History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 1, Part 70

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 974

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Next above the last named was the house of William Clark, tailor. It was afterwards re- built by him, and the house still stands, the next northeast of the residence of Dr. I. S. Long.

The house of Alexander Low, a Scotchman, and by trade a cabinet-maker and joiner, was next above Clark's, standing where now is the residence of ex-Governor Parker, whose father, Charles Parker, afterwards purchased the Low property. The old Low house was moved back and is still standing in the rear part of the ex-Governor's house.

Above Alexander Low, the next house was that of John Morford, a Revolutionary soldier, and by trade a saddler and harness-maker. The house, then occupied by him, was afterwards moved across the street by Tylee Cottrell, and on its first site now stands the parsonage of the Reformed Church. Back of the Morford house (as before mentioned) was the house of William Lloyd, on the " Factory Farm."

Beyond the Morford house there was then no other on the south side of the main street within the present corporation limits; but a short distance outside lived James Lloyd, in the house now occupied by Henry Brinckerhoff. Very soon afterwards James Lloyd removed from

that place, and it was then occupied by Judge John Quay until about 1820, when it came into possession of the Brinckerhoff family, and Quay moved down the main street to the small house that stood on the site of the present residence of Mr. Elihu B. Bedle.

Near James Lloyd's, on the same side, was the house (still standing) which was occupied by William Conover in the time of the Revo- lution, and now known as the " Murphy house," because owned and occupied at one time by Judge Joseph Murphy. At this house Sir Henry Clinton had his headquarters during the two days preceding the battle of Monmouth.

Returning on the northwest side of the street there were but two dwellings west of where the railroad track now crosses, one of these being the residence of Joseph Scudder, Esq., and the other that of Benjamin Campbell, who at that time owned the land along the street, on the north side, from Manalapan Avenue to the present residence of Major James S. Yard. The old house in which Mr. Campbell lived stood a considerable distance back from the highway and nearly in the rear of the site of the present house of Charles T. Fleming. After Mr. Campbell, it was owned and occupied by Daniel Stillwell, and was usually known as the Stillwell house.

Proceeding northeast from the Scudder house (now Dr. D. M. Forman's residence) and passing the Episcopal Church, which was the same edi- fice that now occupies the same site, the next building was the store which had been opened by Corlies Lloyd very soon after the year 1800, and which was then occupied by him and his brothers, William and James. It was in this store that they did the extensive business and sustained the heavy losses which have already been mentioned as resulting from the Embargo Act. Its location was on or very near the spot where the post-office now is. The old building was at one time used for academy purposes.

Next, below, was the house and store of John Throckmorton. The store was afterwards occu- pied by William I. Bowne1 and, later, by the

1 William I. Bowne was born in Monmouth County in 1792, and, being left an orphan at an early age, was placed under the guardianship of Judge Hull, of Freehold,

393

THE TOWN OF FREEHOLD.

Monmouth Bank. The Throckmorton house stood a little distance back from the street, and Judge Bowne built in front of it another and larger house, which (having been repaired and improved) stood until destroyed by the great fire of October, 1873.

The next house northeast of John Throck- morton's, was that of Aaron Forman Walker,1

He obtained a good preparatory education in the schools of Trenton and elsewhere, and entered as a law student in the office of Joseph Phillips, Esq., in Freehold. About 1822 he was elected a member of the Legislative Council of New Jersey, and was, not long afterwards, appointed judge of the Common Pleas of Monmouth County, which office he held for several years. "His associates were Judges Patterson, Hull and Hopping, during whose term of office the Court of Common Pleas in Monmouth County was raised to a high standard, and came to be regarded by the bar and the community as the most efficient, judicious and impartial tribunal of the kind in the State." Afterwards, Judge Bowne retired to the farm now owned by the heirs of Daniel S. Shanck, adjoining Freehold, and between 1840 and 1850 removed to a fine property owned by him near Lawrenceville, Mercer County, where he died April 16, 1858.

