-Matawan, Asbury Park, and Long Branch on the North Jersey Coast Line, and Metropark in

Iselin Iselin may refer to: People with the family name * Adrian G Iselin (1818–1905), American banker, businessman & millionaire * Charles Oliver Iselin (1854–1932), American banker and yachtsman * Columbus O'Donnell Iselin (1904–1971), American o ...

, New Brunswick, and Princeton Junction on the

Northeast Corridor Line The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail service operated by NJ Transit between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in the United States. The service is the successor to Pennsylvania Railroad ...

=Buses

= NJ Transit provides bus service to communities along US Route 9 from Lakewood Township to Old Bridge Township, and to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City via bus routes

131 131 may refer to: *131 (number) *AD 131 *131 BC *131 (album), the album by Emarosa *131 (MBTA bus), the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority bus. For the MBTA bus, see 131 (MBTA bus). *131 (New Jersey bus), the New Jersey Transit bus {{numbe ...

135 135 may refer to: * 135 (number) * AD 135 * 135 BC * 135 film, better known as 35 mm film, is a format of photographic film used for still photography *135 (New Jersey bus) 135 may refer to: * 135 (number) * AD 135 * 135 BC * 135 film, better know ...

and

139 139 may refer to: * 139 (number), an integer * AD 139, a year of the Julian calendar * 139 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 139 (New Jersey bus) 139 may refer to: * 139 (number), an integer * AD 139, a year of the Julian calendar * 13 ...

, to

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Count ...

and the City of Newark at large on the 67 route, to

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark.64 and 67, as well as to

Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located in Jackson, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelphia and includes a water park named Six Flags Hurricane Harbor, Hu ...

and shopping via local service on the 833, 836 and

307 __NOTOC__ Year 307 ( CCCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Severus and Maximinus (or, less frequently, year 1060 ...

routes. Bus service is available from Route 9 to

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for t ...

in New York's Financial District via the Academy Bus Line. CentraState Front view 2

Bus service is available to Philadelphia from Freehold Township via transfer in Lakewood. There are several bus stops to the points listed above located along Route 9 in the township. Freehold Township has two commuter parking lots available only to township residents, which are located at the Freehold Mall Shopping Center and on Schibanoff Lane.

=Aviation

= Following the closure of the

Marlboro Airport Marlboro Airport, in Marlborough, Massachusetts, was a public airport that was in operation from 1922 to 2019. History Marlboro Airport was founded in 1922, the era when barnstormers flew "by the seat of their pants." It was the oldest continuo ...

, Old Bridge Airport in Old Bridge and

Monmouth Executive Airport Monmouth Jet Center is a privately owned, public use airport in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It is in Wall Township six miles west of Belmar (which its codes are derived from), east of Farmingdale. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Syst ...

in Farmingdale supply short-distance flights to surrounding areas and are the closest air transportation services. The nearest major commercial airports are Trenton-Mercer Airport, which serves several domestic destinations via

Frontier Airlines Frontier Airlines is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 staff. The ca ...

and located west (about 36 minutes drive); and

, which serves as a major hub for United Airlines and located north (about 50 minutes drive) from the center of Freehold Township.

=Ferry

= Ferry service is available through the SeaStreak service in Highlands, a trip that involves about a 25–30-minute drive from the eastern section of Freehold Township to reach the departing terminal. SeaStreak offers ferry service to New York City with trips to Pier 11 (on the East River at Wall Street) and 35th Street in Manhattan.

Healthcare

is a regional hospital located in the township. Serving parts of

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. I ...

, Ocean, Middlesex, and

Mercer Mercer may refer to: Business * Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925) * Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City * Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader ...

counties in

central New Jersey Central Jersey is the central region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation of Central New Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. Geographic area and descriptions While the State of New Jersey is often divided into North and ...

, the hospital is a partner of

Atlantic Health System Atlantic Health System is one of the largest non-profit health care networks in New Jersey. It employs 18,000 people and more than 4,800 affiliated physicians. The system offers more than 400 sites of care, including six hospitals: Chilton Med ...

and is affiliated with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The facility has 287 beds and is part of CentraState Healthcare System, the county's fourth-largest employer. Other regional hospitals near the township include the

Lakewood Lakewood may refer to: Places Australia * Lakewood, Western Australia, an abandoned town in Western Australia Canada * Lakewood, Edmonton, Alberta * Lakewood Suburban Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Philippines * Lakewood, Zamboanga del S ...

division of

Monmouth Medical Center Monmouth Medical Center, in Long Branch, Monmouth County, New Jersey, is one of New Jersey's largest community academic medical centers and is an academic affiliate of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School of Rutgers University, and is a part of ...

and the Old Bridge division of

Raritan Bay Medical Center Raritan Bay Medical Center (RBMC) consists of two general acute care hospitals, located within the heart of the Raritan Valley region, servicing the Raritan Bayshore communities in Middlesex and Monmouth counties. The hospitals are located in O ...

