Author Archives: njgate

Charles K. Landis was a land developer who was the driving force behind the creation of Hammonton and Vineland. Landis also had a hand in establishing other small communities, including Landisville, in Buena Borough. He planned to make it county seat of a new county called Landis County, which would incorporate land from the surrounding counties. However, the locals were against this, and began calling him “King Landis”.[25]

The historic community of Sergeantsville is located within Delaware Township, as well as the unincorporated community of Raven Rock.

Harrington Park was formed on March 29, 1904, from portions of Harrington Township and Washington Township, and parts of the borough of Closter.[21][22]

The Borough of Neptune City was incorporated on October 4, 1881, based on a referendum held on March 19, 1881. The boundaries included all of present-day Neptune City, along with what is now Avon-by-the-Sea and the southern portion of Bradley Beach. On March 23, 1900, a bill approved in the New Jersey Legislature created the Borough of Avon-by-the-Sea. On March 13, 1907, the eastern portion of Neptune City was annexed to the Borough of Bradley Beach.[21] The borough was named for Neptune, the Roman water deity, and its location on the Atlantic Ocean.[22][23]

Highlands was incorporated as a borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 22, 1900, from parts of Middletown Township. Additional parts of Middletown Township were annexed in 1914.[22]

White Township was incorporated as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 9, 1913, from portions of Oxford Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 1, 1913, making it the second-youngest township in the county.[19][20] The township was named after Alexander White, who came to the area sometime before 1760 and built a stone mansion called “The White House” near a place called Roxburg.[21][22]

The borough of Spring Lake Heights was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 19, 1927, from portions of Wall Township, based on the results of a referendum held on May 3, 1927.[21] The borough was named for Spring Lake, which was named for a clear spring-fed lake.[22][23][24]

Franklin, known as the “Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World,”[22] is located over a rich ore body containing more than 150 minerals, many of them fluorescent and 25 of which are found nowhere else on earth. Settled in the 17th century, the village known as Franklin Furnace after Benjamin Franklin,[23][24][25] developed near iron mines and iron smelting operations located along the Wallkill River. In the early 19th century, zinc deposits in the area began to be developed commercially. For most of the century many small companies mined zinc and iron in the Franklin area. In 1897 all zinc mining efforts merged into the New Jersey Zinc Company, which was a major controlling factor in the development of Franklin. Immigrants from Russia, Britain, Hungary and Poland joined the work force at the mine. The population, 500 in 1897, had swelled to 3,000 by 1913. On March 18, 1913, the Borough of Franklin was incorporated from portions of Hardyston Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 23, 1913.[26]

Greenwich Township was first formed on March 1, 1695, and was formally incorporated as one of New Jersey’s initial group of 104 townships by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Over the centuries, portions of the township were taken to form Woolwich Township (March 7, 1767), Franklin Township (January 27, 1820), Spicer Township (March 13, 1844; now Harrison Township), Mantua Township (February 23, 1853), East Greenwich Township (February 10, 1881) and Paulsboro (March 2, 1904).[21] The township was named for Greenwich, England.[22]

The borough is known for the Mendham Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places with notable landmarks that include the Phoenix House, which serves as the borough’s municipal building, and the historic Black Horse Inn and Tavern.[22] New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Mendham Borough as the number one place to live in the state in its 2013 rankings of the “Best Places to Live” in New Jersey.[23]