Freehold is a

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle ...

and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

of Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York (state), New York; on the ea ...

.Monmouth County, NJ

National Association of Counties The National Association of Counties (NACo) is an organization that represents county governments in the United States.Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

era homes and rich colonial history, the borough is located in the Raritan Valley region within the

New York Metropolitan Area The New York metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the Tri-State area, is the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass, at , and one of the most populous urban agglomerations in the world. The vast metropolitan area ...

, located about from

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

and from

Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...

. The borough has grown to become a

commuter town A commuter town is a populated area that is primarily residential rather than commercial or industrial. Routine travel from home to work and back is called commuting, which is where the term comes from. A commuter town may be called by many ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

. As of the 2020 census, the borough's population was 12,538,DP-1 – Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 for Freehold borough, Monmouth County, New Jersey
,

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy An economy is an area of th ...

. Accessed March 15, 2012.Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2010 for Freehold borough
,

New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development is a governmental agency of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of th ...

. Accessed March 15, 2012. reflecting an increase of 486 (+4.0%) from the 10,976 counted in the 2000 census, which had in turn increased by 234 (+2.2%) from the 10,742 counted in the 1990 census. The Freeholds region, which includes the borough and

Freehold Township Freehold Township is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is both a regional commercial hub for Central New Jersey (home to the Freehold Raceway and Freehold Raceway Mall) and a bedroom community of New ...

(which completely surrounds the borough), is a commercial hub for central New Jersey. The borough is located relatively close to the

Raritan Bayshore The Raritan Bayshore region of New Jersey is a subregion of the larger Jersey Shore. It is the area around Raritan Bay from The Amboys to Sandy Hook, in Monmouth and Middlesex counties, including the towns of Woodbridge, Perth Amboy, South Ambo ...

communities to the north, such as

The Amboys The Amboys are a pair of municipalities in Middlesex County, New Jersey, both of which have the word ''Amboy'' in their name. The two municipalities are the City of Perth Amboy and the City of South Amboy, located across from each other on the R ...

, Old Bridge,

Matawan Matawan is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A historic community located near the Raritan Bay in the much larger Raritan River, Raritan Valley region, the borough ...

, Keyport, Keansburg, and Middletown, along with being relatively close to the Tri-City region of

Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May P ...

municipalities (and their vicinities) to the east, including Red Bank, Long Branch, and

Asbury Park Asbury Park () is a beachfront city located on the Jersey Shore in Monmouth County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the city's population was 15,188

. What is now Freehold Borough was originally incorporated as a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than city, cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares ...

by an act of the

New Jersey Legislature The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and th ...

on March 25, 1869, from portions within

. The town became independent of the township in 1888. On April 15, 1919, Freehold was incorporated as a borough, including all of Freehold and additional portions of Freehold Township, based on the results of a referendum held on July 8, 1919. Additional portions of Freehold Township were annexed on September 7, 1926.Snyder, John P
''The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968''
Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 179. Accessed March 15, 2012. The Hispanic and Latino population has been rapidly growing in Freehold Borough for the last 40 years. The Hispanic population making up 4.6% (0.2% Mexican) in the

1980 Census The United States census of 1980, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States to be 226,545,805, an increase of 11.4 percent over the 203,184,772 persons enumerated during the 1970 census. It was th ...

, 11.3% (2.8%

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

) in the 1990 Census, 28.0% (17.3% Mexican) in 2000, 42.9% (29.6% Mexican) in 2010, and recently in 2020, a majority at 53.0% Hispanic. Meanwhile, the Black or African American population has decreased in recent decades: 17.1% in 1970, 19.8% in 1980, 18.2% in 1990, 15.8% in 2000, 12.6% in 2010 and 9.4% in 2020. In 2021, Freehold Borough became one of few towns in the state (including,

Bellmawr Bellmawr is a borough in Camden County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the borough's population was 11,583,Egg Harbor Township Egg Harbor Township is a township in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The U.S. Census Bureau in the 2020 census reported the population as 47,842, an increase of 4,519 over the 43,323 counted in the previous decade in the 201 ...

, Montclair and Woodbridge Township) that has authorized the sale of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternativel ...

through authorized dispensaries and for the allowance of cultivators, distributors, wholesalers, and manufacturers.Guion, Payton
"Marijuana legalization would force tough choice for N.J. towns"
NJ Advance Media for

NJ.com NJ.com is a digital news content provider and website in New Jersey owned by Advance Publications. According to a report in ''The New York Times'' in 2012, it was the largest provider of digital news in the state at the time. In 2018, comScore r ...

, November 15, 2017. Accessed July 25, 2021. "NJ Advance Media reached out to mayors in all five towns that have medical dispensaries: Bellmawr, Cranbury, Egg Harbor, Montclair and Woodbridge."Rosenthal, Nicole
"Pot Businesses OK In Freehold Borough, Council Says"
Freehold, NJ, Patch, July 22, 2021. Accessed August 8, 2022.

History

Early history

The

Lenni Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

Native Americans were the earliest known people to live in the area that became Freehold.History
Township of Freehold. Accessed November 30, 2022. The Lenape were a hunter-gatherer society. They were largely sedentary, changing campsites seasonally. They were prolific hunters of small game and birds. They were also skilled fisherman, and were known to harvest vast amounts of clams from the bays and inlets on the

. They also practiced some agriculture to augment their food supply. During this time, an important crossroad of two major Lenape trails was located in the area of Freehold.Pepe, p. 19. By the late 17th century, the English had begun to take over the area. In 1664, the

Duke of York Duke of York is a title of nobility in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. Since the 15th century, it has, when granted, usually been given to the second son of List of English monarchs, English (later List of British monarchs, British) monarchs. ...

(later James II & VII) granted a patent to

Sir George Carteret Vice Admiral Sir George Carteret, 1st Baronet ( – 14 January 1680 N.S.) was a royalist statesman in Jersey and England, who served in the Clarendon Ministry as Treasurer of the Navy. He was also one of the original lords proprietor of the ...

to develop the area. In 1685, Scottish Presbyterians from

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

, along with English Baptists and

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belief in each human's abil ...

from

New England New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian province ...

fleeing religious persecution at home, became the first to settle within the area. In 1693, Along with Middletown and

Shrewsbury Shrewsbury ( , also ) is a market town, civil parish, and the county town of Shropshire, England, on the River Severn, north-west of London; at the 2021 census, it had a population of 76,782. The town's name can be pronounced as either 'S ...

, Freehold was established by act of legislature as one of the three original townships in Monmouth County. The name of the borough comes from the word ''

Freehold Freehold may refer to: In real estate *Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple *Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England *Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice p ...

'', an English legal term describing

fee simple In English law, a fee simple or fee simple absolute is an estate in land, a form of freehold ownership. A "fee" is a vested, inheritable, present possessory interest in land. A "fee simple" is real property held without limit of time (i.e., ...

property Property is a system of rights that gives people legal control of valuable things, and also refers to the valuable things themselves. Depending on the nature of the property, an owner of property may have the right to consume, alter, share, r ...

ownership.

Colonial Freehold

In 1714, when the colonial government was deciding where to locate the county seat and courthouse, Freeholder John Reid, the first

Surveyor General A surveyor general is an official responsible for government surveying in a specific country or territory. Historically, this would often have been a military appointment, but it is now more likely to be a civilian post. The following surveyor gen ...

East Jersey The Province of East Jersey, along with the Province of West Jersey, between 1674 and 1702 in accordance with the Quintipartite Deed, were two distinct political divisions of the Province of New Jersey, which became the U.S. state of New Jersey ...