1 Aaron Forman Walker was a soldier of the Revolution, first entering the patriot service as a drummer, as is shown by the Revolutionary rolls. In connection with his name, and with the fact of his residence at the place mentioned, the following notice of the recent death of a very aged colored woman is given here, as extracted from the Monmouth Democrat of September 18, 1884 :

" Mary Vincent, colored, died at the Freehold town- house on Tuesday afternoon. Her death was occasioned by a cancerous affection of the breast. She was in good health until about a year ago. Her age is estimated at from 110. to 120 years. Some old people remember her as a 'gray-haired old woman' when they were children. She was a slave, and was originally owned by a man named Walker, a resident of this township. Afterwards she became the property of the Solomon family, at West Freehold. When she married she was given her freedom. Her husband and two children died many years ago. For the past fifteen years she 'has been cared for by the town- ship. In conversation with her, Mary told Mr. Barkalow, the overseer of the poor, that when the county buildings were erected she was employed in carrying brick to be used in their erection, and that at that time she was a ' likely young woman.' The clerk's and surrogate's offices were first erected in 1800 to 1802, and in 1806 the erection of the court-house was commenced. She was also employed on the latter building."

The fact that Aaron Forman Walker lived within a few rods of the court-house and public offices at the time of their erection renders it more than probable that he was the "man named Walker" referred to as the owner of the slave woman, Mary Vincent. The old Revolutionary court-house was quite thoroughly repaired in 1791, at

which was afterwards for many years the prop- erty of Judge Thomas C. Throckmorton. Its site was nearly the same that is now occupied by the stores of E. B. Bedle and J. B. Havi- land. Next below the Walker dwelling and very near the clerk's office, (Court Street not having then been opened), was a small house occupied by William Low, the jailor. Next was the clerk's office and the new court-house, which was completed in December, 1808, as elsewhere noticed.

Beyond the court-house, going northeast, was the two-story frame dwelling of John Craig, who was familiarly known as "Poor Johnny," though it is not now known how he obtained that sobriquet. His house was in existence in the time of the Revolution, and there is a tradition (no doubt correct) that it was used as a hospital after the battle of Monmouth. There is also reason for believing that it was the same house which was occupied by Captain James Green in 1782, and to which the body of Captain Joshua Huddy was brought, as before men- tioned. This, however, can only be mentioned as a probability. The building, which at the time referred to was occupied by Craig as a dwelling-house, afterwards became the Mon- mouth Hotel, and (with the addition of a third story and some other enlargements and remodel- ing) is still standing, occupied by stores and lawyers' offices.

On the easterly end of John Craig's house, and attached to it, was a small frame wing or addition, in which, in the years 1814-15, was published the first newspaper of Freehold, called the Spirit of Washington. From Craig's dwelling, on the same side of the street, a line of Lombardy poplars extended along the fence to or beyond where Walker's drug-store now stands. Beyond, there was no other house within the present town limits; but a little further out on the Keyport road, where B. Huemann now lives, was the residence of Richard Throckmorton, who was then surrogate

which time (under the supposition that she was one hun- dred and ten years old at her death ) she would have been seventeen years of age,-a " likely young woman," as she described herself as being at the time she was put to the hard work of carrying bricks.

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HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

and postmaster, and kept both offices in the same quarters, an arrangement which created some dissatisfaction among the townspeople.

For many years from the time above referred to, Freehold made but very slow progress in improvement, and increased comparatively little in population. Dr. Robert Laird, born in 1811, now in practice at Manasquan, gives the follow- ing as his earliest recollection of the village and its people, having reference to the period about the years 1820 to 1825 : Beginning at the lower end of the main street, on the south- east side, as before, William H. Bennett's old red house was still standing, but he had re- moved to and was then occupying a new house, which he had built on the land purchased by him from Major Craig, in 1812, the new house referred to being the one standing, as before mentioned, where Hudson Bennett now lives. Next southwest of this, on a part of the site of the American Hotel, was a store-house occu- pied by Robert Wardell. Next above it was a building in which Francis M. Deklyn carried on a grocery and bakery.1 In an old building adjoining this, the Monmouth Star newspaper (started by West Deklyn in 1819)

