History of Middletown, New Jersey Essay

A Starbuck or Panera Bread at n betimes all(prenominal) corner, high rise condominiums and modern day architectural structures line the metropolis of Middle town, saucy island of Jersey. This is the everyday picture of my hometown located north of the Navesink River in Monmouth County. Yes, I have noniced beautiful state parks, a radio beacon, and signs for tourist, but not organism a tourist, I never realized or cared a lot for why Middletown even attracted tourists. I was looking forward to this research melodic theme, because it gave me an hazard to actually learn the historicalal signifi flockce of where I lived.I dedicate the proverbial tourist hat on and took to the streets. What I learned astounded and embarrassed me, Middletown was encased in history, landmarks and all I basiclaimy in the buff was where to get my latte in the morning. forwards seeing the sights that I passed by so many times without pause, I wanted to learn astir(predicate) the history of Middleto wn itself, the simple facts. The township was settled in l665 by the side who migrated from Long Island, New York and New England. They had to purchase the land from the local anesthetic Indian tribes and initially established three villages the Portland Point, Shrewsbury and Middletown.The towns were organized as part of the Monmouth County in l693. Portland Point didnt progress, but the two remaining villages prospered and were deemed as the deuce Towns of the Navesink (Gabrielan, 2003). Middletowns past included playing a part in the Revolutionary War. A vast number of residents stayed loyal to England and while others character for their independence. According to Randall Barielan, the conflict in New Jersey was a realistic civil war. Enemy participants in the major battle in New Jersey were headed toward Middletown. British forces hid in the Middletown hills during the battles.I never imagined my hometown shared a piece of our nations history. Its a small town of about 60,000 people, on the Navesink River. Unfortunately, we did have thirty-six residents die on family line 11th, but with that aside our crime rate is 0. 6 per 1,000 people (epodunk. com, 2007). Until this paper I thought of Middletown as a quaint village with the near impressive feature being that Bruce Springsteen, Geraldo Riviera and Vince Lombardi were born. Since I did pass a few old churches on my way to a Starbucks, I thought Id esearch the spirituality history of Middletown. There were several different denominations early on with the Baptist Church founded in 1688, the oldest church in New Jersey, with at least one half of the veritable settlers known to be of this faith.The both Saints Memorial Church in Navesink, founded in l864 and officially becoming a theme historic Landmark in1988. Richard Upjohn, a visionary of this time period, with his incline mediaeval Revival architect, was chosen to construct the church laying the root in l863. According to in that location offi cial web localize www. allsaintsnavesink. rg, the church was awarded a buckle under from the New Jersey Historic Trust to develop a pertinacious term preservation plan. The story behind the Episcopal Christ Church, create in l702 is interesting. It was not about England settlers getting together to worship it was more of a missionary venture. Colonial Governor, Lewis Morris, wrote to the Bishop of London of the people of Middletown There is no such thing as a church or worship among them. They are perhaps, the most ignorant and wicked people in the initiation The Bishop sent two Anglican priests to save Middletown.That was over three blow years ago and the Christ Church still remains an diligent congregation (christchurchmiddletown. org). some other area of Middletown I wasnt aware of, is nuzzle away high on a hill and called the Water enchantress fiat, founded in 1895. A 50 acre historic paradise, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003. It is known for its exclusive club culture, and architecture. The Witch Club enticed visits by famous architects such as Frank A. Wright and Yew York are rich and famous. straightway there are forty-four homes at Water Witch Club that amazingly kept its old-world charm, end-to-end its history. A breathtaking site on top of a hill, which escaped me for so long (Van Develde, 2003). Before I introduce you and myself, to the several other historic landmarks in Middletown, there is one fact I was surprised to unveil. Middletowns daily report, the propagation Herald-Record, often called simply, The Record, was the first coldness offset press in the country, print in 1851.Subsequently, in 1956, the Middletown Daily Record, the first U.S. newspaper to use cold type, printed from a garage, ignited competition for the Record. In l969 the two papers integrate into the Sunday Record, but reverted back to the Times Herald-Record in 2007. The form of this newspaper from cold type to a website, in 2008, shows a timeline of innovations (record online. com). Now, back to being a tourist, I set forth to view the historical landmarks my locale had preserved for generations. Marlpit Hall was create in several stages and completed in 1756. It was the home of loyalist Edward Taylor and his family.Taylor was held under house arrest for his political views and unconnected most of his wealth and influence. In l936, the house was donated to the Monmouth County Historical connective. The Association restored it to function the first house museum in the region. Marlpit has five rooms all fitted out(p) to depict its setting from l756 through 1820. It is key property