, wanted the county seat located in Freehold Township. Reid sold land suitable for use as a courthouse to the

Board of Chosen Freeholders In New Jersey, a Board of County Commissioners (until 2020 named the Board of Chosen Freeholders) is the elected county-wide government board in each of the state's 21 counties. In the five counties that have an elected county executive, the ...

at a bargain price, and this may have been the deciding factor why Freehold was selected over Middletown and Shrewsbury. In return for the heavily discounted price, Reid placed a

restrictive covenant A covenant, in its most general sense and historical sense, is a solemn promise to engage in or refrain from a specified action. Under historical English common law, a covenant was distinguished from an ordinary contract by the presence of a s ...

in the deed that, should the property ever cease being used as a courthouse, ownership would revert to the Reid family. Direct descendants of John Reid still reside in Freehold Township. Freehold was officially designated as the seat of the Monmouth County government, and a court house was commissioned to be built on the land purchased from John Reid. The Monmouth Courthouse opened in 1715. A small village quickly began to develop around the courthouse. At first, the village was called Monmouth Courthouse. Over time, other government buildings opened near the courthouse, including a sheriff's office, a prison and a post office. A number of homes and commercial businesses also sprang up in the village, including a blacksmith, a general store, a bank, a hotel, and saloon. In the area surrounding Monmouth Courthouse, many successful farms began to appear. The farms in Freehold were particularly well known for the production of potatoes, beans, and rye, which were sold in the markets of nearby cities. Freehold also became known for its excellent horse farms. The differences within Freehold between growing village around the courthouse and the surrounding farmland were the seeds for the eventual division of Freehold into two separate municipalities in the early 20th century. As of 1745, the majority of families in Freehold were still Scottish immigrants. In modern Freehold today, many important streets bear the name of early colonial families, including Barkalow, Applegate, Rhea, Throckmorton, and Schanck.Pepe, p. 29.

The Revolutionary War in Freehold

Freehold was deeply impacted by the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolu ...

. By the early 1770s, the

Sons of Liberty The Sons of Liberty was a loosely organized, clandestine, sometimes violent, political organization active in the Thirteen American Colonies founded to advance the rights of the colonists and to fight taxation by the British government. It p ...

were actively recruiting local members in Freehold, and were agitating the relationship between the British government and the colonists. In 1775, immediately after the

Battles of Lexington and Concord The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. The battles were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concor ...

, Capt. Elias Longstreet recruited the first company of Freeholders to join the Continental Army. Freehold was a known center of patriot activity. The Declaration of Independence was publicly proclaimed, read aloud, from the steps of the Freehold Courthouse just a few days after being signed in Philadelphia. However, after British success at the

Battle of Long Island The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn and the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, was an action of the American Revolutionary War fought on August 27, 1776, at the western edge of Long Island in present-day Brooklyn, New Yo ...

, Freehold and all of Monmouth County fell under the control of

Loyalists Loyalism, in the United Kingdom, its overseas territories and its former colonies, refers to the allegiance to the British crown or the United Kingdom. In North America, the most common usage of the term refers to loyalty to the British Crow ...

.Adelberg, p. 17. The British government continued to operate the Freehold Courthouse, and several people involved in revolutionary activism were arrested and tried for treason at the courthouse. The success of the Continental Army at the Battle of Trenton helped to weaken loyalist control of Freehold. In June 1778, the British Army began a major strategic evacuation of the city of Philadelphia. They attempted to protect a long, slow moving column of loyalist families, equipment, and other supplies seized in Philadelphia, as they moved towards ships in New York Harbor. On June 28, 1778, the Continental Army intercepted the column in Freehold (the area is now part of Freehold & Manalapan Townships).Adelberg, p.20 The

Battle of Monmouth The Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Court House, was fought near Monmouth Court House in modern-day Freehold Borough, New Jersey on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, c ...

was one of the largest battles of the Revolutionary War, involving over 25,000 soldiers combined in Continental, British, and

Hessian A Hessian is an inhabitant of the German state of Hesse. Hessian may also refer to: Named from the toponym *Hessian (soldier), eighteenth-century German regiments in service with the British Empire **Hessian (boot), a style of boot **Hessian f ...

forces. The initial engagement was in doubt until Washington arrived because Charles Lee was retreating from the battlefield. Washington rallied the Continentals and strongly engaged the British forces and they held their ground on the battlefield. However, the British forces were successful in completing their primary goal, the evacuation of Philadelphia. Both sides claimed victory in the battle. Molly Pitcher currier ives

Several famous figures from the Revolutionary War fought at the Battle of Monmouth. British forces were commanded by Sir Henry Clinton and

Charles Cornwallis Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis, (31 December 1738 – 5 October 1805), styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as the Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army general and official. In the United ...

. The Continental Army was commanded by George Washington and Charles Lee. Charles Lee was court martialed by the Continental Army for his behavior at the Battle of Monmouth. Nathaniel Greene, Alexander Hamilton, the

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revoluti ...

and

Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Friedrich Wilhelm August Heinrich Ferdinand von Steuben (born Friedrich Wilhelm Ludolf Gerhard Augustin Louis von Steuben; September 17, 1730 – November 28, 1794), also referred to as Baron von Steuben (), was a Prussian military officer who ...

also fought for the Continental Army at the Battle of Monmouth.Adelberg, p. 11 Another famous figure at the Battle of Monmouth was

Molly Pitcher Molly Pitcher is a nickname given to a woman said to have fought in the American Revolutionary War. She is most often identified as Mary Ludwig Hays, who fought in the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778. Another possibility is Margaret Corbin, wh ...

, who manned a cannon during the battle after her husband was wounded. In the aftermath of the Battle of Monmouth, Loyalist control of Freehold faltered. The town ceased to have a functioning municipal government, and the courthouse was closed until the end of the war. Minor clashes between loyalists and continentals flared up in town, with the violence peaking around 1780.

Colonel Tye Titus Cornelius, also known as Titus, Tye, and famously as Colonel Tye ( – 1780), was a slave of African descent in the Province of New Jersey who escaped from his master and fought as a Black Loyalist during the American Revolutionary War; ...

, an escaped slave and leader of a prominent loyalist guerilla force, conducted several raids in and around Freehold. One famous incident was the capture and hanging of

Joshua Huddy Joshua "Jack" Huddy (November 8, 1735April 12, 1782) was a captain in the Monmouth militia and of the privateer ship ''The Black Snake'' during the American Revolutionary War. Following his capture, Huddy was controversially executed by irregular ...

by British

under the direction of Richard Lippincott. Colonel Tye was killed during the raid on Huddy's home. Patriots later cut down Huddy's body hanging from the gallows and buried it in Freehold, at Old Tennent Church. At the end of the war, the community was deeply divided, and nearly 120 loyalist families left Freehold, fearing persecution from their neighbors. Most of these families re-settled in Canada.