. The closest major university hospitals to the township are Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune Township,

Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (PMC), formerly known as the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, is a 355-bed non-profit, tertiary, and academic medical center located in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey, servicing the wes ...

in Plainsboro Township, and

Saint Peter's University Hospital Saint Peter's University Hospital (SPUH) is a Roman Catholic hospital on Easton Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The hospital is a member of the Saint Peter's Healthcare System, Inc., a New Jersey nonprofit corporation sponsored by the Roman C ...

and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.

Points of interest

– A regional hospital for western Monmouth County. * Freehold Raceway – One of the oldest harness racing tracks in the country. * Freehold Raceway Mall – The second-largest mall in the state. *

Maplewood Cemetery Maplewood Cemetery is a historic cemetery on Pleasant Street in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Established in 1864, the cemetery is the city's eighth. It is laid out in a roughly rectilinear manner, departing from the popular rural cemetery mov ...

– New Jersey Governors Joel Parker and

Joseph D. Bedle Joseph Dorsett Bedle, Sr. (January 5, 1831 – October 21, 1894) was an American attorney, jurist, and Democratic Party politician who served as the 23rd governor of New Jersey from 1875 to 1878. Early life Joseph Dorsett Bedle was born in Midd ...

, as well as several officers who served in the Civil War are interred here. *

Monmouth Battlefield Monmouth Battlefield State Park is a New Jersey state park located on the border of Manalapan and Freehold Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. This park preserves the historical battlefield on which the American Revolutio ...

– This historic park preserves where the

was fought. *

– A 1,180-acre (4.78 km²) nature preserve in the northernmost swaths of the Pine Barrens. * Village of West Freehold – Historic village in the western portion of the township, at the intersection of County Route 537 (Monmouth Road) and Stillwells Corner Road/Wemrock Road. * Jewish Heritage Museum of Monmouth County – Highlights history of Jewish residents and culture in Monmouth County File:Oakley_Farmstead_in_Autumn_2021.jpg, Oakley Farmhouse, 2021 File:Rhea_Applegate_House.jpg, Rhea-Applegate Farmhouse on

, 2021 File:Jewish_Heritage_Museum.jpg, Jewish Heritage Museum at Mounts Corner, 2021

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Freehold Township include: * Amanda Anisimova (born 2001), professional tennis player *

Jake Areman Jake E. Areman (born March 9, 1996) is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship. Raised in Freehold Township, New Jersey, Areman played prep soccer at Colts Neck High School. Career Colleg ...

(born 1996), soccer player who plays for the Tampa Bay Rowdies in the USL Championship. * Danny Bohn (born 1988), NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series driver * Brad Brach (born 1986), professional baseball player *

Brian Brikowski Brian Brikowski (born February 11, 1989) is an American football defensive end and linebacker who is currently a free agent. Brikowski was a member of the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League until his release in June 2015. Brikowski ...

(born 1989), defensive end who played in the Canadian Football League with the Montreal Alouettes *

Dave Cantin David Scott Cantin (born October 26, 1979) is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and cancer survivor. Early life He was born David Scott Cantin on October 26, 1979, in Freehold Township, New Jersey. He is the youngest of three children. C ...

(born 1979), entrepreneur *

Danielle Colaprico Danielle Jessica Colaprico (born May 6, 1993) is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Diego Wave FC of the NWSL. She previously played for NWSL rivals Chicago Red Stars as well as Adelaide United and Sydney FC in the Australia ...

(born 1992), midfielder for the Chicago Red Stars of the

National Women's Soccer League The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is a professional women's soccer league at the top of the United States league system. It is owned by the teams and, until 2020, was under a management contract with the United States Soccer Federatio ...

* Joe Dailey, American football coach who is the wide receivers coach for the Carolina Panthers * Katie Dippold, comedy writer, actress, and improvisational comedian who has co-produced and written for ''

Parks and Recreation ''Parks and Recreation'' (also known as ''Parks and Rec'') is an American political satire mockumentary sitcom television series created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur. The series aired on NBC from April 9, 2009, to February 24, 2015, for 125 ...

'' *

Joann Downey Joann Kagan Downey (born October 31, 1966) is an American Democratic Party politician who represented the 11th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2016 to 2022. Early life Downey was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. Sh ...

(born 1966), politician representing the 11th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly * Clare Farragher (born 1941), member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1988 to 2002 who also served as mayor of Freehold Township * Michele Fitzgerald (born 1990), winner of '' Survivor: Kaôh Rōng'' in 2016, the 32nd season of the reality series ''Survivor'' *

Lindsey Gallo Lindsey Gallo (born November 29, 1981) is a University of Michigan accounting professor and former American track and field athlete who competed in middle-distance events. High school Gallo grew up in Freehold Township, New Jersey and attended H ...

(born 1981), former track and field athlete who competed in middle-distance events * Milton Goode (born 1960), high jumper who participated at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

Vin Gopal Vinod Gopal (born May 18, 1985) is an American Democratic politician who took office on January 9, 2018 to represent the 11th Legislative District in the New Jersey Senate, which covers portions of Monmouth County. Prior to his election to t ...