" The "shop " part of the Deklyn building had been owned prior to 1816 by William H. Bennett. It stood on his land above the old red house, and had been used as a hat- factory. In that year it was purchased by Deklyn and moved to the site mentioned, where he used it as a store and bakery for eight years. He then sold the property to Peter Vanderhoof and James Ten Eyck, and removed to the State of New York. The building was then leased by Charles C. Higgins, who occupied it three years, during which time he carried on the business of a silversmith. In 1827 it came into possession of Elias Hart, who built an addition to it, and occupied it for more than thirty- five years as a confectionery store and eating-house; it being then the only one of that specialty in Freehold. It was a very popular resort in its early days, and was well patronized by judges, lawyers, doctors and the leading citi- · zens of the community in general. " Many private political conferences were held in the room adjoining the shop, and the oyster supper which Colonel W. D. Davis always gave on the night of election to his ' chosen twelve' was looked forward to with great pleasure.'" Mr. Hart owned the place until 1868, when he sold it to Charles H. Wolcott. It was then occupied for a time by J. Singer as a tobacco and cigar-store. Afterwards it was sold to Stewart Brown, who had the old building demolished in i May, 1874, and erected the fine brick and brown-stone i building which now stands on its site.

had been printed a short time after the re- moval of its office from the old court-house, on South Street.

The Washington Tavern, which had been kept for many years by Major James Craig, was, at the time referred to by Dr. Laird, kept by William Craig, and on the Craig land, at the corner of what is now South Street (previously occupied only by the tavern stables), was a small building, then in use as a market-house.

The old tavern on the other corner of South Street had passed from the proprietorship of Samuel Coward, and was kept by Charles Burk. Dr. Laird says,-"I well remember a ball given at this hotel February 22, 1825, when Colonel Ten Eyck, Benjamin Laird, John I. Thompson and Charles Burk opened the dance."

Passing the house of Caleb Lloyd (who still occupied it until his death, in 1822), the next was the house of Joseph Phillips, in a part of which was then a millinery or fancy-goods store. Phillips had married the widow of Samuel Throckmorton, the previous owner of the prop- erty. Afterwards it was owned by Colonel William Ten Eyck ..

At what is now the south corner of Throck- morton Avenue and Main Street, Miss Sally Throckmorton kept a school. Afterwards the premises were occupied by Isaac K. Lippincott. Adjoining this was the residence of Benjamin Laird, who came to Freehold in 1810 or 1811 and opened a small store. Afterwards he be- came widely known as a hotel-keeper. Next, beyond this place, was that of Alexander Low, the Scotch cabinet-maker before mentioned. Above Low's (where E. B. Bedle now lives) was the house of Judge John Quay, who had moved there from the Brinckerhoff farm. Next was the house of John Bowne, hatter, who had previously carried on the same business on or near the site of the American Hotel. Beyond Mr. Bowne's, John Morford, saddler, still occu- pied the house where the Reformed Church parsonage stands, and his was still the last house on this side of the street within the village limits.

On the north side of the street, down to the ¡ present railroad crossing, there were yet no | dwellings, except the Stillwell house and the

395

THE TOWN OF FREEHOLD.

residence of Joseph Scudder, as before men- tioned. East of the Englishtown road (Throck- morton Street), and above the Episcopal Church, an old lady, called " Aunty Conover," lived in a very small house, where she sold cakes and beer. This was the only dwelling-house in the village on that road. Corlies Lloyd still occu- pied the residence before mentioned. Next to this was the boot and shoe-store of Benjamin Laird, and, next, the residence, previously of John Throckmorton, but then of William I. Bowne, manager and cashier of the old Mon- mouth Bank, which was chartered in 1824. Between Bowne's and the court-house lived Judge Thomas C. Throckmorton, in the house which had been the residence of Aaron Forman Walker. In the west part of this house was a small store, kept by Miss Lydia Walker. This house was removed afterwards to Court Street, and is still used as a dwelling.

Next east of the court-house, John Craig was still living in the same house which he had occupied for nearly or quite a quarter of a cen- tury, and in which he continued to reside until about 1830, when he removed to the farm property which afterwards passed to the owner- ship of Enoch L. Cowart. Eastward from the Craig house there was no dwelling between it and the old house which was the residence of William Davis, father of Colonel William D. Davis, and his brother Richard, where Andrew Perrine now lives.

With regard to the general appearance of the village at about this time, a writer in the Mon- mouth Democrat of August 24, 1854, said : "The Monmouth Court-House of thirty years ago was very different from the Freehold of to- day. Then it was rare to see a strange face on the main road,-it could not then be called street. It seemed to be a well-preserved Revo- lutionary relic, and the old houses reminded one of the red-coats who had used them for quarters, and left abundant marks, yet fresh and unpainted, of their bayonets, the butts of their guns and destructive missiles."