Freehold in 19th century

During the early 1800s, Freehold steadily grew in size. The village around the courthouse was now called Freehold, along with the surrounding farmland.Pepe, p. 23 In 1852, when long distance railroad systems were first being developed, a railroad station, with trains making regular stops, running along what is now known as Throckmorton Street, about 1 block from the courthouse. Freehold soon had public sewers in the village and in some of the outlying farmland. By 1883, there was an electrical grid and a telephone switchboard, at a time when these inventions were still brand new. These public advancements caused rapid economic growth in Freehold. The village of Freehold became an important commercial and industrial hub in central New Jersey. The farms in the rest of Freehold benefitted greatly by being able to sell their products more easily in New York and Philadelphia. Both the village and the farms prospered together, however the public policies sought by the two different communities continued to grow further apart. The municipal government was increasingly divided between the villagers and farmers. Monmouth_County_Historical_Association

In 1824, the American Hotel opened on Main Street in Freehold; It is still standing today, and is one of the oldest buildings in Freehold. In 1853, the Freehold Raceway opened. Though the original grandstand burned down in a fire, the racetrack is still open today, and is one of the oldest harness racetracks in America. The Great Fire of Freehold happened on October 30, 1873. The fire reportedly began in a commercial building on Main Street. It soon spread to engulf a large section of the village, and many wooden buildings, including Monmouth Courthouse, were burned down. Freehold also has a relatively forgotten but important place in the history of the bicycle. Cycling champion

Arthur Augustus Zimmerman Arthur Augustus Zimmerman (June 11, 1869 – October 22, 1936) was one of the world's greatest cycling sprint riders and winner of the first world championship in 1893. His prizes as an amateur were a consideration in the establishment of the In ...

resided in the town during his racing career in the 1880s and 1890s, and from 1896 to 1899 operated the Zimmerman Bicycle Co.; the company's bicycles were known as the "Zimmy." Today, Freehold Borough is home to th
Metz Bicycle Museum
where the only extant "Zimmy" can be seen.

Freehold divided

At the beginning of the 20th century, Freehold was an increasingly divided community. The issue of local tax dollars, used as funding for public works and infrastructure projects, was the primary point of contention. The Freeholders living in the downtown area, around the courthouse had very different ideas about how to spend public money compared to the Freeholders living in the surrounding farmland. Tension within the community increased greatly in 1916 when a severe

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sym ...

epidemic swept through Freehold. Carnegie_Library_in_Freehold

After contentious public debate, a referendum was held to on the future of Freehold, and voters overwhelmingly decided to split the town into two separate municipalities. On April 15, 1919, Freehold Borough formally separated from Freehold Township. Freehold residents generally refer to the different municipalities simply as the Borough and the Township. The Borough, the downtown area around the courthouse, retained all the existing government buildings around Court Street and Main Street. The Borough also kept the designation as county seat.Pepe; p. 135 Freehold Township, the farming communities that surrounded the courthouse, set up a new city hall complex on Schanck Road. The Township completely encircles the Borough. On September 7, 1926, Freehold Borough annexed additional territory from the Township.

The Borough in the 20th century

Freehold Borough initially prospered in the early 20th century. However, by mid-century, the Borough began to decline as downtown areas across the country shrank, and suburban areas began growing. In 1961, the

A & M Karagheusian A. & M. Karagheusian, Inc. was a rug manufacturer headquartered at 295 Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. Manufacturing was located in Freehold Borough, New Jersey and operated for 60 years before closing in 1964. It employed 1,700 people at its peak oper ...

rug factory closed. This factory had long been the largest employer in the area, and its closure had a devastating effect on the economic stability of the Borough. The Borough managed to turn around its economic decline by establishing the downtown area as a center for restaurants and nightlife. Several well-known local restaurants on Main Street are now crowded every night of the week. Freehold Borough was an important center of African American civil rights activity in New Jersey during the years leading up to the ''

Brown v. Board of Education ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segregat ...

'' decision in 1954. In 2007, Jaye Sims became the first African American official to be elected to office.

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

grew up in the Borough. His family lived in various homes on Randolph St, Institute St and finally South St. In 1963, he graduated eighth grade from St. Rose of Lima School, and graduated from Freehold Borough High School in 1967.Pepe; p. 146 In 1973, he released his first album, and rocketed to international fame. Springsteen has always remained loyal to Freehold and makes reference to it in several of his famous songs, including "

My Hometown "My Hometown" is a single by Bruce Springsteen off his '' Born in the U.S.A.'' album, that was the then-record-tying seventh and last top 10 single to come from it, peaking at #6 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 singles chart. It also topped the U ...

". In 1996, he conducted a small benefit concert in Freehold for St. Rose of Lima.

Geography

View_of_Freehold_from_Battlefield_Monument

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the borough had a total area of 1.93 square miles (5.01 km²), including 1.93 square miles (5.00 km²) of land and <0.01 square miles (<0.01 km²) of water (0.10%). It is situated in the heart of Monmouth County and is located approximately south of New York City and northeast of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Freehold is also about west of

on the

Freehold has an elevation of above sea level at its center. The borough is completely surrounded by

, making it part of 21 pairs of "doughnut towns" in the state, where one municipality entirely surrounds another.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

system, Freehold Borough sits on the northern border between the humid subtropical climate (''Cfa'') zone and the

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(Dfa) zone, with the borough being one of the most northern localities in North America that has a humid subtropical climate. ''Cfa'' climates are characterized by all months having an average temperature > , at least four months with an average temperature ≥ , at least one month with an average temperature ≥ and no significant precipitation difference between seasons.

Ecology

According to the

A. W. Kuchler August William Kuchler (born ''August Wilhelm Küchler''; 1907–1999) was a German-born American geographer and naturalist who is noted for developing a plant association system in widespread use in the United States. Some of this database has bec ...

U.S.

potential natural vegetation In ecology, potential natural vegetation (PNV), also known as Kuchler potential vegetation, is the vegetation that would be expected given environmental constraints (climate, geomorphology, geology) without human intervention or a hazard event. ...

types, Freehold Borough, New Jersey would have an Appalachian

Oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

(''104'') vegetation type with an Eastern

Hardwood Hardwood is wood from dicot trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostly evergreen. Hardwood (which comes fro ...

Forest (''25'') vegetation form.U.S. Potential Natural Vegetation, Original Kuchler Types, v2.0 (Spatially Adjusted to Correct Geometric Distortions)

Data Basin In the pursuit of knowledge, data (; ) is a collection of discrete values that convey information, describing quantity, quality, fact, statistics, other basic units of meaning, or simply sequences of symbols that may be further interpreted. ...

. Accessed October 13, 2020.

Demographics

2010 Census

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010

inflation-adjusted In economics, nominal value is measured in terms of money, whereas real value is measured against goods or services. A real value is one which has been adjusted for inflation, enabling comparison of quantities as if the prices of goods had not ...

dollars)

median household income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of ...

was $52,000 (with a margin of error of +/− $3,634) and the median family income was $60,471 (+/− $3,989). Males had a median income of $29,752 (+/− $8,068) versus $34,976 (+/− $8,305) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $23,331 (+/− $1,602). About 13.1% of families and 16.01% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.5% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 Census

As of the 2000 United States census there were 10,976 people, 3,695 households, and 2,571 families residing in the borough. The population density was 5,501.1 people per square mile (2,118.9/km²). There were 3,821 housing units at an average density of 1,915.1 per square mile (737.6/km²). The racial makeup of the borough was 71.02%

White White is the lightness, lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully diffuse reflection, reflect and scattering, scatter all the ...

, 15.83%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

, .55%

Native American Native Americans or Native American may refer to: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North and South America and their descendants * Native Americans in the United States * Indigenous peoples in Cana ...

, 2.45% Asian, .02%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of Ocea ...

, 6.64% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 3.49% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 28.07% of the population.Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Freehold borough, New Jersey
,

. Accessed March 15, 2012.DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Freehold borough, Monmouth County, New Jersey
,

. Accessed July 25, 2012. There were 3,695 households, out of which 32.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49% were married couples living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 3.39. In the borough the population was spread out, with 24.8% under the age of 18, 10.9% from 18 to 24, 34.4% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males. The median income for a household in the borough was $48,654, and the median income for a family was $53,374. Males had a median income of $35,855 versus $30,377 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $19,910. About 7.7% of families and 12% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Suburbanization within the vicinity of the Freeholds region has been due to its convenient location near the

, and proximity to cities such as

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, Newark, Trenton, and

. The region has, thus, been a longtime premier shopping destination in Central New Jersey.

