Editing Middletown Township, New Jersey (section)

==History==
Small communities of the [[Lenape]] [[Navesink tribe]] were common throughout the area when the first known European landing in what would become Middletown Township occurred in 1609. Sea captain and explorer [[Henry Hudson]], in search of the mythical [[Northwest Passage]] in the service of the [[Dutch West India Company]], anchored along the shores of [[Sandy Hook Bay]] in 1609, describing the area "a very good land to fall in with and a pleasant land to see."<ref name=Thinking1995 /> While a [[patroonship]] was granted by the company in 1651 the land wasn't officially settled. Today's Shoal Harbor Museum and Old Spy House includes portions of a house constructed by Thomas Whitlock, one of the area's first European settlers (and a [[Reformed Baptists|Reformed Baptist]] at Middletown<ref>{{cite book |last1=Parmly|first1=Wheelock H.|title="Historical Sketch of the First Baptist Church of Middletown, New Jersey," in Bi-Centennial, or Two Hundred Years A Baptist Church|date=October 30, 1888|publisher=MacCrellish & Quigley|location=Trenton, NJ|pages=9–11|url=https://archive.org/stream/celebrationoftwo00firs#page/n3/mode/2up}}</ref>) who arrived here as early as 1664,<ref>{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=Samuel Stelle|title=Sandy Hook and the Land of the Navesink|date=1963|publisher=Philip Freneau Press|location=Monmouth Beach, NJ|page=14}}</ref> around the time of the English takeover of [[New Netherland]] as a prelude of the [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]].<ref name=Thinking1995 /> Long-standing tradition had [[Penelope Stout]], one of the first settlers, hiding in a tree from hostile Native Americans.<ref>[[Frank R. Stockton|Stockton, Frank R.]] [http://www.getnj.com/storiesofnewjersey/sojpg57.shtml Story of Penelope Stout]. Accessed June 5, 2007.</ref>

Shortly after the Dutch surrender of the [[New Netherland]] to the English in 1664 a large tract of land known as the [[Navesink Patent]] or [[Monmouth Tract]] was granted to [[Baptist]] and [[Quaker]] settlers from [[Long Island, New York|Long Island]], [[Rhode Island]], and [[Massachusetts]]. In 1693 the triangular tract became three townships – Middletown Township, [[Shrewsbury Township, New Jersey|Shrewsbury Township]] and [[Freehold Township, New Jersey|Freehold Township]].<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=XqchvDnzm0wC&q=Salter%E2%80%99s+History+of+Monmouth+and+Ocean+Counties+New+Jersey ''Salter's History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties New Jersey: The First Legislative Assembly in New Jersey.'']</ref><ref>{{cite web {{!}}title=Middletown and Shrewsbury {{!}}work=Using the Records of East and West Jersey Proprietors {{!}}publisher=[[New Jersey Department of State]] Division of Archives and Records Management |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/archives/pdf/proprietors.pdf |access-date=March 1, 2012 |quote=Middletown & Shrewsbury, 1665 (a.k.a. Navesink or Monmouth Patent) – In April 1665, twelve men, principally from Long Island, obtained a triangular tract from Governor Nicolls extending from Sandy Hook to the mouth of the Raritan River, up the river approximately twenty-five miles, then southwest to Barnegat Bay. The area was first known as Navesink, then Middletown and Shrewsbury County, and finally in 1683 as Monmouth County. Founders were mostly Baptists and Quakers. Purchasers at Middletown and Shrewsbury subscribed £3 or £4, which entitled them to 120 acres with additional increments for wives and children, and 60 acres for each servant. As many as eighty families arrived from Long Island, Rhode Island and Massachusetts during the first years. Quaker meetings were established by 1670. Settlers understood their patent to have endowed them with a right of government.}}</ref>

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], Middletown and much of the rest of Eastern [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]] was held by the British. After the [[Battle of Monmouth]], the British retreat from Freehold Township carried them down King's Highway through Middletown to their embarkation points at Sandy Hook in the bay, heading back to New York City.<ref name=Thinking1995 /><ref>Jordan, Bob. {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130201125249/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/app/access/1840616181.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+15,+2001&author=&pub=Asbury+Park+Press&desc=Middletown's+communities+These+are+the+12+major+communities+that+make+up+Middletown,+Monmouth+County's+third+largest+and+most+populated.&pqatl=google "Middletown's communities These are the 12 major communities that make up Middletown, Monmouth County's third largest and most populated."]}}, ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', November 15, 2001. Accessed June 29, 2012. "It was originally part of the Minisink Indian Trail and was later the route followed by British troops after their defeat at the Battle of Monmouth."</ref>

