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Marlboro Township, New Jersey

Marlboro Township is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township is located within the Raritan Valley region and is a part of the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 41,502, an increase of 1,311 (+3.3%) from the 2010 census count of 40,191,  which in turn reflected an increase of 5,449 (+16.3%) from the 33,423 counted in the 2000 census.

Marlboro Township was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 17, 1848, from portions of Freehold Township. The township was named for the marl beds found in the area.

Lenni Lenape
The Lenni Lenape Native Americans were the first known organized inhabitants of this area, having settled here about one thousand years ago and forming an agricultural society, occupying small villages that dotted what was to become Marlboro Township. Their villages were known to be in the Wickatunk and Crawford's Corner sections of the township.

In 1600, the Delaware / Lenape Native American population in the surrounding area may have numbered as many as 20,000. Several wars, at least 14 separate epidemics (yellow fever, smallpox, influenza, encephalitis lethargica, etc.) and disastrous over-harvesting of the animal populations reduced their population to around 4,000 by the year 1700. Since the Lenape people, like all Native Americans, had no immunity to European diseases, when the populations contacted the epidemics, they frequently proved fatal. Some Lenape starved to death as a result of animal over-harvesting, while others were forced to trade their land for goods such as clothing and food. They were eventually moved to reservations set up by the US Government. They were first moved to the only Indian Reservation in New Jersey, the Brotherton Reservation in Burlington County, New Jersey (1758–1802). Those who remained survived through attempting to adapt to the dominant culture, becoming farmers and tradesmen. As the Lenni Lenape population declined, and the European population increased, the history of the area was increasingly defined by the new European inhabitants and the Lenape Native American tribes played an increasingly secondary role.

Dutch arrival
Within a period of 112 years, 1497–1609, four European explorers claimed this land for their sponsors: John Cabot, 1497, for England; Giovanni de Verrazano, 1524, for France; Estevan Gomez, 1525, for Spain, Henry Hudson, 1609, for Holland. After the Dutch arrival to the region in the 1620s, the Lenape were successful in restricting Dutch settlement to Pavonia in present-day Jersey City along the Hudson River until the 1660s and the Swedish settlement to New Sweden (1655 – The Dutch defeat the Swedes on the Delaware). The Dutch established a garrison at Bergen allowing settlement of areas within the province of New Netherland. For 50 years, 1614–1664, the Monmouth County area came under the influence of the Dutch, but it was not settled until after English rule in 1664.

The initial European proprietors of the area purchased the land from the Lenni Lenape leader or Sakamaker. The chief of the Unami, or Turtle clan, was traditionally the great chief of all the Lenni Lenape. One of the sons of the leader, was Weequehela who negotiated the sale of several of the initial tracts of land to the first farmers. An early deed refers to "the chief sachems or leaders of Toponemus."

On April 2, 1664, the English appointed Richard Nicolls to serve as the Deputy Governor of New York and New Jersey. One year later, April 8, 1665, Nicolls issued "The Monmouth Patent" to twelve men who had come from Western Long Island and New England seeking permanent stability for religious and civil freedom as well as the prospect of improving their estates. Nicolls was unaware that in June, 1664, James had given a lease and release for New Jersey to Lord John Berkeley and Sir George Carteret, thus invalidating the grant to the Monmouth Patentees. The rule at the time was that land should be purchased from the Patent.

However, in the time between 1685 and the early 18th century, the patent was ignored and land was gradually purchased from the Lenni Lenape causing confusion and disputes over ownership. Following the initial sale of land, the history of the township starts about 1685, when the land was first settled by European farmers from Scotland, England and the Netherlands. The Scottish exiles and early Dutch settlers lived on isolated clearings carved out of the forest. The lingua franca or common language spoken in the area was likely, overwhelmingly Dutch. However, this was one of many languages spoken with the culture very steeped in New Netherlander. The official documentation at the time is frequently found to be in the Dutch language. The documents of the time also suggest that money transactions used the British shilling. The English and Scotch settlers were Quakers. After initial European contact, the Lenape population sharply declined.

The first settlers of the area were led by missionary George Keith. They were Quakers. The Quakers established a town called "Topanemus" and nearby a meetinghouse and a cemetery on what is now Topanemus Road and held the first meeting on October 10, 1702. The first leader of the church was Rev. George Keith who received a large grant of land in the area due to his position as Surveyor-General. Among the first listed communicants of the new church were Garret and Jan Schenck. The church later changed its affiliation to the Episcopal faith and became St. Peter's Episcopal Church which is now located in Freehold. The old burial ground still remains on Topanemus Road. In 1692 those of the Presbyterian Faith built a church and burial ground on what is now Gordons Corner Road. The church eventually moved to Tennent where it became known as the Old Tennent Church and played a role in the American Revolutionary War. The old Scots Cemetery still remains at its original site.

Marl's discovery
The township of Marlboro is named for the prevalence of marl, which was first discovered in the area east of the village in 1768. Marl was used extensively on farms and spread during the winter months to be tilled into the soil in the spring. The "Marl Pits" are clearly reflected on maps from 1889 shown as a dirt road off of Hudson Street heading towards the current location of the township soccer fields. Farmers used marl to improve the soil in the days before commercial fertilizers and there was a heavy demand for it. Marlboro Township's first industry was the export of the material, used primarily as fertilizer. In 1853, the Marl was harvested and transported to other parts of the state and to the Keyport docks via the Freehold Marl Company Railroad (now the Henry Hudson Trail). The marl was then sent to New York and other parts of the country via ship. Prior to the finding of Marl, the area was known as 'Bucktown' for John Buck who owned a tavern in the area.

Revolutionary War
Marlboro Township was the scene of a number of skirmishes during the American Revolutionary War, in particular following the Battle of Monmouth in 1778. During the war, the Pleasant Valley section was often raided by the British for food supplies and livestock. The area was referred to as the "Hornet's Nest" because of the intensity of attacks on the British by local militia. Beacon Hill (of present-day Beacon Hill Road) was one of three Monmouth County sites where beacons were placed to warn the residents and the Continental forces if the enemy should approach from the bay. There was also considerable activity in the Montrose area of the Township as British troops, retreating from the Battle of Monmouth, tried to wind their way to ships lying off Sandy Hook.