Commerce

Main Street

The borough is home to Downtown Freehold, located on East and West Main Street (County Route 537). This downtown section has various eateries, bars, boutiques, historical sites, and other excursions. Within this section of town, there have been plans to revitalize the downtown area, as outlined in the Freehold Center Core Revitalization Plan (2008),Freehold Center Core Redevelopment Plan
Borough of Freehold, Revised September 10, 2008. Accessed September 30, 2020.Ordinance No. 2013/13
Borough of Freehold. Accessed September 30, 2020. in which

NJ Transit New Jersey Transit Corporation, branded as NJ Transit, and often shortened to NJT, is a state-owned public transportation system that serves the U.S. state of New Jersey, along with portions of New York State and Pennsylvania. It operates bus, ...

has sponsored a project in transforming the Freehold Center Bus Station into a Transit Village.Freehold Transit Village Initiative

. Accessed September 30, 2020. This new designation would foster in the creation of a

transit-oriented development In urban planning, transit-oriented development (TOD) is a type of urban development that maximizes the amount of residential, business and leisure space within walking distance of public transport. It promotes a symbiotic relationship betw ...

zoning district around by the Freehold Center Bus Station between West Main Street (County Route 537) and Throckmorton Street (County Route 522). This would have a huge positive impact to the Freehold area economy.

Freehold Raceway

Established in 1853, making it the nation's oldest half-mile harness racing track,

Freehold Raceway Freehold Raceway is a half-mile racetrack in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, and is the oldest racetrack in the United States. Horseraces have been taking place at Freehold Raceway since the 1830s. The Monmouth County Agricultural Society was fo ...

offers horse lovers and bettors an opportunity to see

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, or spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Austral ...

Freehold Raceway Mall

Completed in August 1990, the

Freehold Raceway Mall Freehold Raceway Mall is a super-regional high-end shopping mall, located in Freehold Township, New Jersey. A premier shopping center for Central Jersey, the mall is located off of U.S. Route 9, Route 33, and County Route 537, opposite the Free ...

is a super-regional mall located in neighboring

. The mall was constructed at a cost of $125 million on a site covering more than across from the Freehold Raceway over

U.S. 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...

, and it has a

gross leasable area In architecture, construction, and real estate, floor area, floor space, or floorspace is the area (measured as square feet or square metres) taken up by a building or part of it. The ways of defining "floor area" depend on what factors of the buil ...

of . There are many other shopping destinations outside of the borough, including the

in neighboring

, the

Manalapan EpiCentre The Manalapan EpiCentre opened in 2002 on the corner of U.S. Route 9 southbound and Symmes Drive in Manalapan, New Jersey. The mall serves the Marlboro and Freehold area. It replaced the earlier Manalapan Mall that was demolished in 1998. Histor ...

(formerly, the Manalapan Mall) in nearby Manalapan Township, the

Jackson Premium Outlets Jackson Township is a township in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the township population was 58,544. A portion of the township is located within the New Jersey Pine Barrens. Roughly equidistant b ...

in nearby Jackson Township, and The Shoppes in nearby Old Bridge Township.

Cannabis businesses

In 2021, the Freehold Borough council approved an ordinance to opt-in for cannabis businesses to operate within the borough. In a 4–1 decision, the ordinance establishes the exact parameters and zoning regulations to where cannabis businesses could operate, including commercial manufacturing and limited professional office zoning categories. This would make Freehold one of the few towns in the state (including,

, Montclair and Woodbridge Township) that has authorized the sale of

cannabis in New Jersey Cannabis in New Jersey is legal for both medical use and recreational use. An amendment to the state constitution legalizing cannabis became effective on January 1, 2021, and enabling legislation and related bills were signed into law by govern ...

, especially within the greater central New Jersey region.

Manufacturing

Freehold Borough and Township began to grow in commercial and industrial manufacturing of goods during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

A and M Karagheusian Mill

A. & M. Karagheusian, Inc. was a rug manufacturer headquartered at 295

Fifth Avenue Fifth Avenue is a major and prominent thoroughfare in the borough of Manhattan in New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 populatio ...

. Manufacturing was located in Freehold Borough, New Jersey and operated for 60 years before closing in 1964. It employed 1,700 people at its peak operation in the 1930s. There was another factory in

Roselle Park, New Jersey Roselle Park is a borough in Union County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 13,297,Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

wrote about the Karagheusian Rug Mill’s closing in his 1984 song "

Brockway Glass

Brockway Glass Company built a facility on Center Street in 1955. Brockway Glass then proceeded to build additional facilities in the region in 1956, 1967, 1969 and 1976. The company ceased operations in the township in 1991, in which the site is now operated by the Freehold campus location for Iron Mountain, an

enterprise information management Enterprise information management (EIM) is a business discipline specializing in providing solutions for optimal use of information within organizations, for instance to support decision-making processes or day-to-day operations that require the ava ...

services company.

Nestle

Nestle opened a production plant in 1948, which is still in operation and has expanded its operations in logistics and engineering.

Parks and recreation

The Freeholds region is home to a wide array of nature spaces, including

Monmouth Battlefield State Park Monmouth Battlefield State Park is a New Jersey state park located on the border of Manalapan and Freehold Township, in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. This park preserves the historical battlefield on which the American Revolutio ...

Turkey Swamp Park Turkey Swamp Park is a park located in Freehold Township, New Jersey on the northern fringes of the Pine Barrens. The Turkey Swamp area is located on a ridge within the geographic heartland of New Jersey. The region includes the headwaters of t ...

, and

Lake Topanemus Lake Topanemus is a suburban park located in Freehold Township, New Jersey, but owned and operated by Freehold Borough, New Jersey. The park's pond was originally the site of Forman's Mill in the 1800s. The pond's attractions, include freshwater ...

, providing assorted recreational opportunities. Smaller parks in the borough are operated by the Borough Recreation Commission, and they include Liberty Park, Veterans Park, and Vinyard Park. The southernmost segment of the

Henry Hudson Trail The Henry Hudson Trail is a rail trail in western and northern Monmouth County, New Jersey. The trail is named for Henry Hudson, who explored the harbor at Atlantic Highlands and the Raritan Bayshore coastline in the early 1600s. The trail is no ...

starts in the borough and runs northeast to the

area. There is a parking lot located at 119 Dutch Lane Road in Freehold Township. The trail is used by walkers, runners and bicyclists. Lake Topanemus is a suburban park located in Freehold Township, but is owned and operated by the borough. The pond's attractions, include

freshwater fish Freshwater fish are those that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 1.05%. These environments differ from marine conditions in many ways, especially the difference in levels of s ...

ing, paddle boating, and canoeing. The park is also known for its picturesque nature trails, playgrounds, outdoor calisthenics, and open fields.

Government

Local government

Freehold is governed under the

Borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History In the Middle ...

form of New Jersey municipal government, which is used in 218 municipalities (of the 564) statewide, making it the most common form of government in New Jersey. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the Borough Council, with all positions elected

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

on a partisan basis as part of the November general election. A Mayor is elected directly by the voters to a four-year term of office. The Borough Council is comprised of six members elected to serve three-year terms on a staggered basis, with two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle.''2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book'',

Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and wa ...

Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University (The Bloustein School) serves as a center for the theory and practice of urban planning, public policy and public health/health administration scholarship. The sc ...

, March 2013, p. 63. The Borough form of government used by Freehold is a "

weak mayor Weak may refer to: Songs * "Weak" (AJR song), 2016 * "Weak" (Melanie C song), 2011 * "Weak" (SWV song), 1993 * "Weak" (Skunk Anansie song), 1995 * "Weak", a song by Seether from '' Seether: 2002-2013'' Television episodes * "Weak" (''Fear t ...

/ strong council" government in which council members act as the legislative body with the mayor presiding at meetings and voting only in the event of a tie. The mayor can veto ordinances subject to an

override Override may refer to: * Dr. Gregory Herd, a Marvel Comics character formerly named Override * Manual override, a function where an automated system is placed under manual control * Method overriding, a subclassing feature in Object Oriented pro ...

by a two-thirds majority vote of the council. The mayor makes committee and liaison assignments for council members, and most appointments are made by the mayor with the advice and consent of the council. Freehold_Borough_Hall

, the Mayor of Freehold Borough is Democrat Kevin A. Kane, whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Freehold Borough Council are Council President Margaret Rogers (D, 2022), Michael DiBenedetto (D, 2023), Annette Jordan (D, 2024), Adam Reich (D, 2022), George Schnurr (D, 2023) and Sharon C. Shutzer (D, 2024).Mayor & Council
Freehold Borough. Accessed May 2, 2022.November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results

Monmouth County, New Jersey Monmouth County () is a county located on the coast of central New Jersey. The county is part of the New York metropolitan area and is situated along the northern half of the Jersey Shore. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population ...

, December 13, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.November 3, 2020 General Election Official Results

, updated November 3, 2020. Accessed January 1, 2021.General Election November 5, 2019 Official Results

Clerk, updated December 16, 2019. Accessed January 1, 2020. Michael Wilson had been elected in 1985 and served in office until January 2012, making him the longest-serving mayor in Freehold Borough history, with 26 years of service.

Federal, state, and county representation

Freehold Borough is located in the 3rd Congressional District2022 Redistricting Plan

New Jersey Redistricting Commission The New Jersey Redistricting Commission is a constitutional body of the government of New Jersey tasked with redrawing the state's Congressional election districts after each decade's census. Like Arizona, Idaho, Hawaii, Montana, and Washington ...

, December 8, 2022. and is part of New Jersey's 11th state legislative district.Municipalities Sorted by 2011–2020 Legislative District

New Jersey Department of State The secretary of state of New Jersey oversees the Department of State, which is one of the original state offices. The Secretary is responsible for overseeing artistic, cultural, and historical programs within the U.S. state of New Jersey, as w ...

. Accessed February 1, 2020.''2019 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed October 30, 2019. Prior to the 2011 reapportionment following the 2010 Census, Freehold Borough had been in the 12th state legislative district.''2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government''
, p. 57, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015. Monmouth County is governed by a

Board of County Commissioners A county commission (or a board of county commissioners) is a group of elected officials (county commissioners) collectively charged with administering the county government in some states of the United States; such commissions usually comprise ...

comprised of five members who are elected

to serve three year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats up for election each year as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting held in the beginning of January, the board selects one of its members to serve as Director and another as Deputy Director. , Monmouth County's Commissioners are Commissioner Director Thomas A. Arnone ( R,

Neptune City Neptune City is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 4,869,Hazlet Township, term as commissioner ends December 31, 2024; term as deputy commissioner director ends 2022),

Lillian G. Burry Lillian G. Burry is an American politician. A member of the Republican Party, she has served on the Monmouth County Board of County Commissioners since January 2006. She first served as Director of the Board in 2008, the first woman and the firs ...

(R, Colts Neck Township, 2023), Nick DiRocco (R, Wall Township, 2022), and Ross F. Licitra (R, Marlboro Township, 2023). Constitutional officers elected on a countywide basis are

County clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

Christine Giordano Hanlon (R, 2025; Ocean Township), Sheriff Shaun Golden (R, 2022; Howell Township) and

Surrogate A surrogate is a substitute or deputy for another person in a specific role and may refer to: Relationships * Surrogacy, an arrangement where a woman agrees to carry and give birth to a child for another person who will become its parent at bir ...

Rosemarie D. Peters (R, 2026; Middletown Township).

Politics

As of March 23, 2011, there were a total of 5,108 registered voters in Freehold, of which 1,459 (28.6%) were registered as Democrats, 820 (16.1%) were registered as

Republicans Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or again ...

and 2,827 (55.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 2 voters registered as

Libertarians Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...

or Greens. In the

2016 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2016 lists the national/federal elections held in 2016 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *7 January: Kirib ...

, Democrat

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States senat ...

received 54.5% of the vote (1,958 cast), ahead of Republican

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of ...

with 41.8% (1,501 votes), and other candidates with 3.7% (134 votes), among the 3,593 cast by the borough's voters. In the

2012 presidential election This national electoral calendar for 2012 lists the national/federal elections held in 2012 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. January *3–4 January: E ...

, Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

received 61.4% of the vote (2,182 cast), ahead of Republican

Mitt Romney Willard Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is an American politician, businessman, and lawyer serving as the junior United States senator from Utah since January 2019, succeeding Orrin Hatch. He served as the 70th governor of Massachusett ...

with 37.3% (1,326 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (48 votes), among the 3,591 ballots cast by the borough's 5,270 registered voters (35 ballots were

spoiled Spoilage, spoiling or (making something) spoiled may refer to: * Spoiled child, a derogatory term aimed at children who exhibit behavioral problems from being overindulged by their parents. *Decomposition, the process by which organic substances ar ...

), for a turnout of 68.1%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 57.7% of the vote (2,222 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 39.0% (1,500 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (53 votes), among the 3,849 ballots cast by the borough's 5,390 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.4%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat

John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party (Unite ...

received 52.3% of the vote (1,955 ballots cast), outpolling Republican

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

with 45.6% (1,705 votes) and other candidates with 0.9% (50 votes), among the 3,737 ballots cast by the borough's 5,316 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 70.3. In the 2017 gubernatorial election, Democrat

Phil Murphy Philip Dunton Murphy (born August 16, 1957) is an American financier, diplomat, and politician serving as the 56th governor of New Jersey since January 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the United States ambassador to German ...

received 50.7% of the vote (1,064 cast), ahead of Republican

Kim Guadagno Kimberly Ann Guadagno (; ''née'' McFadden; born April 13, 1959) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the first lieutenant governor and 33rd secretary of state of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Guadagno was the Republican nominee ...

with 46.2% of the vote (969 votes), and other candidates with 3.1% (64 votes), among the 2,097 cast by the borough's voters. In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican

Chris Christie Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018. Christie, who was born in ...

received 61.7% of the vote (1,264 cast), ahead of Democrat

Barbara Buono Barbara A. Buono (born July 28, 1953) is an American politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from 2002 to 2014, where she represented the 18th Legislative District. She served from 2010 to 2012 as the Majority Leader in the Senate, succ ...

with 36.6% (750 votes), and other candidates with 1.6% (33 votes), among the 2,093 ballots cast by the borough's 5,279 registered voters (46 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 39.6%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 55.0% of the vote (1,360 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat

Jon Corzine Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...

with 36.6% (906 votes), Independent

Chris Daggett Christopher Jarvis Daggett (born March 7, 1950) is an American businessman who is the president and CEO of the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, one of the largest foundations in New Jersey. A former regional administrator of the United States Env ...

with 6.9% (170 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (26 votes), among the 2,474 ballots cast by the borough's 5,178 registered voters, yielding a 47.8% turnout.

