Editing Monmouth County, New Jersey (section)

==Arts and culture==
[[File:TRTCExterior 30 compress.jpg|thumb|The [[Two River Theater]]]]
[[File:Monmouth_County_Historical_Association.jpg|thumb|The [[Monmouth County Historical Association]]]]
[[File:Battle of Monmouth Monument at Courthouse.jpg|thumb|[[Monmouth County Courthouse]] with greenspace and monument dedicated to the [[Battle of Monmouth]]]]
[[File:Church of the Presidents NJ2.jpg|thumb|[[Church of the Presidents (New Jersey)|Church of the Presidents]]]]
[[File:GENERAL VIEW OF WEST FACADE LOOKING SOUTHEAST - Molly Pitcher Inn, 88 Riverside Avenue, Red Bank, Monmouth County, NJ HABS NJ,13-REBA,2-1.tif|thumb|The [[Molly Pitcher Inn]]]]
[[File:Ocean Grove Auditorium and Stokes Statue.jpg|thumb|[[Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association District]]]]
* [[Count Basie Theatre]] - A landmarked [[performing arts center]] in [[Red Bank, New Jersey|Red Bank]]. The core structure opened as the "Carlton Theater" in 1926, became the "Monmouth Arts Center" in 1973, then was renamed to the "Count Basie Theatre" in 1984 to honor jazz great and Red Bank native [[Count Basie|William "Count" Basie]]. It was designed by [[William E. Lehman (architect)|William E. Lehman]] and has [[seating capacity]] for 1,568 patrons.
* [[Two River Theater]] - A professional, not-for-profit, regional theater company producing plays and educational programs. The company received "Theatre of the Year" awards from the New Jersey Theatre Alliance in 2006, and from ''[[The Star-Ledger]]'' in both 2006 and 2008. At the July 2009 meeting of the [[New Jersey State Council on the Arts]], Two River Theater was designated as a Major Impact Organization.
* [[Monmouth County Historical Association]] – Established in 1898 by a group of county residents headed by professional educator [[Caroline Gallup Reed]], it was soon incorporated in order “to discover, procure, preserve and perpetuate whatever relates to the history of Monmouth County.” The headquarters are located in [[Freehold Borough, New Jersey|Freehold Borough]] in a brick Georgian-style building designed by architect J. Hallam Conover.
*[[Monmouth County Jewish Heritage Museum]] - focuses on Jewish life in the county, which dates back to 1720.<ref>[https://www.jhmomc.org/about-us About Us], [[Monmouth County Jewish Heritage Museum]]. Accessed August 18, 2022. "Situated midway between New York City and Philadelphia, Monmouth County attracted Jewish settlers as early as 1720."</ref>
* [[Monmouth Battlefield State Park]] — Located in [[Freehold Township, New Jersey|Freehold Township]] and [[Manalapan Township, New Jersey|Manalapan Township]], the park preserves a rural eighteenth-century landscape of orchards, fields, woods and wetlands, encompassing miles of trails for hiking and horseback riding, space for picnic areas, and four restored Revolutionary War [[farmhouses]] that were associated with the American Revolutionary War's [[Battle of Monmouth]], including the [[Craig House (New Jersey)|Craig House]], the ''' Cobb House''', the '''Sutfin House''', and the '''Rhea-Applegate House'''. The park includes a visitor center with replicas of eighteenth-century canons and other exhibits.
*[[Gateway National Recreation Area#Sandy Hook Unit|Gateway National Recreation Area at Sandy Hook]] - The [[barrier island|barrier peninsula]] segment of the much larger '''Gateway National Recreation Area''' (which has other sections in [[Staten Island]], [[Brooklyn]], and [[Queens, New York|Queens]] in [[New York (state)|New York]]) forms the other side of the "gateway" to New York Harbor. It includes two main park sites:
** [[Fort Hancock, New Jersey|Fort Hancock]] served as part of the harbor's coastal defense system from 1895 until 1974 and contains 100 historic buildings and fortifications.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nyharborparks.org/visit/foha.html |title=Find Your Favorite Park &#124; NY Harbor Parks |access-date=January 23, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227131407/http://nyharborparks.org/visit/foha.html |archive-date=December 27, 2008 }} Fort Hancock (National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy)</ref>
** [[Sandy Hook (New Jersey)|Sandy Hook]] contains seven beaches, including [[Gunnison Beach]], a [[nude beach]] by custom, as well as salt marshes and a maritime holly forest. Ferries from [[Manhattan]] are available in season. Fishing and using hand-launched vessels are popular here.