Middletown Township was originally formed on October 31, 1693, and was incorporated as a township by the [[Township Act of 1798]] of the [[New Jersey Legislature]] on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Atlantic Township (February 8, 1847, now [[Colts Neck Township, New Jersey|Colts Neck Township]]), Raritan Township (February 25, 1848, now [[Hazlet, New Jersey|Hazlet]]), [[Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey|Atlantic Highlands]] (February 28, 1887), [[Highlands, New Jersey|Highlands]] (March 22, 1900) and [[Keansburg, New Jersey|Keansburg]] (March 22, 1917).<ref name="Story">Snyder, John P. [https://nj.gov/dep/njgs/enviroed/oldpubs/bulletin67.pdf ''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''], Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 182. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref>

Upon the completion of a railroad junction in 1875, the town grew more rapidly, eventually changing from a group of small and loosely connected fishing and agricultural villages into a fast-growing suburb at the turn of the 20th century. If Middletown ever had a recognizable town center or town square, it was lost in that rapid growth soon after [[World War II]].

In May 1958, several [[Nike Ajax]] missiles exploded at Battery NY-53 in Chapel Hill, killing ten Army and civilian personnel. The accident was one of the worst missile-related disasters of the Cold War.<ref>Passeggio, Alyssa. "Fifty years later, residents remember M'town explosion", ''The Courier'' May 29, 2008. May 31, 2008.</ref><ref>[[Bill Becker|Becker, Bill]]. [https://www.nytimes.com/1958/05/24/archives/experts-seeking-clues-to-blast-comb-nike-area-in-wake-of-explosion.html "Experts Seeking Clues To Blast; Comb Nike Area in Wake of Explosion That Killed 10 – Meyner Gets Assurances"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 24, 1958. Accessed June 29, 2012. "An Army board of inquiry and ordnance experts combed the Nike launching base near Middletown, N. J., yesterday for clues to the cause of the eight-missile explosion that took ten lives Thursday."</ref>

During the [[September 11 terrorist attacks]] in 2001, Middletown lost 37 of its residents at the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]],<ref name="911Middletown">[https://www.middletownnj.org/facilities/facility/details/World-Trade-Center-Memorial-Gardens-44 World Trade Center Memorial Gardens], Middletown Township. Accessed June 27, 2022. "Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on September 10, 2002. The Memorial Gardens were opened to the public on September 11, 2003."</ref> which was the second-most 9/11 deaths of any municipality, behind New York City itself.<ref>Rogin, Ali. [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/middletown-lost-the-most-residents-on-9-11-after-nyc-heres-how-the-community-is-healing "Middletown lost the most residents on 9/11 after NYC. Here’s how the community is healing"], ''[[PBC News Hour]]'', September 7, 2021. Accessed June 27, 2022. "One hundred and forty-seven county residents died that day, their names inscribed on the monument's base; 37 were from Middletown, the most of any municipality outside of New York City."</ref><ref>Baldwin, Carly. [https://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/9-11-survivor-tree-planted-middletown-wtc-memorial-garden "Middletown WTC Memorial Garden Receives 9/11 Survivor Tree"], Middletown, NJ [[Patch (website)|Patch]], May 17, 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. ""</ref><ref>Erminio, Vinessa. [https://www.nj.com/news/2021/09/faces-of-the-new-jersey-victims-of-sept-11.html "Faces of the New Jersey victims of Sept. 11: A tribute in photos to 734 victims with ties to the Garden State"], ''[[nj.com]]'', September 11, 2021. Accessed July 2, 2023.</ref> The World Trade Center Memorial Gardens were opened to the public on September 11, 2003, the second anniversary of the attacks.<ref name="911Middletown"/>

The Waterfront site of [[Naval Weapons Station Earle]] is located in Leonardo on Sandy Hook Bay, and is used to load ammunition onto ships on a finger pier that stretches for {{convert|2.9|miles}}, making it the world's second-longest such pier.<ref>[https://cnrma.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NWS-Earle/ Getting Here], [[Naval Weapons Station Earle]]. Accessed June 29, 2012. "NWS Earle's Waterfront site, which boasts the second longest finger pier in the world, is located on Sandy Hook Bay adjacent to the town of Leonardo. The entrance to the Waterfront is off New Jersey State Highway 36. The 2.9-mile finger pier complex, the only one of its type in the United States, is outfitted with excellent rail and truck accommodations."</ref>