Education

Freehold Borough's public school students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade attend the

Freehold Borough Schools The Freehold Borough Schools are a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Freehold Borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2018–19 school year, the dist ...

. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of three schools, had an enrollment of 1,698 students and 140.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

student–teacher ratio Student–teacher ratio or student–faculty ratio is the number of students who attend a school or university divided by the number of teachers in the institution. For example, a student–teacher ratio of 10:1 indicates that there are 10 students ...

of 12.1:1.District information for Freehold Borough School District

National Center for Education Statistics The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the part of the United States Department of Education The United States Department of Education is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government. It began operating on May ...

. Accessed April 1, 2020. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 school enrollment data from the

) are Freehold Learning Center with 619 students in grades Pre-K–2, Park Avenue Elementary School with 532 students in grades 3–5 and Freehold Intermediate School with 515 students in grades 6–8. Students in public school for

ninth In music, a ninth is a compound interval consisting of an octave plus a second. Like the second, the interval of a ninth is classified as a dissonance in common practice tonality. Since a ninth is an octave larger than a second, ...

through

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year Thirteen, Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between ...

s attend

Freehold High School Freehold High School (sometimes called Freehold Boro, Freehold Borough High School or Boro to distinguish it from Freehold Township High School) is a four-year public high school serving students in ninth through twelfth grades, located within ...

, as part of the

Freehold Regional High School District The Freehold Regional High School District is a public regional school district established in 1953, that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from eight communities in western Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The distric ...

(FRHSD). The Freehold Regional High School District also serves students from Colts Neck Township, Englishtown, Farmingdale,

(which also has some students at Freehold Borough High School), Howell Township, Manalapan Township and Marlboro Township. As of the 2018–19 school year, Freehold Borough High School had an enrollment of 1,422 students and 103.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a

of 13.7:1. Students may apply to attend one of the district's six specialized learning centers, including the Medical Sciences Learning Center hosted at Freehold High School. The FRHSD board of education has nine members, who are elected to three-year terms from each of the constituent districts. Each member is allocated a fraction of a vote that totals to nine points, with Freehold Borough allocated one member, who has 1.0 votes. The independent

Freehold Public Library The Freehold Public Library the free public library of Borough of Freehold, New Jersey located at 28½ East Main Street. Serving a population of 11,797 residents and with a collection of approximately 26,000 volumes the library has a yearly circul ...

is one of the remaining Carnegie-funded libraries in the state and is believed to be the only one with the name "Carnegie Library" engraved on its front. It is not part of the

Monmouth County Library The Monmouth County Library is the county library system for Monmouth County, New Jersey. It is headquartered in Manalapan, New Jersey. The system was created in 1922. The two largest locations are Headquarters (Manalapan) and Eastern Branch ( ...

system.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Roads and highways

, the borough had a total of of roadways, of which were maintained by the municipality, by Monmouth County and by the

New Jersey Department of Transportation The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) is the agency responsible for transportation issues and policy in New Jersey, including maintaining and operating the state's highway and public road system, planning and developing transportat ...

U.S. Route 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...

passes through Freehold, as do Route 33 Business,

Route 79 The following highways are numbered 79: Australia * Calder Highway * Silver City Highway * (South Australia) India * National Highway 79 (India) Iran * Road 79 Israel *Highway 79 (Israel) Korea, South * National Route 79 *Gukjido 79 New ...

, County Route 522 and County Route 537. The

runs north along an abandoned rail line to

=Freehold Circle

= Freehold Circle was located near the western boundary of Freehold Borough near the

. The circle carried traffic between

US 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...

, Business Route 33 and Manalapan Avenue ( CR 24); it was eliminated in the 1980s due to the increased traffic load caused by a boom in commercial and residential development. Most notable of the commercial development is the

, in Freehold Township just south of the old circle on US 9, whose development in the late 1980s was a major impetus to redesign the circle. The former circle now features several

jughandle A jughandle is a type of ramp or slip road that changes the way traffic turns left at an at-grade intersection (in a country where traffic drives on the right). Instead of a standard left turn being made from the left lane, left-turning traffi ...

s, and most Manalapan Avenue traffic must use a connector road to Business Route 33 to reach the main intersection, but it is still known by locals as Freehold Circle. In the early 1940s, the Freehold Circle was the planned terminus of highway that would funnel traffic from

South Amboy South Amboy is a suburban City (New Jersey), city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, located on Raritan Bay. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 9,411.

to the

by way of

and Marlboro Township. ;See also *

List of traffic circles in New Jersey This is a list of traffic circles in New Jersey. The U.S. state of New Jersey at one point had a total of 101 traffic circles, 44 of which were part of state roads. However, the number has shrunk as traffic circles have been phased out by the ...

Public transportation

=Rail

= In the 19th & 20th centuries, Freehold Borough and Freehold Township had two major railways. One major railway in the area was the

Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad The Freehold and Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad was a short-line railroad in New Jersey. The railroad traversed through the Raritan Valley communities of Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Manalapan Township, Englishtown Borough, Monroe Tow ...

, which was owned and operated by the Camden & Amboy Railroad Company (C&A). Surveying for the line began on September 8, 1851, grading began on October 19, 1852, and the first track was laid on April 4, 1853. The first section of line was opened on July 18, 1853. The establishment of the Freehold & Jamesburg Agricultural Railroad caused the Freeholds region to become a transportation hub. The other major railway in the area was the

Central Railroad of New Jersey The Central Railroad of New Jersey, also known as the Jersey Central or Jersey Central Lines , was a Class I railroad with origins in the 1830s. It was absorbed into Conrail in April 1976 along with several other prominent bankrupt railroads of ...

, which had a branch that connected the still-active former

Penn Central The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania, New York Central and th ...

line from Jamesburg to CNJ's Seashore Branch and the New York and Long Branch line (now owned by NJ Transit) at

. The Freehold and Jamesburg Railroad was abandoned by the early 1930s. A portion of the former railroad's right-of-way was later approved to be sold by the New Jersey Board of Public Utility Commissioners (PUC) to Jersey Central Power & Light Company in 1966, with occasional freight service still being used through the

Freehold Industrial Track The Freehold Secondary (also called the Freehold Industrial Track) is a partially active rail line in New Jersey, the active portion of which is owned by Conrail Shared Assets Operations (CSAO) and operated by the Delaware and Raritan River Railr ...

. Meanwhile, The Central Railroad of New Jersey went into bankruptcy in the early 1970s and entered into Conrail on April 1, 1976, with its freight service on the rails from Freehold to Matawan being terminated in 1979 (the rails were removed in 1980). Today, it is mostly a

rail-trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rail, or street ...

, converting into the

. Freehold's former train station for both of these important railway routes now serves as the central bus station for town. The

Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line The Monmouth Ocean Middlesex Line (MOM) is a passenger rail project in the US state of New Jersey, proposed by NJ Transit Rail Operations (NJT) to serve the Central New Jersey counties of Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex. The line would originate/te ...

is a proposal by New Jersey Transit to restore passenger railway service to the region, by using the same tracks as the Freehold Industrial Track. The borough and its neighboring township would be potential stops for the 'MOM' Line. As of now, the nearest train stations to the borough are located in Aberdeen-Matawan,

, Long Branch, and

on the

North Jersey Coast Line The North Jersey Coast Line is a commuter rail line running from Rahway to Bay Head, New Jersey, traversing through the Jersey Shore region. Operated by New Jersey Transit, the line is electrified as far south as Long Branch. On rail system ma ...