The area was also frequently sacked for food and livestock. The woods and surrounding vegetation were hunted for animals to depletion by the British. One description of a hunt was recorded: "A great deer-drive was organized, taking in almost the entire northern portion of Monmouth county. Before daylight... a line of men... was stretched... somewhere near Marlboro. At an appointed hour this line of beaters, with shot and shout... proceeded forward to drive as large as possible a number of deer to the shore between Port Monmouth and Atlantic Highlands. The drive was completely successful... that deer were almost exterminated in the northerly part of the county."

Township formation
Under the direction and influence of John W. Herbert, Marlboro was established as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 17, 1848, formed from portions of Freehold Township. The township's name was originally "Marlborough," but was subsequently changed to "Marlboro." It is not known when the name was officially changed, with maps and other documents in the decades after the township's establishment referring variously to "Marlboro" or "Marlborough". The first elected freeholder was John W. Herbert.

By 1873, Marlboro had a post office, school, hotel, multiple stores, churches, and a railroad station of the Freehold and Keyport Railroad. In 1882, the population was 102.

Marlboro was described in 1939 as having "large frame houses comfortably spaced along the highway".

Marlboro was rural and composed mostly of dairy farms, potato, tomato and other farms laced with small hamlets with modest inns or taverns. Before World War II Marlboro Township was the nation's largest grower of potatoes and also known for a large tomato and egg industry. During World War II, egg farms significantly expanded to accommodate military demand.

Following World War II, the state began to significantly build and improve the area transportation infrastructure. As the infrastructure improved, the population started to increase. The 1950s and 1960s saw Marlboro starting to significantly grow. Housing developments started to replace the farm and rural nature as the community expanded. After the early 1970s, Marlboro became a growing suburb for people working in New York City and in large nearby corporations. During the 1980s and early 1990s most of the new housing developments featured four- or five-bedroom houses, but later the trend shifted toward larger estate homes. The building effort became so advanced that Marlboro Township placed restrictions for building around wetlands; called the Stream Corridor Preservation Restrictions to mitigate construction and habitat contamination.

The year 2000 saw continued growth of the housing trend toward larger homes. Towards the end of the decade, housing growth declined due to the Great Recession.

Town center
The Marlboro township center has historically been considered an area around the intersection of Main Street (Route 79) and School Road. In the late 19th century the intersection held two hotels (both of them are now gone), general store (was on the lot of the current fire department building), and Post Office (was on the lot of a current Chinese Restaurant). Behind the current small mini-mart on the corner of this intersection, you can still see one of the original barns from the early 19th century. However, Marlboro no longer has any official town center and can be considered an example of suburban sprawl. Efforts are underway to create an official "Village Center" and multiple proposals have come forward in recent discussions. Current vision statements suggest the creation of a pedestrian-friendly, mixed use Village Center, with an emphasis on walkability and traffic calming.

Cell phone ban
In 2000, Marlboro became the first municipality in New Jersey, and one of the first areas in the U.S., to ban cell phone use while driving, a ban that took effect in March 2001. The restriction made use of a cell phone a primary offense, allowing a police officer to stop a motorist for phone use.

Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital
Opened in 1931, Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital was located on 400 acre in the eastern part of the township. It was opened with much fanfare as a "state of the art" psychiatric facility. It was closed 67 years later on June 30, 1998, as part of a three-year deinstitutionalization plan in which some the state's largest facilities were being shut down, with Marlboro's 800 patients being shifted to smaller facilities and group homes. The land that the hospital was placed on was known as the "Big Woods Settlement". It was largely farm land but there was a large distillery on the property which was torn down to make room for the hospital. Additionally, due to the long residential stays at the hospital, a cemetery was also located near the hospital for the residents who died while in residence and were unclaimed. The hospital was completely demolished in 2015. Most of the land was handed over to the Monmouth County Park system, with some of the ground becoming the final linkage of the Henry Hudson Trail. The park system had developed the Big Brook Park and continues to expand and work on the park to provide services to the Monmouth County residents.

40% Green
In June 2009, Marlboro Township Municipal Utilities Authority (MTMUA) deployed a 900 kW solar power array from Sharp that will enable the MTMUA to meet nearly 40% of its electricity needs with emissions-free solar-generated power. This is considered one of the largest of its kind in the East. This solar energy system will reduce New Jersey CO2 emissions by more than 4200000 lb annually; SO2 emissions by 28000 lb; and NO2 emissions by 18000 lb., as well as eliminating significant amounts of mercury. Additionally, Marlboro has been recognized as a Cool City by the Sierra Club. Marlboro is the 10th Monmouth County municipality to be named a Cool City.

Preston Airfield
Marlboro had an airport, Preston Airfield, which opened in 1954 and was in operation for almost 50 years. The airport was opened by Rhea Preston on his farm and consisted of two runways, one was 2400 ft as well as airplane hangars. It obtained a paved runway before 1972. In 1974, the airport had approximately 100 planes, 8 of which are used for air instruction. It won many awards and in 1974 was cited by the state Aviation Advisory Council as the "best maintained" airport. In 1975, the airport was given Planning Board approval to expand with 21 additional hangars and add an 840 square foot operations building. Exact records are not known as to when it changed its name to Marlboro Airport. The Garden State Art Center was known to have used the airport to fly in entertainers such as Jimmy Buffett, Jon Bon Jovi, and Howard Stern for performances. Planning board records reflect the intention to make this change in 1976. The NJ department of Transportation provided $4.8 million to expand Preston Airport. In 1979, the airport was described as having a single runway 2200 ft long. The airport was used for private aviation (Fixed wing as well as helicopters) as well as having a private school for flying instruction. In 2000, the airport was purchased by Marlboro Holdings LLC owned by Anthony Spalliero who closed it with the intent to redevelop the airport into housing. To foster the case for redevelopment, Spalliero donated land holdings he had near the airport to the township board of education, which was used to develop the Marlboro Early Learning Center, a school specialized for kindergarten classes. Following a $100,000 pay-off to former mayor Matthew Scannapieco the planning board used the distance to the new school as justification to close the airfield citing a reference to a fatal plane crash in 1997. Part of the airport has now been developed into Marlboro Memorial Cemetery which now borders the defunct airfield. The other part of the airfield has been absorbed into the Monmouth County Park System.

