Old Bridge (unincorporated community), New Jersey explained

Old Bridge, New Jersey
Settlement Type:Unincorporated community
Pushpin Map:USA New Jersey Middlesex County#USA New Jersey#USA
Pushpin Label:Old Bridge
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: United States
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Middlesex
Subdivision Type3:Township
Subdivision Name3:East Brunswick
Elevation Ft:13
Coordinates:40.4147°N -74.3656°W
Blank Name:GNIS feature ID
Blank Info:878951
Unit Pref:imperial

Old Bridge, also known as the Historic Village of Old Bridge, is an unincorporated community located within East Brunswick in Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.[1] It is on the South River, a tributary of the Raritan River.[2] The community is named after the first bridge built here to cross the river, the South River Bridge. After other bridges were built crossing the river, it became known as the Old Bridge.[3] The Old Bridge Historic District, encompassing much of the village, is listed on the state and national registers of historic places.

History

Located at the head of navigation of the South River, Old Bridge was at the junction of several trade routes. Settlers came to area as early as 1685. The Bordentown and South Amboy Turnpike, a stagecoach route, went through here in 1740. A freight station was built in 1832 on the Camden and Amboy Railroad, which ran through the community. It had a tavern and several houses.[4] On August 9, 1853, there was a major head-on collision between two trains near the station, resulting in several deaths.[5] From to 1921, the Brookfield Glass Company operated a plant here producing bottles and jars.[6] [7]

Historic district

Old Bridge Historic District
Nrhp Type:HD
Nocat:yes
Location:River Road; Kossman, Pine, Chestnut, Main, Everson, Squire, Maple, and Oak streets; Rutgers Place
Added:June 29, 1977
Refnum:77000882
Designated Other1 Name:New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Designated Other1 Abbr:NJRHP
Designated Other1 Link:New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Designated Other1 Date:September 26, 1975
Designated Other1 Number:1835[8]
Designated Other1 Num Position:bottom
Designated Other1 Color:
  1. ffc94b

The Old Bridge Historic District is a 108acres historic district located along several streets in the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 29, 1977 for its significance in art, education, and industry. The district includes 78 contributing buildings.[9]

The artist James Crawford Thom lived at an Italianate style house at 10 Kossman Street from to his death in 1898. The Old Bridge Baptist Church at 21 Kossman Street was built in 1844 and features a gothic arched double door entrance.[9] It was originally known as the Independent Bethel Baptist Church of Washington and Herbertsville.[10] The Simpson Methodist Episcopal Church at 16 Maple Street was built in 1860 and named after Bishop Matthew Simpson.[9] It was purchased in 1977 by the township to be used as the East Brunswick Museum.[11] General Obadiah Herbert (1775–1856), businessman and entrepreneur, lived at 146 Main Street, starting in 1810. For a while, the village was known as Herbertsville in his honor.[9] His son, Jacob V. W. Herbert (1812–1899), was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly representing Monmouth County in 1855. The Alice Appleby Devoe Memorial Library is located at 166 Main Street.[9]

Transportation

There are several main roads in the community. CR 527 (Old Bridge Turnpike, Old Bridge–Matawan Road) runs north-south[12] and intersects with CR 615 (Main Street), which also runs north-south.[13] CR 677 (River Road) runs north from CR 615 near the South River.[14] Route 18 can be accessed from CR 615.[15]

Points of interest

Located to the north on Old Bridge Turnpike, the nearby Chestnut Hill Cemetery, also known as the Old Bridge Cemetery, has the remains of many of the families from the community.[3] [16] Tours of the cemetery have been organized by the New Jersey Cultural Alliance.[17]

South of Main Street and along the South River, Keystone Park offers hiking and natural areas.[18]

Notable people

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

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Locality Search . State of New Jersey.
  2. Book: Gannett . Henry . Bulletin 118: A Geographic Dictionary of New Jersey . 1894 . . 10.3133/b118 . 89 . Old Bridge; village in East Brunswick Township, Middlesex County, on South River, and on Camden and Amboy Branch Pennsylvania R. R..
  3. Web site: History . East Brunswick, New Jersey.
  4. Book: Gordon . Thomas F. . A Gazetteer of the State of New Jersey . 1834 . Old Bridge . https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0xLcx_FS6cC&pg=PA201 . Trenton, New Jersey . 201 . 9780608422114 . on the turnpike-road, from Bordentown to South Amboy; contains a tavern, and some half dozen dwelling houses; surrounded by a sandy and light soil..
  5. News: Staff . Another Railroad Tragedy. Collision on the Camden and Amboy Railroad. Five Persons Killed—Others Dying,—Twenty or Thirty Injured. . The New York Times. August 10, 1853.
  6. Web site: Brookfield Glass Company (Bushwick Glass Works). Glass Bottle Marks.
  7. Book: Garrison . Winton C. . The Industrial Directory of New Jersey . 1909 . New Jersey Bureau of Industrial Statistics . 330 .
  8. Web site: New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Middlesex County . New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office . 2 . March 23, 2021 .
  9. Web site: [{{NRHP url|id=77000882}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Old Bridge Historic District ]. National Park Service. Terry . Karschner . July 1975 . With
  10. Web site: Our History . Old Bridge Baptist Church.
  11. Web site: Mission Statement . East Brunswick Museum.
  12. Web site: County Route 527 straight line diagram . 15 . New Jersey Department of Transportation.
  13. Web site: Middlesex County Route 615 straight line diagram . 9 . New Jersey Department of Transportation.
  14. Web site: Middlesex County Route 677 straight line diagram . 1 . New Jersey Department of Transportation.
  15. Web site: New Jersey Department of Transportation. New Jersey Route 18 straight line diagram. 10 .
  16. , Variant name: Old Bridge Cemetery
  17. News: James . George . Putting an Ear to the Ground . . October 25, 1998.
  18. Web site: Keystone Park . East Brunswick, New Jersey.
  19. http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=A000267 Theodore Frank Appleby
  20. News: Shultise . Walter S. . The Brasnos, Midget Trio of East Brunswick, Now in Musical on Broadway . The Sunday Times . December 16, 1945 . New Brunswick, New Jersey . 2 . Newspapers.com.