In January, 1828, Asa S. Colton opened a classical school, which he continued until Octo- ber of the same year, in the Corlies Lloyd house, which has been mentioned as standing

on or a little beyond the site of the present post- office. In 1829 this house was the residence of Isaac K. Lippincott, who, three years before, had opened a store on the spot where Emrich's clothing-store now is. In the year named, D. C. Perrine (now one of the leading merchants of Freehold) came to work as a clerk in Lip- pincott's store, and he has a clear recollection of the appearance of the village at the time of his arrival. From the account which he gives of it the following particulars are noted, as additional to what has already been mentioned of the inhabitants and business of the place a few years earlier.

At the time referred to (1829) Elias Hart was keeping his confectionery store and eating- house in the old building afterward purchased and demolished by Stewart Brown. Between John Casler's tavern and South Street was the shop of Amos Haviland. Charles Burk was keeping the tavern which afterwards became the Union Hotel, and his stable was the old court-house building on South Street. Where now is the store of D. C. Perrine there was then a one and a half story wooden building, occupied as a store by John Bowne, and in the rear of it was his hat-shop and store. Next above the Caleb Lloyd house was the residence of Judge Joseph F. Randolph. Just below the Alexander Low house (where ex-Governor Parker now lives) was the residence of John H. Outcalt, undertaker. The Woodhull house (previously William Lloyd's) was occupied by William Campbell, farmer. On the northwest side of the street there had been as yet no dwellings erected above the Scudder house, and the old Episcopal Church was still the only house of worship in the village. The only newspaper was the Monmouth Inquirer, which was published weekly by John W. Bartleson. Its office-located on the spot now occupied by the Freehold Banking Company-was burned in the following year. The old Mou- mouth Bank had then a nominal existence, its safe and few fixtures being kept at the house of William I. Bowne, cashier and manager, and soon afterwards assignee. At the house of Judge Thomas C. Throckmorton was a mil- linery shop and store, kept by Miss Craig, who

396

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

afterwards became Mrs. Amos Haviland. Passing the court-house and the dwelling of John Craig, the next building on the northwest side was the jewelry and watch-maker's shop of Walter Hart, and beyond this there was, within the village bounds, only the slated building used by William H. Bennett as a blacksmith-shop.

Freehold villageas it was in 1834 is described in " Gordon's Gazetteer," published in that year. It calls "the place " Freehold, or Monmouth," and after giving its location as thirty-six miles " southeast from Trenton, says: "The town, though long stationary, is now thriving, and contains from thirty-five to forty dwellings, a court-house, prison and public offices ; an Episcopal, a Methodist, a Presbyterian, Dutch Reformed and a Baptist Church ; three taverns, five or six stores, four practicing attorneys, two physicians, an academy and a printing- office." There were, however, two printing- offices,-those of the Monmouth Inquirer and Monmouth Democrat, which last named made its first appearance April 12, 1834. In the first issue of that paper is found an advertise- ment of a stage-line running from Freehold to Hightstown, and there connecting with trains of the Camden and Amboy Railroad. Propri- etors of the line, B. Hendrickson, Freehold, and Smith & Mount, Hightstown.1 On the 6th of October, in the same year, a new line of

1 Under date of December 1, 1836, R. M. Smith, of Hightstown, and B. Hendrickson, of Freehold, announce that they "have commenced running a line of stages from Freehold, intersecting the Camden & Amboy Rail Road at Hightstown. Every day leaving Freehold at 8 o'clock, A. M., and Hightstown upon the arrival of the Rail Road Cars. By this arrangement, passengers leaving Freehold will be enabled to reach Philadelphia or New York at 3 o'clock P.M. of the same day. Fare to New York, $1.50; to Philadelphia, $2 ; to Trenton, $1.50 ; to New Brunswick, $1.50 ; to Princeton, $1.50.

In April, 1837, Benjamin Laird and Aaron Casler an- nounce their "Spring arrangement of the Freehold and Middletown Point Stage," in connection with the steam- boat " Monmouth." "Will leave the house of Benjamin Laird, innkeeper in Freehold, on every Monday, Wednes- day and Friday, via Marlborough, and arrive at Middle- town Point in time to take the boat for New York. Return- ing, will leave Middletown Point on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays." Fare from Freehold to New York. $1.25. "Coaches will be furnished at Freehold, for any part of Monmouth County, upon the arrival of the stage. For

stages is announced, to run from Freehold to Amboy, by way of Colt's Neck and Eatontown. Samuel Laird, Thomas Shearman and Joseph Doty, proprietors.