Virgin Mary sighting
Starting in 1989, Joseph Januszkiewicz started reporting visions of the Virgin Mary near the blue spruce trees in his yard. The visions started to appear six months after he returned from a pilgrimage to Međugorje in Yugoslavia. Since that time as many as 8,000 pilgrims have gathered on the first Sundays of June, July, August and September to pray, meditate and share in the vision. On September 7, 1992, Bishop John C. Reiss gave Januszkiewicz permission to release his messages. In 1993, the Catholic Diocese of Trenton ruled that nothing "truly miraculous" was happening at the Januszkiewicz home. Pictures were taken in November 2004 of a paranormal mist that showed up at the location of the vision, though by April 2005, Januszkiewicz claimed that the visions had stopped and he reports there have been no sightings since.

Train crash
On October 13, 1919, a Central Railroad train collided with a truck on the Hudson Street crossing. The truck was owned by Silvers Company. The train suffered a derailment but the accident only had one loss of life. Michael Mooney, train engineer, died from burns from the train boiler water.

Historic sites
Marlboro Township has a number of historically significant sites. These were identified by the Marlboro Township Historic Commission, Monmouth County Historical Association, Monmouth County Park System and other entities. The township of Marlboro has erected signs in front of some of the historically significant buildings to explain their historical significant status. Multiple signs can be seen along Main Street and on some other streets in the town center area.

The Marlboro Township Historic Commission was set up to assist in preserving and publicizing the township's history. It recommends programs and policies to the mayor and the township council on issues of historic significance. It provides homeowners with information on historic preservation and renovation. The commission also maintains signs in Marlboro Township of some of the historically significant locations. The Historic Commission is comprised of nine members, appointed by the mayor for three year terms, who volunteer their time without receiving any compensation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 30.45 square miles (78.85 km2), including 30.34 square miles (78.58 km2) of land and 0.11 square miles (0.27 km2) of water (0.34%). The New Jersey Geological Survey map suggests the land is mostly made up of cretaceous soil consisting of sand, silt and clay.

Morganville (2010 Census population of 5,040 ) and Robertsville (2010 population of 11,297 ) are census-designated places and unincorporated communities located within Marlboro Township. Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Beacon Hill, Bradevelt, Claytons Corner, Henningers Mills, Herberts Corner, Hillsdale, Marlboro (also known as Marlboro Village), Monmouth Heights, Montrose, Mount Pleasant, Pleasant Valley, Smocks Corner, Spring Valley and Wickatunk.

The township borders Aberdeen Township, Colts Neck Township, Freehold Township, Holmdel Township, Manalapan Township and Matawan in Monmouth County; and Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County.

Weather
Marlboro Township is located close to the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the Marlboro Township's location on the Eastern Seaboard, the following weather features are noted:
 * On average, the warmest month is July where the average high is 85 F and the average low is 66 F.
 * The highest recorded temperature was 106 F in 1936.
 * On average, the coolest month is January reaching an average low of 24 F and an average high of 40 F.
 * The lowest recorded temperature was -20 F in 1934.
 * The most precipitation on average occurs in July with an average 5.03 in of rain.
 * The least precipitation on average occurs in February with an average of 3.08 in of rain.
 * The average annual precipitation is 46.98 in.
 * The average number of freezing days is 179.
 * The average snowfall 23.2 in.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Marlboro Township sits on the northern border between the humid subtropical climate (Cfa) zone and the humid continental climate (Dfa) zone, with the township 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 above 32.0 F, at least four months with an average temperature at or above 50.0 F, at least one month with an average temperature at or above 71.6 F and no significant precipitation difference between seasons.

Tornado

 * On October 16, 1925, Marlboro Township experienced a tornado. It was reported to be less than a mile wide in destruction. "Large trees were uprooted, small buildings overturned and telephone poles went down".
 * On May 27, 2001, Marlboro Township had a strong F2 tornado – the tornado was located in southwest Marlboro Township. Four houses had severe roof damage and about a dozen others suffered minor damage. A construction trailer was tossed and two vehicles were overturned. Between 150 and 200 trees were either uprooted or damaged. Tree damage was so extensive that Hawkins Road Park was closed.

Demographics

Marlboro has experienced steady growth since 1940, with the largest population swell occurred during the 1960s and 1970s and a noticeable increase of 10,414 people from 1980 to 1990. The pace of the growth has slowed in the last decade.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 40,191 people, 13,001 households, and 11,194 families in the township. The population density was 1323.7 /sqmi. There were 13,436 housing units at an average density of 442.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 78.59% (31,587) White, 2.09% (841) Black or African American, 0.06% (25) Native American, 17.27% (6,939) Asian, 0.00% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.64% (257) from other races, and 1.34% (540) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.03% (1,619) of the population.

Of the 13,001 households, 46.6% had children under the age of 18; 77.8% were married couples living together; 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 13.9% were non-families. Of all households, 12.0% were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.38.