(born 1985), politician who will take office in January 2018 to represent the 11th Legislative District in the

New Jersey Senate The New Jersey Senate was established as the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232, ...

, which covers portions of Monmouth County * Robert Griswold (born 1996),swimmer * Thomas Henderson (1743–1824), acting Governor of New Jersey *

William Barberie Howell William Barberie Howell (July 5, 1865 – April 4, 1927) was an Associate Justice and Chief Justice of the United States Customs Court and previously was a member and President of the Board of General Appraisers. Education and career Born on July ...

(1865–1927), Chief Justice of the United States Customs Court * Dan Lewis (1936–2015), American football halfback /

fullback Fullback or Full back may refer to: Sports * A position in various kinds of football, including: ** Full-back (association football), in association football (soccer), a defender playing in a wide position ** Fullback (gridiron football), in Americ ...

who played in the NFL for the

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...

, Washington Redskins and

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

Caren Lissner Caren Lissner is an American novelist, essayist, and newspaper editor. Her published novels include ''Carrie Pilby'' (2003) and ''Starting from Square Two'' (2004). Early life Caren Lissner was born on February 13, 1973, in Elizabeth, New Jers ...

(born 1972), novelist *

Paulie Litt Paul Litowsky (born April 17, 1995), known professionally as Paulie Litt, is an American actor and producer. He is best known for his role as Justin Shanowski on the sitcom ''Hope & Faith''. Career Litt was raised in Freehold Boro, New Jersey. ...

(born 1995), actor and producer, best known for his role as Justin Shanowski on the sitcom '' Hope & Faith'' *

Val Majewski Walter Val Majewski (pronounced my-EFF-skee) (born June 19, 1981) is an American former professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles. Early life Majewski grew up in Freehold Township, New Je ...

(born 1981),

center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the c ...

who played for the Baltimore Orioles * Catello Manzi (born 1950),

driver * Rebecca Metz, actress known for her role as Tressa on the FX television comedy-drama series '' Better Things'' * Joel Parker (1816–1888), politician, who served as the 20th Governor of New Jersey from 1863 to 1866, and again from 1872 to 1875 * Kal Penn (born 1977), actor of ''

Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle ''Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle'' (released in some international markets as ''Harold & Kumar Get the Munchies'') is a 2004 American buddy stoner comedy film directed by Danny Leiner, written by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, and starr ...

'' * Charles Richman, former commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs * William Cortenus Schenck (1773–1821), founder of Newark, Ohio, member of the

Ohio Senate The Ohio Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly. The State Senate, which meets in the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, first convened in 1803. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such that half of the se ...

from 1803 to 1804. * Peter Schrager (born 1982), sportscaster on Fox Sports and NFL Network *

John A. Scudder John Anderson Scudder (March 22, 1759 – November 6, 1836) was a U.S. Representative from New Jersey. Born in Freehold, New Jersey, Scudder completed preparatory studies, and graduated from Princeton College in 1775. He studied medicine and co ...

(1759–1836), U.S. Representative from New Jersey *

Jaime Primak Sullivan ''Jersey Belle'' is an American reality television series, which premiered on August 4, 2014, on Bravo. Announced in April 2014, the docu-series chronicles the life of entertainment publicist Jaime Primak Sullivan as she moves to Birmingham, Al ...

(born ), reality television star of '' Jersey Belle'' *

John C. Ten Eyck John Conover Ten Eyck (March 12, 1814August 24, 1879) was a United States Senator from New Jersey from 1859 to 1865, during the American Civil War. He was a member of the Republican Party. Early life John Ten Eyck was born in Freehold Township, ...

(1814–1879), United States Senator from New Jersey from 1859 to 1865 *

William H. Vredenburgh William H. Vredenburgh (August 19, 1840 – May 15, 1920) was a New Jersey attorney and public figure who served for nearly twenty years as a judge of the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals. Early life, education, and career Born in Freehol ...

(1840–1920), attorney and public figure who served for nearly 20 years as a judge of the New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals *

Emily Wold Emily Wold (born September 26, 1994) is a former American field hockey player, who played as a midfielder. Personal life Wold was born in Englewood, New Jersey to Mark and Kathleen Wold. Raised in Freehold Township, New Jersey, she began playing ...

(born 1994), former field hockey player, who played as a midfielderEmily Wold
Team USA. Accessed August 9, 2019. "Birthplace: Englewood, N.J. Hometown: Freehold, N.J. High School: Freehold Borough High School '12"

References

Sources

* Adelberg, Michael S
''The American Revolution in Monmouth County:The Theatre of Spoil and Destruction''
The History Press, 2010. * Pepe, Barbara
''Freehold: A Home Town History''
Arcadia Publishing; Charleston, SC; 2003. .

External links

* * * * * {{authority control 1693 establishments in New Jersey Populated places established in 1693 Township form of New Jersey government Townships in Monmouth County, New Jersey