In 1833 all the land on the north side of Main Street, from the Scudder house to Manalapan Avenue, was owned by Daniel H. Ellis, who laid it out into building lots, which he sold at two hundred dollars each, purchasers casting lots for choice of location. When Mr. Ellis pur- chased this land it was an old, worn-out field, on which, as he said, he could not raise a crop larger than the amount of seed sown or planted. Under these circumstances he commenced the use of marl upon it, and scon afterwards he raised thirty bushels of good wheat to the acre.

DANIEL HENDRICKSON ELLIS was a great- grandson of Rowland Ellis, who came to Burling- ton, N. J., in 1714, being sent from England as a teacher by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts. He was assistant minis- ter and teacher under Rev. John Talbot, the first rector of the Episcopal Church in Burlington, and his name is closely identified with the early history of the church, school and city. He was

seats, apply to B. Laird." The proprietors also announce that they have good horses, comfortable stages and sober drivers.

On the 4th of October, 1841, a stage-line commenced running from Freehold to Tuckertown. Proprietors, C. C. Higgins, of Freehold, and others, At the same time, C.C. Higgins was running a line from Freehold to Hights- town, connecting with the Camden and Amboy Railroad.

On the 30th of December, 1852, D. C. Conover, J. A. Hyers, U. Norcross and E. Bruen announce by advertise- ment that they " have commenced running a daily line of stages between Freehold and Tom's River, and three times a week (Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays) to Tuckerton, returning on alternate days (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays). The stages will leave Tom's River at six o'clock every morning, and arrive at Freehold in time to connect with stages for Jamesburg and Keyport. Returning, leave Freehold on arrival of stages from Jamesburg and Keyport." The fare from Freehold to Blue Ball was 123 cents ; to Bergen Iron-Works, 50 cents ; to Tom's River, 75 cents ; to Cedar Creek, $1.00 ; to Forked River, $1.12}; to Waretown, $1.25; to Barnegat, $1.50; to Manahawkin, $1.50; to West Creek, $1.75; and to Tucker- ton, $2.00.

In 1855 a line of stages was started from Freehold to Long Branch by Welsh & Carson, of Freehold. In 1856 a line was started between Freehold and Squan vil- I lage by Elias R. Haight.

THE TOWN OF FREEHOLD.

397 1

clerk of the city for forty years. His son Daniel, born February 5, 1727, was an influen- tial citizen, and spent his life chiefly as a public man connected with the city and county, having been for thirty-five years clerk of the city, as also surveyor-general, sheriff and judge. Charles, the son of Daniel, born February 12, 1767, also resided in Burlington, N. J., during his life, and although not identified so largely with its local and public affairs, was a citizen of much influence. He was appointed Indian

Jacob, in 1811. Daniel H. Ellis, a native of Burlington, N. J., spent his growing years in the city of his birth, and at the age of fourteen entered a store at Bristol as clerk. He soon after removed with his employer to New Brunswick, and on the expiration of his second year entered the establishment of one of the principal dry-goods firms of Philadelphia. Two years later, in company with Joseph Hendrick- son, he established at Middletown Point (now Matawan) a store for the sale of general mer-

il to fut

commissioner to treat with the Indians, and | chandise. In 1823, having disposed of his held various public offices at home, being on interest in this business, Mr. Ellis purchased a farm near Freehold, to which he removed. He was, in 1829 and 1830, a member of the State Legislature. In 1831 he was appointed by the Legislature, county clerk of Monmouth County, and reappointed the following term, making a continuous period of service of ten years. He resumed the occupation of a farmer, and re- mained thus employed until 1851, the date of his return to Frechold, where he embarked in several occasions a member of the Board of Chosen Freeholders. He married, on the 4th of December, 1794, Mary, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth Hendrickson, of Upper Free- hold, whose birth occurred October 9, 1772. Their children were Hannah, born in 1793; Elizabeth, born in 1795 ; Daniel H., born May 7, 1797 ; Charles, in 1801 ; Mary (Mrs. Wil- liam R. Allen), in 1803 ; Elizabeth (second wife of Rev. George Young), in 1806; and > the coal and lumber business, under the firm-

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History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 1, Part 70

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 974

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 974