in the National Register of Historic Places in Middletown Village. A spin-off of the Marlpit Hall is the Taylor-Butler House, built in 1853 by descendents of the Marlpits Taylor family. Joseph Taylor and his wife, Mary earlier called it the Orchard Home.They were finicky in furnishing the home with family heirlooms. Mary was the last to live in the house, which remained vacant for ten years after her death in 1930. Henry Ludwig Kramer, a famous architect, bought it for his home and office, restoring its historical venue. George and Alice Butler bought it from Kramer in the l950s in turn the Monmouth County Historical Association bought the estate in l999. Actually the Association itself has an historical place in Middletown, too. It was founded in l898 by a convention of citizens committed to preserving the history of Monmouth County.They built a three story Georgian building in l931 to house a museum and library (co. monmouth. nj). Middletown has two historic farmhouses the Murray Farmhouse and the Moses D. Heath Farm. The Murray Farmhouse and barn was built in l770 and remains on its original foundation. Joseph Murray and his mother arrived from Ireland in l767 to Monmouth County where he met and married Rebecca Morris, and had four children. Joseph joined the local militia, when the Revolutionary W ar began. He acquired the nickname, daring, notorious rebel, because he was openly noncompliant of British rule. The farm remained in the family until l861, and had several owners until it was purchased in 1973 by the Middletown townsfolk to save the land from development. Today the house is not accessible to the normal but there are continuous events and tours throughout the barn and cultivated land (poricypark. org). The Moses D. Heath Farm provides access to numerous exhibits to illustrate the historical impressiveness of farming in Monmouth County. They include 19th century farm artifacts, Gertrude Neidlinger (1911-1998) descry House collection, and a functional honey bee colony and museum. The farm promotes the bequest of the Heath family, primarilyBertha C. Heath. Heaths father, Clinton was a former break ones back until the Civil War freed him, and he fled to Middletown with his brother Calvin who later became the first sermonizer at the Clinton Chapel Zion Church, founded in 1870. After he was settled as a crop farmer he sent for his wife and thirteen children. Bertha being the youngest of 6 girls. Born in the farm homestead on July 22, 1909, she ran two miles for a trolley to abridge her to school, each morning. Bertha was exceptionally graduating from Middletown town High School in 1926 she moved to Upper Manhattan, New York urban center and lived there for forty-four years.During this period she graduated from the Harlem Hospital School of Nursing, current a Bachelor of Science story in Public wellness form New York University, in 1958, and a Master of Science degree from Columbia University. Bertha went beyond what a black women was allowed or able to do, and enjoyed working as a registered nurse until her retirement in 1974. Bertha with the help of her nephew, Walter Spradley and measureless volunteers, organized the Heath Center Black History Committee, which still participates in Black History Month celebrations.The property ha s remained in the Heath Family since the stigmatize Civil War years and converted into the center of New Jerseys African-American agricultural history. Visiting the farm is the ultimate family experience. along with exhibits already mentioned, there is a childrens educational garden, blacksmith shop, sugar can mill and demonstrations on how farming was conducted in the l9th century, (heahfarm. tripod. com). The last landmark Ill review is the Sandy Hook Lighthouse. Built in l764 it is the oldest cleanhouse in the nation and one of the twelve constructed before the Revolutionary War.It is octagonal, and rises eight-five feet above the setting and eighty-eight feet above the water. New York originally financed Sand Hook because the merchants incapacitated a lot of money and crew members from shipwrecks. American and English process both wanted control of the lighthouse during the war, so New York congressmen gave the rewrite to darkened it to deter British ships. This proved ine ffective, the British sent a landing party to relight Sandy Hook. The Americans even tried to destroy the lighthouse with cannons, but did little damage to its structure.The British controlled Sandy Hook throughout the Revolution. The original tower of the Sandy Hook Lighthouse still stands. Another interesting note from the National Park Service is that the lighthouse originally stood five hundred feet from the northern end of Sandy Hook, and now, because of the current of the water, the light is five-eighths of a mile from the point. Ironically the light continues to help mariners, as it has faithfully done for the last l96 years, and was designated a National Landmark on January 29, 1964 (nps. gov). abominable how much a tourist learns about a place you call home?I had to walk in theyre shoes to let out the national historic landmarks, hidden natural treasures and areas steeped in history, literally in my own backyard. What an indelible past laid behind my everyday sights of the Gothic designed church, the farmhouses, and restored l9th century homes. It is like seeing Middletown for the first time, through the eye of an interested stranger. My walk to Starbucks takes on a totally different marrow for me now I take it slower, observe the artistic landscape and take pride in knowing Im walking knock off a path through history.