28.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 32.6% from 45 to 64, and 11.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.7 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.8 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.7 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $130,400 (with a margin of error of +/− $6,434) and the median family income was $145,302 (+/− $7,377). Males had a median income of $101,877 (+/− $3,707) versus $66,115 (+/− $5,292) for females. The per capita income for the township was $50,480 (+/− $2,265). About 1.2% of families and 1.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.7% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 36,398 people, 11,478 households, and 10,169 families residing in the township. The population density was 1,189.7 PD/sqmi. There were 11,896 housing units at an average density of 388.8 inhabitants/mi2 (150.1 inhabitants/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 83.76% White, 2.07% African American, 0.05% Native American, 12.67% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.47% from other races, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.89% of the population. There were 11,478 households, out of which 50.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 81.3% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 11.4% were non-families. 9.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the township the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. There are slightly more females than males in the township for both total and adult categories. The census shows that for every 100 females in the township, there were 98.4 males; for every 100 females over 18, there were 94.3 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $101,322, and the median income for a family was $107,894. Males had a median income of $76,776 versus $41,298 for females. The per capita income for the township was $38,635. About 2.4% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.

Crime
The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 15. The number of murders and homicides was 5. The violent crime rate was reported to be very low, at 0.4 per 1,000 people.

Housing costs
The median home cost in Marlboro Township was $446,890. Home prices decreased by 8.18% in 2010. Compared to the rest of the country, Marlboro Township's cost of living is 57% higher than the U.S. average.

Affordable housing
As part of its obligation under the Mount Laurel doctrine, the Council on Affordable Housing requires Marlboro Township to provide 1,673 low / moderate income housing units. The first two rounds of New Jersey's affordable housing regulations ran from 1987 to 1999. Under a Regional Contribution Agreement (RCA), Marlboro Township signed an agreement in June 2008 that would have Trenton build or rehabilitate 332 housing units, with Marlboro Township paying $25,000 per unit, a total of $8.3 million to Trenton for taking on the responsibility for these units. Under proposed legislation, municipalities may lose the ability to use these RCAs to pay other communities to accept their New Jersey COAH fair housing obligations, which would mean that Marlboro Township is now required to build the balance of housing. When the New Jersey Council on Affordable Housing requested plans to complete this obligation, Marlboro generated the largest number of objectors to an affordable housing plan in the history of New Jersey. Numerous appeals followed and in October 2010, the Appellate Division struck down portions of the 2007 regulations, invalidated the growth share methodology and directed COAH to develop new regulations. The NJ supreme court granted all petitions for certification in October 2010 and is set to hear the appeals. In June 2011, the governor issued a reorganization plan which eliminated the 12-member COAH, though state courts overturned the governor's plan.

Retirement communities
Marlboro Township has a number of retirement communities, which include:
 * The Royal Pines at Marlboro
 * The Sunrise Senior Community
 * Greenbriar North Senior Housing Development. This development contains over 750 homes.
 * Marlboro Greens – This community was built between 1986 and 1988 contains 341 homes.
 * Rosemont Estates – Built by Regal Homes, Rosemont Estates offers 242 single-family homes in nine different models and range in size from approximately 2,400 to 2,800 square feet.
 * The Chelsea Square in Marlboro – for adults aged 55 and better consists of 225 condos. Chelsea Square includes a clubhouse, walking and biking trails, and a full-time activities director.

Parks and recreation
Marlboro has a township-sponsored recreation program, with activities for all ages including active soccer and basketball leagues for boys and girls; in addition Little League baseball / softball and Pop Warner football / cheerleading, and a growing amateur wrestling program.

In the summer, the township holds free outdoor concerts by notable popular music artists. In recent years performers have included Jay and the Americans, Bill Haley's Comets, Lesley Gore, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Johnny Maestro & the Brooklyn Bridge, The Platters, The Trammps, and The Tokens.

In 2007, Marlboro introduced monthly indoor concerts at the recreation center. These shows feature many upcoming artists as well as local talent. Artists have included Marlboro's own Bedlight for Blue Eyes and Sound the Alarm.

Marlboro is also home to the Marlboro Players, a private theater group that holds open auditions for background roles. Formed in 1975, the group presented its first performance, Don't Drink the Water, in the following spring.

For walkers and bicyclists, two segments of the Henry Hudson Trail have substantial stretches within the township.

General parks
The Recreation Commission maintains several parks and facilities for public use. However, some ball fields require permits for usage. The following is a list of recreation facilities:

Dog parks
Marlboro has an off-leash dog park located at the township municipal complex off Wyncrest Road, located on Recreation Way.

Fossil collecting
Open to the public, Big Brook transects the border of Colts Neck and Marlboro, New Jersey. The stream cuts through sediments that were deposited during the Late Cretaceous period. Reportedly, prolific finds of fossils, such as shark teeth, and other deposits of Cretaceous marine fossils, including belemnites are frequently found. This is a particularly fossiliferous site, with finds including fish teeth, crab and crustacean claws, shark teeth, rarely dinosaur teeth, dinosaur bone fragments (and on a very rare occasion a complete bone), megalodonyx (prehistoric sloth) teeth and bone fragments. The area is regarded as one of the top three dinosaur fossil sites in the state. Multiple dinosaur finds have been found in this area. In 2009, a leg section from a duckbilled dinosaur called a hadrosaur was found. The first dinosaur discovery in North America was made in 1858 in this area. Several bones from a Mastodon were found in 2009 by an individual fossil hunting. The deposits of marl which gave the township its name have played a major role in preserving the fossils found in the area. The fossil beds can be accessed from the bridge on Monmouth Road in Marlboro.

Bow hunting
Some areas of Monmouth County Big Brook Park allow bow hunting access with a permit.

Golf
Bella Vista Country Club has an 18-hole course over 5,923 yards with a par of 70. It is considered a Private Non-Equity club.

Walking/jogging trail
The Henry Hudson Trail goes through parts of Marlboro. In September 2009, the Monmouth County Park System closed a section of the Henry Hudson Trail Southern Extension going through Marlboro Township (Aberdeen Township to Freehold) for 18 months while a portion of the path that runs through the Imperial Oil superfund clean-up site was remediated.

Festivals

 * Music Festival – Spring
 * Dinosaur Day – April
 * Memorial Day Parade – May
 * Marlboro Stomp The Monster 5K & Festival – May
 * Marlboro Blues & BBQ Festival – Fall
 * Marlboro Day – Summer/Fall
 * Halloween Party & Parade – October
 * Multicultural Day – November

Summer camps
Marlboro Township offers a summer camp program for grade school children. The program is a six-week program, with an optional 7th week consisting of aqua-week. It is run by the Marlboro Township Recreation & Parks Commission.