* [[Monmouth County Courthouse]] – In front of the courthouse, is a park at the center of town which hosts a {{convert|90|ft|m|adj=on}} tall monument to the Battle of Monmouth at its center.
* [[St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Freehold Borough, New Jersey)|St. Peter's Episcopal Church]] — a historic [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal church]] building that was constructed in 1771, featuring [[Georgian architecture|Georgian]] and [[Gothic Revival]] elements.
*[[Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association District]] - An association founded in 1869 by a group of [[Methodism|Methodist]] clergymen, led by William B. Osborn and Ellwood H. Stokes. Its mission is to "provide opportunities for spiritual birth, growth, and renewal in a Christian seaside setting."<ref>{{cite web|title=About Us|url=http://www.oceangrove.org/pages/aboutus|publisher=Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association|access-date=December 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131230234058/http://www.oceangrove.org/pages/aboutus|archive-date=December 30, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was to operate as a summer camp meeting site on the New Jersey seashore.<ref name=arcadia>{{cite book |author=Wayne T. Bell |title=Images of America: Ocean Grove |year=2000 |publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] |location=Charleston, S.C. |isbn=0-7385-0425-4}}</ref> By the early 20th&nbsp;century, the popular Christian meeting ground became known as the "Queen of Religious Resorts."<ref name=NYT1986>Page, Tim. [https://www.nytimes.com/1986/07/30/arts/summerfare-offers-choir-festival.html "'Summerfare' Offers Choir Festival"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', July 30, 1986. Accessed June 30, 2015. "Ocean Grove, about six miles south of Long Branch, was founded in 1869 as a Methodist camp meeting ground; by the early 20th century it had been dubbed the 'Queen of Religious Resorts.'"</ref> The community's land is still owned by the camp meeting association and leased to individual homeowners and businesses. Ocean Grove remains the longest-active camp meeting site in the United States.<ref name=OGweb>[http://www.oceangrove.org/ Home page], Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association. Accessed November 6, 2007.</ref>
* [[Church of the Presidents (New Jersey)|Church of the Presidents]] - Originally consecrated in 1879 as St. James Protestant Episcopal Chapel, a branch of St. James Episcopal Church, this former Episcopal chapel was where seven United States presidents during the [[Victorian era]] worshipped. It was visited by presidents [[Ulysses S. Grant]], [[Rutherford B. Hayes]], [[James A. Garfield]], [[Chester A. Arthur]], [[Benjamin Harrison]], [[William McKinley]], and [[Woodrow Wilson]].<ref name="Review Page 1">(2006) The Year in Review, The Long Branch Historical Museum Association, Page 1.</ref> All except Grant were in office when they paid their visits to the church.
* [[Seabrook–Wilson House]] – Nicknamed the '''"Spy House"''' by local residents, the house was built in 1663 in the town of [[Port Monmouth, New Jersey|Port Monmouth]], a part of [[Middletown Township, New Jersey|Middletown Township]], making it the oldest structure in Monmouth County and one of the oldest in the state. The house's architecture was emblematic of the early [[England|English]] influence in the county. For most of its history, the farm on Sandy Hook Bay was home to generations of two prominent Port Monmouth families, the Seabrooks and the Wilsons. Ship owners and captains, a Revolutionary War militia officer, local business owners and investors, and a clergyman were part of these notable families, many of whom served in local government positions.
* [[Allaire State Park]] - Historic park, known for its restored 19th century [[ironworks]], [[Allaire Village]], which is a [[living history]] museum on the park premises. It was a prosperous industrial town producing [[pig iron]] and [[cast iron]] from the surrounding [[bog iron]] deposits. The buildings which remain and have been restored today include a [[general store]], [[blacksmith]] shop, [[carpenter]]'s shop, manager's house, foreman's house and a [[church (building)|church]]. One of the workers' [[row house]] buildings has been recreated and now houses a visitor center, museum, and reenactments of nineteenth-century life in this bustling [[mill town]].<ref name="Alliare State Park">{{cite news|url= http://www.state.nj.us/dep/parksandforests/parks/allaire.html
| access-date=August 31, 2010 | title=Alliare State Park}}</ref> The historic village is run by a non-profit organization independent of the park and charges a nominal fee to enter the buildings.<ref>{{cite news|url= http://www.allairevillage.org/
| access-date=August 31, 2010 | title=Alliare Village website}}</ref> It is named after [[James P. Allaire]], founder of the [[Howell Works]] at the same site.<ref name="Alliare State Park"/> The park also hosts the Pine Creek Railroad, a tourist railroad.