, and Metropark in

Iselin Iselin may refer to: People with the family name * Adrian G Iselin (1818–1905), American banker, businessman & millionaire * Charles Oliver Iselin (1854–1932), American banker and yachtsman * Columbus O'Donnell Iselin (1904–1971), American ...

Metuchen Metuchen ( ) is a suburban borough A borough is an administrative division in various English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term var ...

New Brunswick New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen Provinces and territories of Canada, provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic Canad ...

, and Princeton Junction on the

Northeast Corridor Line The Northeast Corridor Line is a commuter rail service operated by NJ Transit between the Trenton Transit Center and New York Penn Station on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in the United States. The service is the successor to Pennsylvania Railroad ...

=Proposed NJ Transit Village

= With the Borough of Freehold's determination to revitalize its downtown area, as outlined in the Freehold Center Core Revitalization Plan (2008),

has sponsored a project in transforming the Freehold Center Bus Station into a "Transit Village". This new designation would foster in the creation of a Transit-oriented development (TOD) zoning district around by the Freehold Center Bus Station between West Main Street (County Route 537) and Throckmorton Street (County Route 522). In 2019, Freehold Borough Council members began to authorize Planning Board members "to investigate if properties in the downtown district constitute an area in need of redevelopment. If board members determine redevelopment is warranted, they will prepare a redevelopment plan for the designated area." On April 20, 2020, Borough council members had reached an agreement in adopting an ordinance that would purchase a new building to house as the municipal complex. The hopes of relocating the current municipal complex on West Main Street to this new location on Mechanic street would be in opening up more space for potential developers that could bid for the NJ 'Transit Village'.

=Buses

bus service connects Freehold with communities along

Newark Liberty International Airport Newark Liberty International Airport , originally Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport straddling the boundary between the cities of Newark in Essex County and Elizabeth in Union Cou ...

and New York City, to

(via transfer in Lakewood) and to

Six Flags Great Adventure Six Flags Great Adventure is an amusement park located in Jackson, New Jersey. Owned and operated by Six Flags, the park complex is situated between New York City and Philadelphia and includes a water park named Hurricane Harbor. It first ope ...

located in Jackson Township. The 131,

135 135 may refer to: *135 (number) *AD 135 *135 BC *135 film 135 film, more popularly referred to as 35 mm film or 35 mm, is a format of photographic film used for still photography. It is a film with a film gauge of loaded into a ...

and

139 139 may refer to: * 139 (number), an integer * AD 139, a year of the Julian calendar * 139 BC, a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar * 139 (New Jersey bus) See also * 139th (disambiguation) 139th may refer to: *139th (Northumberland) Battal ...

provide service to the

Port Authority Bus Terminal The Port Authority Bus Terminal (colloquially known as the Port Authority and by its acronym PABT) is a bus terminal located in Manhattan in New York City. It is the busiest bus terminal in the world by volume of traffic, serving about 8,000 bus ...

Midtown Manhattan Midtown Manhattan is the central portion of the New York City borough of Manhattan and serves as the city's primary central business district. Midtown is home to some of the city's most prominent buildings, including the Empire State Buildin ...

, on the 67 to Newark, on the 64 and 67 to

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark, New Jersey, Newark.

and local service on the

836 __NOTOC__ Year 836 ( DCCCXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Abbasid Caliphate * Driven by tensions between his favoured Turkish guard and the popula ...

and

838 __NOTOC__ Year 838 (Roman numerals, DCCCXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * July 22 – Battle of Anzen, Battle of Dazimon: ...

routes. Bus service is available from Route 9 to

Wall Street Wall Street is an eight-block-long street in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It runs between Broadway in the west to South Street and the East River in the east. The term "Wall Street" has become a metonym for ...

in New York's

Financial District A financial district is usually a central area in a city where financial services firms such as banks, insurance companies and other related finance corporations have their head offices. In major cities, financial districts are often home to s ...

via the Academy Bus Line. CentraState Front view 2

There are also several bus stops to the points listed above located along Route 9 in the borough and neighboring Freehold Township.

=Aviation

= Following the closure of the Marlboro Airport,

Old Bridge Airport Old Bridge Airport is a public-use airport located five nautical miles (9.26 km) south of the central business district of the township of Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The airport is privately owned. ...

in Old Bridge and

Monmouth Executive Airport Monmouth Jet Center is a privately owned, public use airport in Monmouth County, New Jersey. It is in Wall Township six miles west of Belmar (which its codes are derived from), east of Farmingdale. The National Plan of Integrated Airport Syste ...

in Farmingdale supply short-distance flights to surrounding areas and are the closest air transportation services. The nearest major commercial airports are Trenton-Mercer Airport, which serves several domestic destinations via

Frontier Airlines Frontier Airlines is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. airline headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations, and employs more than 3,000 staff. The ca ...

and located west (about 38 minutes drive); and

, which serves as a major hub for

United Airlines United Airlines, Inc. (commonly referred to as United), is a major American airline headquartered at the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois.

and located north (about 44 minutes drive) from Freehold Borough.

Healthcare

Freehold Borough is served by

CentraState Healthcare System CentraState Healthcare System is a non-for-profit community health organization consisting of an acute-care hospital, an ambulatory care campus, three senior living communities, a Family Medicine Residency Program, and a charitable foundation. Es ...

, which is affiliated with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, located in neighboring

. The regional hospital is a 287-bed medical facility. CentraState Healthcare system also provides healthcare through its various family practices in communities across western

Monmouth Monmouth ( , ; cy, Trefynwy meaning "town on the Monnow") is a town and community in Wales. It is situated where the River Monnow joins the River Wye, from the Wales–England border. Monmouth is northeast of Cardiff, and west of London. ...

and southern

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbourin ...

counties in central New Jersey. CentraState Family Medicine Residency Program is one of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School's residency halls, which is located in Freehold Borough on

Park Avenue Park Avenue is a wide New York City boulevard which carries north and southbound traffic in the boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx. For most of the road's length in Manhattan, it runs parallel to Madison Avenue to the west and Lexington Aven ...

. CentraState Healthcare System is the county's fourth-largest employer. The next closest hospitals to the borough are

Bayshore Community Hospital Bayshore Medical Center, formerly known as Bayshore Community Hospital, is a 204-bed general medical and surgical hospital located on a campus at 727 North Beers Street, in Holmdel Township, New Jersey, United States, near the Raritan Bayshore. I ...

, located in nearby Holmdel Township, and the Old Bridge Division of

Raritan Bay Medical Center Raritan Bay Medical Center (RBMC) consists of two general acute care hospitals, located within the heart of the Raritan Valley region, servicing the Raritan Bayshore communities in Middlesex and Monmouth counties. The hospitals are located in Ol ...

, located in nearby Old Bridge Township. The closest major university hospitals to the borough are

Jersey Shore University Medical Center Jersey Shore University Medical Center (JSUMC) is a 691-bed non-profit, tertiary research and academic medical center located in Neptune Township, New Jersey, servicing coastal New Jersey and the Central Jersey area. JSUMC is the region’s only ...

in Neptune Township,

Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center (PMC), formerly known as the University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, is a 355-bed non-profit, tertiary, and academic medical center located in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey, servicing the west ...

in Plainsboro Township,

Saint Peter's University Hospital Saint Peter's University Hospital (SPUH) is a Roman Catholic hospital on Easton Avenue in New Brunswick, New Jersey. The hospital is a member of the Saint Peter's Healthcare System, Inc., a New Jersey nonprofit corporation sponsored by the Roman ...

and

Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital The Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is an American 965-bed hospital with campuses in New Brunswick (Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital New Brunswick), and Somerville, New Jersey ( Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somer ...