Wineries

 * Peppadew Fresh Vineyards

Future open space
The township has attempted to preserve the areas known as F&F properties, Stattel's Farm and McCarron Farm (also known as Golden Dale Farm) from future development. The last two farms are currently working farms and while the township has purchased the development rights on the property, their fate remains unknown. The development rights of F&F property were purchased for $869,329 to keep the 79 acre site as open space.

Open space funding is paid for by a number of sources. State and local sources account for most of the funding. Marlboro obtains the funding from a special tax assessment. The town collects $600,000 annually from a local open space tax assessment of 2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

Local government
Marlboro Township is governed within the Faulkner Act under the Mayor-Council system of municipal government. The township is one of 71 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the mayor, who is elected directly, and the five-member Marlboro Township Council, with all elected positions chosen at-large in partisan voting to serve four-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with a municipal election conducted in odd-numbered years as part of the November general election. Three council seats come up for vote together and two other council seats come up for election together with the mayoral seat two years later. At a reorganization meeting held in January after each election, the Council selects a President and Vice-President from among its members. As the township's legislative body, the council sets policies, approves budgets, determines municipal tax rates, and passes resolutions and ordinances to govern the township. The council also appoints citizen volunteers to certain advisory boards and the Zoning Board of Adjustment. The council may investigate the conduct of any department, officer or agency of the municipal government. They have full power of subpoena as permitted by statute.

, the Mayor of Marlboro Township is Democrat Jonathan Hornik, whose term of office ends December 31, 2027. Members of the Marlboro Township Council are Council President Antoinette DiNuzzo (D, 2025), Council Vice President Michael Milman (D, 2025), Juned Qazi (D, 2025), Michael Scalea (D, 2027) and Iqleen K. Virdi.

In January 2015, the township council selected Mike Scalea from a list of three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2015 of Frank LaRocca, who resigned earlier that month to take a seat as a municipal judge.

Mayors of Marlboro
The following individuals have served as mayor (or the other indicated title), since the Faulkner Act system was adopted in 1952:
 * Leroy Van Pelt (1952–1954) – Van Pelt was Chairman of the Township Committee for the five preceding years in office. In 1952, the Faulkner Act changed the township leadership positions to the current mayor–council system.
 * Dennis Buckley (1954–1958) – Township Chairman
 * Charles T. "Specs" McCue (1958–1962) – Township Chairman
 * Paul E. Chester (1962–1963) – Elected Mayor January 3, 1962 – Prior to election he served on the Township Committee.
 * Joseph A. Lanzaro (1963–1964)
 * Walter Grubb (1964–1968)
 * Charles T. "Specs" McCue (1968–1969) – Owning a grocery store on Main Street in Marlboro, his career started in 1942 under the old form of government. During his time in local government, he was mayor for four terms and a member of the Planning Board for 8 years.
 * Walter Grubb (1969) – appointed to serve out for McCue who died in office. After the November general election in which Morton Salkind won the balance of the mayoral term, he and Grubb battled over who would fill the seat until January 1.
 * Morton Salkind (1969–1975)
 * Arthur Goldzweig (1976–1979)
 * Saul Hornik (1980–1991)
 * Matthew Scannapieco (1992–2003)
 * Robert Kleinberg (2003–2005)
 * Jonathan Hornik (2005–present)

Local political issues
Perennially popular political issues of note in Marlboro include land development and loss of open space, growth of population leading to the need for additional public schools and higher property taxes, and recurring instances of graft and political corruption.

Former three-term mayor Matthew Scannapieco was arrested by the FBI and subsequently pleaded guilty to taking $245,000 in bribes from land developer Anthony Spalliero, in exchange for favorable rulings and sexual favors. The same investigation has also resulted in charges against several other township officials as well as a Monmouth County Freeholder.

Federal, state, and county representation
Marlboro Township is located in the 3rd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 13th state legislative district.

Politics

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As of March 2011, there were a total of 26,633 registered voters in Marlboro Township, of which 7,125 (26.8%) were registered as Democrats, 4,299 (16.1%) were registered as Republicans and 15,202 (57.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 7 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 53.5% of the vote (9,915 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 45.6% (8,450 votes), and other candidates with 0.8% (154 votes), among the 18,636 ballots cast by the township's 27,821 registered voters (117 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 67.0%. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 49.9% of the vote (10,014 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 48.1% (9,663 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (155 votes), among the 20,082 ballots cast by the township's 27,603 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.8%. In the 2004 presidential election, Democrat John Kerry received 50.1% of the vote (9,378 ballots cast), outpolling Republican George W. Bush with 49.2% (9,218 votes) and other candidates with 0.3% (87 votes), among the 18,731 ballots cast by the township's 25,204 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 74.3.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 73.7% of the vote (7,518 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 25.2% (2,574 votes), and other candidates with 1.0% (107 votes), among the 10,337 ballots cast by the township's 27,919 registered voters (138 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 37.0%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.5% of the vote (7,355 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 36.1% (4,541 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 4.2% (533 votes) and other candidates with 0.6% (80 votes), among the 12,570 ballots cast by the township's 26,863 registered voters, yielding a 46.8% turnout.

Elementary schooling
The Marlboro Township Public School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of eight schools, had an enrollment of 4,784 students and 440.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.9:1. The district has eight school facilities: one pre-school, five elementary schools and two middle schools. The schools (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ), are David C. Abbott Early Learning Center with 226 students for kindergarten and preschool special education, Defino Central Elementary School with 515 students in grades K–5 (opened 1957), Frank J. Dugan Elementary School with 616 students in grades K–5 (opened 1987), Asher Holmes Elementary School with 504 students in grades 1–5 (opened 1973), Marlboro Elementary School with 489 students in grades K–5 (opened 1971), Robertsville Elementary School with 486 students in grades 1–5 (opened 1968), Marlboro Memorial Middle School with 883 students in grades 6–8 (opened 2003) and Marlboro Middle School with 1,042 students in grades 6–8 (opened in 1976).