* [[Holmdel Park]] - Located in [[Holmdel Township, New Jersey|Holmdel Township]], this massive park is part of the [[Monmouth County Park System]]. The initial park land was established in 1962, with an additional {{Convert|227|acre|ha}} section added in 2001. The park's recreational offerings include fishing (with permit),<ref name="HolmBro">
{{Cite book
| title = Holmdel Park Brochure
| publisher = Monmouth County Park System
| year = 2010
| url  = http://monmouthcountyparks.com/documents/130/Holmdel%20Bro.pdf
| page = 1 }}</ref> individual and group picnic areas, tennis courts, playgrounds and 10 miles of hiking trails. Ice skating and sledding are permitted when conditions are deemed safe.<ref name="MonParkHolm">
{{cite web
|title= Holmdel Park
|url=http://www.monmouthcountyparks.com
|publisher = Monmouth County Park System
|date =
|author =
|accessdate = April 13, 2011}}</ref> The park contains four distinct visitor areas, each with its own parking; three are accessed via the main park entrance while the fourth is located at the activity center further north on Longstreet Road. The park also features:
**[[Holmdel Arboretum]] - Also known as the '''David C. Shaw Arboretum''', which contains nearly 3,000 trees and shrubs, representing hundreds of species, cultivars, and varieties, including the Jane Kluis Memorial Dwarf [[Conifer]] Garden, a collection of true cedars ([[Cedrus]]) in honor of David Rossheim, and a variety of other plantings such as [[Lebanon Cedar|weeping Atlas cedar]], [[cherry]] trees, [[Phellodendron amurense|Amur cork tree]], among many others. A map at the entrance identifies the major plant collections.
**[[Longstreet Farm]] - A [[living history]] farm museum displaying a recreation of life in the 1890s. Workers dress in period costume, and perform the activities of a resident of the time period, such as planting and harvesting of crops, and taking caring of livestock.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/page.aspx?Id=2530|title=Monmouth County Park System Parks Historic Longstreet Farm|website=www.monmouthcountyparks.com|access-date=October 1, 2019}}</ref> The [[Holmes–Hendrickson House|Holmes-Hendrickson House]], built in 1754, is a museum operated by the [[Monmouth County Historical Association]] near the farm.<ref name=":1" />

===Sports===
[[File:Monmouth Park racing on June 4, 2011.jpg|thumb|[[Monmouth Park Racetrack]]]]
[[Monmouth Park Racetrack]] in [[Oceanport, New Jersey|Oceanport]] and [[Freehold Raceway]] in [[Freehold Borough, New Jersey|Freehold]] offer fans of [[thoroughbred]] [[horse racing]] a chance to bet on races. Freehold Raceway announced in September 2024 that they will close, with the final racing date being December 28.<ref>[https://www.nj.com/monmouth/2024/09/historic-nj-racetrack-is-shutting-down.html "Historic N.J. racetrack is shutting down"], NJ Advance Media for [[NJ.com]], September 19, 2024. Accessed September 27, 2024. "Freehold Raceway — the oldest operating racetrack in the country — is ceasing all live racing and simulcast operations at the end of the year, racetrack officials announced Thursday. The last day at the horse-racing track in Monmouth County will be Dec. 28. "Freehold Raceway — the oldest operating racetrack in the country — is ceasing all live racing and simulcast operations at the end of the year, racetrack officials announced Thursday. The last day at the horse-racing track in Monmouth County will be Dec. 28."</ref>

In 1943, the [[New York Yankees]] held their [[spring training]] in Asbury Park instead of [[Florida]].<ref>Staff. [https://www.nytimes.com/1943/03/28/archives/spring-baseball-training-brings-visitors-to-asbury-park-poconos.html "Spring Baseball Training Brings Visitors To Asbury Park—Poconos Events; Asbury Park's Season"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', March 28, 1943. Accessed August 4, 2012. "Asbury Park, N.J.—Spring training of the New York Yankees baseball team has quickened the arrival of visitors this year, many of them bent on watching the conditioning of professional athletes north of the Mason–Dixon Line."</ref> This was because rail transport had to be conserved during the war, and [[Major League Baseball]]'s Spring Training was limited to an area east of the [[Mississippi River]] and north of the [[Ohio River]].<ref>Suehsdorf, A. D. (1978). ''The Great American Baseball Scrapbook'', p. 103. Random House. {{ISBN|0-394-50253-1}}.</ref>