The "[[Evil Clown of Middletown]]" is a towering sign along [[New Jersey Route 35|Route 35]] painted to resemble a [[circus clown]], that currently advertises a liquor store. The sign is a remnant of an old supermarket that used to be at that location called "Food Circus". The clown and recent successful attempts from residents to save it from demolition have been featured in the pages of ''[[Weird NJ]]'' magazine, on ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'', and in the [[Kevin Smith]]-directed film ''[[Clerks II]]''.<ref>Opinion. {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130131172640/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/app/access/2400377921.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jul+17,+2011&author=&pub=Asbury+Park+Press&desc=Ungreening+of+the+GOP+in+Congress&pqatl=google "Ungreening of the GOP in Congress"]}}, ''[[Asbury Park Press]]'', July 17, 2011. Accessed June 29, 2012. "According to the current issue of Weird N.J. magazine, the Circus Foodtown Co., which owns the property on which the Evil Clown stands, is marketing a line of T-shirts featuring a depiction of what the magazine refers to as 'his evilness.'"</ref>

The Indian Trails 15K road race is held each year in April to benefit the Monmouth Conservation Foundation and includes a 5K walk/run event for fun. The race, run on a combination on paved and dirt roads, includes many relatively steep hills and has been described as "the most challenging race in the state".<ref>Staff. {{usurped|1=[https://archive.today/20130131160900/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/dailyrecord/access/1769792791.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Mar+26,+2006&author=&pub=Daily+Record&desc=Smart+runners+cashing+in+on+knowledge+of+tangents&pqatl=google "Smart runners cashing in on knowledge of tangents"]}}, ''[[Daily Record (New Jersey)|Daily Record]]'', March 26, 2006. Accessed June 29, 2012. "One of my favorites is the Indian Trails 15K in Middletown on Sunday, April 2nd. With its extreme hills, it has to be the most challenging race in the state, and also the most fun if you are a good downhill runner."</ref>

The Middletown Township Historical Society is a non-profit formed in 1968 to preserve and promote the history of Middletown.<ref>[https://www.middletownnjhistory.org/our-historical-society.html About the Middletown Township Historical Society]</ref>

===Gallery===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="80px" ="nolines"="">
File:Seabrook-Wilson_House_with_an_evening_backdrop.jpg | The [[Seabrook-Wilson House]] was built in 1663 and is one of the oldest surviving structures in New Jersey
File:MARLPIT, MIDDLETOWN, MONMOUTH COUNTY NJ.jpg|Marlpit Hall was built in 1686 and is an example of [[New England]]-influenced [[saltbox architecture]].<ref>[https://www.monmouthhistory.org/marlpit-hall|"Monmouth County Historical Association: Marlpit Hall"{{!}}Accessed October 19, 2020]</ref>
File:Sandy_Hook_Lighthouse,_Spring_2021.jpg|[[Sandy Hook Light]] was built in 1764. It is the oldest operating [[lighthouse]] in the United States.<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/gate/learn/historyculture/sandyhookmaritime.htm Sandy Hook Maritime Structures], [[National Park Service]]. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref>
File:New_Monmouth_Baptist_Church.jpg|Middletown was settled as a place of refuge for Baptists from Long Island and New England.<ref>[http://baptisthistoryhomepage.com/new.jersey.history.tbe.html The Baptists of New Jersey] Baptist History Homepage, ''The Baptist Encyclopedia'', 1881. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref> Pictured is the New Monmouth Baptist Church, established in 1855.<ref>[https://www.nmbchurch.org/ Home Page], New Monmouth Baptist Church. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref>
File:Thomas Lloyd House, Brookdale Farm, NJ.jpg|The Thomas Lloyd House at [[Brookdale Farm (Lincroft, New Jersey)|Brookdale Farm]]
File:Tatum Park.jpg|The Holland Activity Center at [[Tatum Park]], the former homestead of the prestigious Tatum family
File:Union Schoolhouse.JPG|The [[Union Schoolhouse]] was built in 1842 and was used for education until 1909. It was added to the [[National Register of Historic Places]] on June 23, 1976, for its significance in education.<ref name="nris"/><ref name="nrhpdoc">{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=76001173}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Union Schoolhouse |publisher=[[National Park Service]]|first1=Edgar I. |last1=Van Houten |date=December 1975 }} With {{NRHP url|id=76001173|photos=y|title=accompanying 2 photos}}</ref>
File:Deep_Cut_Gardens_rose_garden.jpg|The [[rose]] [[parterre]] at [[Deep Cut Gardens]], a public botanical gardens in Middletown which was formerly the estate of mobster [[Vito Genovese]].<ref name="DeepCutHistory">{{cite web |title=History of Deep Cut Gardens |url=https://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/page.aspx?ID=2560 |website=www.monmouthcountyparks.com |publisher=Monmouth County Parks System |access-date=23 August 2024}}</ref>
File:World Trade Center Memorial - Middletown, NJ (50064361).jpg|World Trade Center Memorial Gardens in Middletown, which had the second-highest number of residents killed at 37 during the [[September 11th attacks]], behind [[New York City]]<ref name="911Middletown"/></gallery>