High school
Most public students in ninth through twelfth grades from Marlboro Township attend Marlboro High School, which is part of the Freehold Regional High School District, with some Marlboro students attending Colts Neck High School. The district also serves students from Colts Neck Township, Englishtown, Farmingdale, Freehold Borough, Freehold Township, Howell Township and Manalapan Township. Many Marlboro students attend the various Learning Centers and Academies available at other district high schools and students from other municipalities in the district attend Marlboro High School's Business Learning Center. As of the 2018–2019 school year, Marlboro High School had an enrollment of 1,822 students and 127.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.3:1 and Colts Neck High School had an enrollment of 1,358 students and 94.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.4:1. 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 Marlboro Township allocated one member, who has 1.4 votes.

Private schools
The High Point Schools are a group of private special education elementary and adolescent schools located on a 10 acre campus in the Morganville section of the township. The schools have been providing educational and therapeutic services for students ages 5–21 who have emotional, behavioral and learning difficulties for 45 years. The staff-to-student ratio is 1:3. The school was built on the Doyle apple orchard.

Among other private schools serving Marlboro children is the Christian Brothers Academy, a boys Catholic high school (grades 9-12) located in nearby Lincroft; the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Monmouth County, a Pre-K to Grade 8 Jewish Day School, which is a member of the Solomon Schechter Day School Association, the educational arm of the United Synagogue of America. Shalom Torah Academy in Morganville is an independent Jewish day school that serves students from the age of two through eighth grade.

Now defunct, the Devitte Military Academy was established in 1918 by Major Leopold Devitte. Starting out as co-educational residential school, in 1920, it became an all-male school. The campus consisted of five buildings and other sleeping cottages. All buildings but one were demolished. One of the buildings was re-purposed and adapted for the Hindu-American Temple which currently occupies the campus.

Library
The Marlboro Free Public Library is open six days a week (closed Sundays). There are meeting rooms for groups to gather and hold meetings or parties. The children's department is large and well-lit, with a diverse selection of books. There is no additional charge for movie rentals.

Little Free Library
Marlboro Township has two Little Free Library locations at opposite sides of the town. The first is in Morganville subdivision and the second is toward the town center, close to the town hall.

Emergency services
The Township of Marlboro has multiple departments which handle emergency services. In addition to the offices below, other departments can be reached through a countywide directory maintained by the Township of Marlboro. The following are the emergency service departments in Marlboro Township:

Police
The police department was established in May 1962. At that time, there was one police officer who served the township. The Marlboro Township Police Department has more than 67 full-time police officers. The current Chief of Police is Bruce E. Hall who started in this position in February 2009 following Police Chief Robert C. Holmes Sr. retiring suddenly on New Year's Eve 2008.
 * Office of Emergency Management – The Office of Emergency Management is responsible for preparing for and managing any declared or other large-scale emergency, event, or occurrence, either man-made or natural, which may occur within Marlboro Township. By law the Office of Emergency Management must have an Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) that addresses all of the possible/probable emergencies that may occur.

Fire Prevention Bureau
The Fire Prevention Bureau enforces the New Jersey Uniform Fire Code in all buildings, structures and premises, Condo development residential buildings and other owner-occupied residential buildings. The Fire Prevention Bureau does not enforce codes in residential units with fewer than three dwelling units.

Fire and rescue squads
Marlboro Township has four volunteer fire companies and two volunteer first aid squads:

 * Fire companies
 * Marlboro Fire Co. No. 1
 * Robertsville Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 (founded 1958)
 * Morganville Independent Volunteer Fire Company District 3
 * Morganville Volunteer Fire Company No. 1 (founded 1914)

First aid squads

 * Marlboro First Aid & Rescue Squad (founded 1971)
 * Morganville First Aid & Rescue Squad (founded 1952)

Emergency notification system
SWIFT911 is a high speed notification program with the capability of delivering recorded warnings to the entire community or targeted areas, via telephone, email, text or pager. Messages can be transmitted through the Marlboro Township Police Department or Office of the Mayor and the system can contact up to four telephone numbers until reaching the designated party. Emergency and Non-emergency messages are also able to reach TTY (teletypewriter) phones used by those who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Stage coach station
A stage coach station was located at the intersection of County Route 520 and Tennent Road in Robertsville. The stage coach line was a layover location for those traveling between Jersey City and Atlantic City.

Railroad
Started in 1867 (completed in 1877) as the Monmouth County Agricultural Railroad; A train rail ran through Marlboro. There were four stops in Marlboro (Bradevelt, Marlboro, Morganville, and Wickatunk). The railroad line was largely abandoned by the 1970s. Owned by Jersey Central in the 1990s it was leased to the Monmouth County Park System in a rail to trail process.

Roads and highways
, the township had a total of 229.71 mi of roadways, of which 201.56 mi were maintained by the municipality, 11.05 mi by Monmouth County and 17.10 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

The car is the most common mode of transportation in Marlboro. The main public thoroughfares in Marlboro are U.S. Route 9, Route 18, CR 520 and Route 79. Also, Route 34 goes through the northeastern part of the township. These routes provide access to major highways including the Garden State Parkway and the New Jersey Turnpike. Taxi services are also available through a number of local private companies.

Public transportation
There are multiple public transportation options available, including bus, rail, air and ferry service.

Busing
NJ Transit provides bus service to and from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan on the 131, 135 and 139 routes; on the 64 and 67 from Newark.

Rail
The Aberdeen–Matawan station is a heavily used NJ Transit train station. Commuter rail service is available on the North Jersey Coast Line, providing access to New York Penn Station via Secaucus Junction, with a transfer available for trains to Newark Liberty International Airport. However, both options provide significant problems in terms of lack of available parking, which may require waiting periods of more than a year for a permit and private parking options can be expensive.