Points of interest

Monmouth County Historical Association The Monmouth County Historical Association was established in 1898 by a group of county residents headed by professional educator Caroline Gallup Reed. They soon incorporated in order “to discover, procure, preserve and perpetuate whatever relate ...

, a museum and library dedicated to the history of Monmouth County. *

, the oldest harness racetrack in the United States, dating to 1853. * Hankinson-Moreau-Covenhoven House was constructed in the 1750s and used by the British as a headquarters during the Battle of Monmouth. The house was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

in 1974 * St. Peter's Episcopal Church was built in 1771 based on a design by architect

Robert Smith Robert Smith or Bob Smith, or similar, may refer to: Business * Robert MacKay Smith (1802–1888), Scottish businessman, meteorologist and philanthropist who founded Glasgow University's Mackay Smith Prizes * Robert Barr Smith (1824–1915), ...

and was added to the National Register in 1998 as one of one five churches in the state dating back to the 1700s still standing. * Freehold Jewish Center, a synagogue established in 1911 which was constructed as the

Orthodox Jewish Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses ...

Congregation Agudath Achim. * Metz Bicycle Museum exhibits antique bicycles dating back to the 1850s. *

Monmouth County Courthouse The Monmouth County Courthouse is in Freehold, the county seat of Monmouth County, New Jersey. It was designed by James W. Mancusa and built in 1954. The Battle of Monmouth Monument stands before the courthouse. Earlier buildings The first Cour ...

and Battle of Monmouth Monument * Olive Branch Lodge No. 16 Free and Accepted Masons was instituted October 20, 1849. File:Freehold_NJ_Hankinson-Moreau-Covenhoven_House.jpg, Covenhoven House, 2012 File:Freehold NJ George Taylor House.jpg,

George Taylor House George Taylor House may refer to: * George W. Taylor House, Le Sueur, Minnesota, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in Minnesota * George Taylor House (Freehold Borough, New Jersey), listed on the NRHP in New Jersey * Geor ...

, 2012 File:St._Peter's_Church_(April_2021).jpg, St. Peter's Episcopal Church, 2021 File:Monument_for_Monmouth_Battlefield.png, Monument dedicated to the

, located on the premises for the

, 2021

In popular culture

Bruce Springsteen often incorporated Freehold into his music, including the entire song "

". His connection to Freehold was documented by the Monmouth County Historical Association in a 2019 exhibition titled "Bruce Springsteen: His Hometown". In the film ''

Blinded by the Light "Blinded by the Light" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, a which first appeared on his 1973 debut album ''Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.'' A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band reached number one on the ' ...

'', Javed, the protagonist of the film who falls in love with Springsteen's music, visits Freehold. Many local sights such as Randolph Street (one of the streets on which Springsteen lived), Springsteen's childhood home, and a Downtown Freehold sign (which Javed is photographed next to) are briefly featured.

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Freehold Borough include: *

Scott Conover Kelsey Scott Conover (born September 27, 1968 in Neptune Township, New Jersey) is a former professional football player. Was in a 2007 NutriSystem for Men commercial and spoke the line: "Scott Conover, 100 pounds." The product had the tag line: ...

(born 1968), former

Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at For ...

offensive tackle and author of the children's book ''Can I Play Too?'' was raised in Freehold *

Anthony DeSclafani Anthony James DeSclafani (born April 18, 1990), nicknamed Disco and T-Bone, is an American professional baseball pitcher for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Miami Marlins and Cincinnati Reds. ...

(born 1990), starting pitcher for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Y ...

Robert Griswold Robert Griswold (born November 27, 1996) is an American swimmer. He was a member of the 2016 and 2020 U.S. Paralympic Swimming Teams. He holds multiple American and world paralympic swimming records in freestyle, backstroke, butterfly, and ind ...

(born 1996), swimmer * Danny Lewis (1936–2015), NFL running back from 1958 to 1966, playing for the

, the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...

, and the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisio ...

* Joel Parker (1816–1888),

20th 20 (twenty; Roman numeral XX) is the natural number following 19 and preceding 21. A group of twenty units may also be referred to as a score. In mathematics *20 is a pronic number. *20 is a tetrahedral number as 1, 4, 10, 20. *20 is the ba ...

Governor of New Jersey The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official re ...

, elected to two non-consecutive terms (1863–1866 and 1871–1874). A lawyer by profession, he served as

Attorney General of New Jersey The attorney general of New Jersey is a member of the executive cabinet of the state and oversees the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, Department of Law and Public Safety. The office is appointed by the governor of New Jersey, confir ...

in 1875 and as a justice of the

New Jersey Supreme Court The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging t ...

, from 1880 to 1888 *

Tim Perry Timothy D. Perry (born June 4, 1965) is an American former basketball player. Following his college career with Temple he played professionally for 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association and Liga ACB. Playing career Perry played coll ...

(born 1965), former NBA player, most notably with the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division (NBA), P ...

Darrell Reid Darrell Reid (born June 20, 1982) is a former American football linebacker. He was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2005 and was a part of their Super Bowl XLI winning team against the Chicago Bears. He played colle ...

(born 1982), former defensive tackle for the

Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquar ...

and

Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 20 ...

Nehemiah Shumway Nehemiah Shumway (August 26, 1761 – July 1843) was an American composer of sacred music, teacher, and farmer. Life Shumway was born in Oxford, Massachusetts, the youngest of seven children of Amos Shumway and Ruth Parker. He graduated from ...

(1761–1843), composer, farmer, principal of Freehold Academy *

J. R. Smith Earl Joseph "J. R." Smith III (born September 9, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Smith played high school basketball at New Jers ...

(born 1985), professional basketball player who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers *

Rebecca Soni Rebecca Soni (born March 18, 1987) is an American former competition swimmer and breaststroke specialist who is a six-time Olympic medalist. She is a former world record-holder in the 100-meter breaststroke (short and long course) and the 200- ...

(born 1987), Olympic gold medalist at the 2012 London Olympic Games who set world records in the 100-meter breaststroke (short course) and the 200-meter breaststroke (short and long course) *

(born 1949), rock musician, was raised in Freehold BoroughGoldstein, Stan
"Bruce Springsteen Rocked Here"
NJ Advance Media for

, May 15, 2009, updated September 10, 2010. Accessed July 13, 2015. The borough is the subject of his song "

," from the ''

Born in the U.S.A. ''Born in the U.S.A.'' is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Bruce Springsteen, released by Columbia Records on June 4, 1984. It topped the charts in nine countries, including the US and UK, becoming his most commercially succ ...

'' album, which described racial and economic tensions in the 1960s (the "textile mill being closed" was the

rug mill at Center and Jackson Streets). Springsteen has also performed the humorous song about the borough called "In Freehold", which can be found on some bootleg live recordings.

References

Sources

* Adelberg, Michael S
''The American Revolution in Monmouth County:The Theatre of Spoil and Destruction''

The History Press The History Press is a British publishing company specialising in the publication of titles devoted to local and specialist history. It claims to be the United Kingdom's largest independent publisher in this field, publishing approximately 300 ...

, 2010. * Pepe, Barbara
''Freehold: A Home Town History''

Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American Publishing, publisher of neighborhood, local history, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the ...

; Charleston, SC; 2003. .

External links

* {{authority control 1869 establishments in New Jersey Borough form of New Jersey government Boroughs in Monmouth County, New Jersey County seats in New Jersey Populated places established in 1869