Ferry
Ferry service is available through the SeaStreak service in Highlands, a trip that involves about a 25-minute drive on secondary roads from Marlboro Township to reach the departing terminal. SeaStreak offers ferry service to New York City with trips to Pier 11 (on the East River at Wall Street) and East 35th Street in Manhattan. The ferry service also offers seasonal travel, such as to the public beaches on Sandy Hook, baseball games at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field, trips to Broadway matinees, Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts, college football games at West Point, fall foliage in the Hudson Valley, and to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, among other excursions.

Aviation
Following the closure of the Marlboro Airport, Old Bridge Airport in Old Bridge supplies short-distance flights to surrounding areas and is now the closest air transportation services. The closest major airport is Newark Liberty International Airport, which is 28 mi (about 39 minutes drive) from the center of Marlboro Township.

Healthcare
Marlboro Township is served by CentraState Healthcare System. Located in neighboring Freehold Township, the hospital is a partner of Atlantic Health System and is affiliated with Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The hospital has a family practice with an office located in Marlboro Township.

The next closest regional hospitals to the township are Bayshore Community Hospital, located in neighboring Holmdel Township, and the Old Bridge Division of Raritan Bay Medical Center, located in neighboring Old Bridge Township. The closest major university hospitals to the township are Saint Peter's University Hospital and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, along with Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune Township, and Penn Medicine Princeton Medical Center in Plainsboro Township.

Industrial park
In 1958, the township set aside 1500 acres for industrial development. Officially known as the Marlboro Industrial Park, it is located off Vanderburg Road. The industrial park slogan, created by John B. Ackley, is "You get a lot to like in Marlboro".

Underground storage tanks
The NJDEP lists 39 known locations of underground storage tank contamination in Marlboro Township.

Burnt Fly Bog
Located off Tyler Lane and Spring Valley Road on the Old Bridge Township border, the area of Burnt Fly Bog in Marlboro Township is listed as a Superfund clean-up site. It is a rural area covering approximately 1700 acre, most of it in Marlboro Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey. During the 1950s and early 1960s, many unlined lagoons were used for storage of waste oil. As a result, at least 60 acre of the bog have been contaminated. In addition to the current contaminated area, the site still consists of: four lagoons; an approximately 13,000-cubic-yard mound of sludge; and an undetermined number of exposed and buried drums. The site is a ground water discharge area for the Englishtown Aquifer. In this bog, ground water, surface water, and air are contaminated by oil and various organic chemicals. Contaminants known to be present include ethylbenzene, methylene chloride, tetrachloroethylene, toluene, base neutral acids, metals, PAHs, PCBs, unknown liquid waste, and VOCs.

A number of studies have been mounted starting in 1981. At that time the EPA awarded a Cooperative Agreement and funds to New Jersey under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Early in 1982, EPA used CERCLA funds to install a 900 ft fence and repair a 6 ft section of a dike. In 1983, the state completed (1) a field investigation to study the ground water, (2) a feasibility study for removal of contaminated soil and drums, and (3) a feasibility study for closing the site. EPA and the state continue negotiating agreements for further cleanup activities.

Through 2003, a total of 33600 cuyd of sedimentation, sludge and soil have been removed for disposal and incineration. The area was then back filled with top soil. In June 2011, a five-year review of the site was published. At that time the remediation status was complete as of date: 9/21/2004. Finally a fence has been installed around the entire site to restrict access and protect human health but has been breached in several locations. The downstream area was cleaned up to residential levels. It was recommended that the NJDEP continued monitoring off Site groundwater for five years. The final suggestion was "Since hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants remain at the Site which do not allow for unlimited use or unrestricted exposure, in accordance with 40 CFR 300.430 (f) (4) (ii), the remedial action for the Site shall be reviewed no less often than every five years. EPA will conduct another five-year review prior to June 2016."

Imperial Oil Co.
This 15 acre part of land was owned by Imperial Oil Co./Champion Chemicals. The site was added to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites in 1983. The site consists of six production, storage, and maintenance buildings and 56 above-ground storage tanks. Known contamination includes PCBs, arsenic, lead and total petroleum hydrocarbons. A number of companies may have been responsible for waste oil discharges and arsenical pesticides released to a nearby stream as industrial operations date back to 1912. The area is protected by a fence that completely encloses it. This site is being addressed through Federal and State actions. Mayor Hornik of Marlboro Township, described the polluted site as "one of the worst in the country."

In 1991, EPA excavated and disposed of an on-site waste filter clay pile. In 1997, EPA posted warning signs on the Henry Hudson Trail which is located near the site and the tarp covering the remaining waste filter clay pile was replaced to prevent human contact and limit the migration of the contamination. Arsenic and metals continued to be found in soils in the vicinity of this site. In April 2002, EPA excavated and disposed of a 25 ft by 25 ft area of soil containing a tar-like material discovered outside of the fenced area. The presence of elevated levels of PCBs and lead in this material may have presented a physical contact threat to trespassers. In April 2004, 18000 cuyd of contaminated soil were removed from Birch Swamp Brook and adjacent properties. In August 2007, EPA arranged for 24-hour security at the site, given that Imperial Oil declared bankruptcy and ceased operations at the site during July 2007.

The EPA announced in 2009 the start-up of remediation activities for contaminated soils at the site now called "Operable Unit 3" (OU3). Marlboro Township has received $10–$25 million in stimulus funding to pay for the cost of this cleanup.

On May 3, 2012, the EPA held a press conference. The spokesman "Enck said a $50 million effort over 25 years has cleaned the property, removing 4,600 gallons of oil that pooled on the land, along with 30 million gallons of ground water and 180,000 cubic yards of soil." A total of $17 million for the clean-up came from the federal Superfund program, with $33 million from the American Resource and Recovery Act.

Marlboro Middle School
Marlboro Middle School contamination was an issue which was handled by the state and local level. It was not a Superfund site. This field was a cattle farm prior to being donated to the town for school construction. During the soccer fields improvement program, tests were conducted at the soccer complex which showed elevated levels of unspecified contaminants. The mayor closed the fields as soon as the test results came in. The township then applied for and received a grant to help with the remediation work. Marlboro received money from the Hazardous Discharge Site Remediation Fund to conduct soil remediation at the soccer fields.

Entron Industries site
This property clean-up is being handled through the NJEDA and is not considered a Superfund clean-up site. The site is located at the northeastern intersection of Route 79 and Beacon Hill Road. There were a total of 10 buildings on the site along with wooded areas. Investigations found the presence of a variety of unspecified environmental contaminants associated with the construction of rocket launcher parts. In addition, investigations included possible groundwater contamination on the property. There are no current known plans for clean-up, however, public hearings have been held to start the process of clean-up and redevelopment of the area. Marlboro Township was given a total of $200,000 in two different grants to complete remedial investigation of the site by the NJEDA. The mayor has suggested it may take up to $5 million to clean up the land.

After a number of public hearings, on July 14, 2011, a resolution was put forth authorizing the execution of the redevelopment agreement between The Township Of Marlboro and K-Land Corporation For The Property Known As Tax Block 132, Lot 18 (the Entron Industries site). The developer suggested an investment of $100 million to clean up and develop the site. The site is currently under redevelopment. K-land and Marlboro reached an agreement for the development of the Property to include 365 residential units, 33% of which would be set aside as affordable housing units. The Redeveloper created "Camelot at Marlboro". This housing development has been completed and the property has been restored.

Arky property
The Arky property is a non-Superfund clean-up site with focus by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, located at 217 Route 520 in Marlboro Township. This 22 acre site was an automobile junkyard. Contamination consisted of volatile organic compounds in the groundwater and soil contamination of metals, trichloroethylene (TCE), methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE), and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Initial clean-up consisted of removal of the contaminated soil. Also found were buried drums of unknown product. There were 22 drums removed. In 1998, NJDEP conducted a second drum removal action. They excavated 70 buried drums and removed some of the contaminated soil around the drums. The drums of hazardous wastes had been crushed and buried prior to 1987. To further monitor the property, NJDEP has installed additional monitor wells near the site to collect ground water samples. Investigations are continuing to determine if additional contamination is present on the site which would require clean-up actions.

DiMeo property
This 77 acre property was purchased by Marlboro Township under P.B. 938-05 for recreational uses, including walking-jogging trails, a playground area and a picnic grove area. The property is located at Pleasant Valley and Conover roads. Clean-up is being handled through the NJEDA and is not considered a Superfund clean-up site. In 2004, Schoor DePalma addressed the contaminated soil on the property. The soil on this property had widespread hazardous levels of arsenic, lead, pesticides and petroleum related contamination; consistent with farming-related operations. Additionally, the property contains a pond that is polluted with arsenic, a common agricultural contaminant.

After clean-up, deep monitoring wells were created. In 2007, Birdsall Engineering investigated arsenic and pesticide contamination on the property. Two isolated hot spots were found with high levels of pesticides. The clean-up work was funded by the state farmland preservation program. In 2008, Marlboro Township received state funds for continued clean-up and monitoring by the NJEDA.

This property is on the border of the land that formerly housed the Marlboro State Psychiatric Hospital. This presents its own possibilities, should the Township of Marlboro purchase the hospital property.

Big Brook Park
This site is being addressed through state and local department and funds and is not a superfund clean-up site. In 1997, the Monmouth County Park System bought 378 acre of the closed Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital land. The intent is to create a regional park, similar to Holmdel Park. It is also expected to be home to part of the Henry Hudson Trail. The plans for the property have not been completed, in part due to potential environmental contamination. Preliminary environmental studies by Birdsall Engineering found asbestos and oil contamination on the grounds. The land is contaminated with arsenic, reportedly a byproduct of farming. In an attempt to further classify the contamination, the Luis Berger Group has done further testing on this site. They are reporting that the arsenic found on the site is "actually a naturally occurring condition in local and regional soil in this area". Additionally they reported that the site contamination found in the prior study was caused by a number of factors, including a former septic system (Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital discharged the effluent from the hospital into Big Brook ), pesticide mixing building, fuel oil underground storage tank, and construction debris. This evaluation made the following recommendations to the NJDEP:
 * Tank storage closure and removal—Excavation of surficial soils along with post excavation sampling
 * Removal of septic systems
 * Asbestos abatement
 * Wetlands restoration

Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital
The site of the closed Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital has on-site contamination—it is not considered a Superfund clean-up site. Mayor Jonathan Hornik estimates it could cost more than $11 million to clean up. Mayor Jonathan Hornik stated that the state clearly has the responsibility for cleaning up the site. He however stated that, in the interest of getting it done, the township may have to show some flexibility in helping the state defray the costs. In addition to the contamination on the site, the old buildings from the hospital are now in a state of decay and plans were made to demolish them. By 2015 the property had been completely demolished. Buildings, streetlights, roads and underground structures were demolished and removed from the property.

Murray property
This site is being addressed through state and local funds and is not considered a Superfund clean-up site. The property is contaminated with an undisclosed substance. To clean up the contamination, 1,708 cubic yards of soil was removed. The site is located on Prescott Drive, Block 233 Lot 13.

Sister cities
Marlboro has two sister cities:
 * 🇯🇵 Nanto, Japan
 * 🇨🇳 Wujiang, China

Marlboro's first sister city, Nanto was formerly known as Jōhana (Nanto was formed after the merger of the towns of Fukuno, Inami and Jōhana). It was officially Marlboro's sister city in August 1991 as part of an agreement signed by mayor Saul Hornik with Johana's mayor.

Marlboro's second sister city, Wujiang is an urban city in Jiangsu Province of southeast China. It has been regarded for "The Land of Rice and Fish" and "The Capital of Silk". It is recently known for being the "Capital of Electronics". Wujiang officially became a sister city with Marlboro in December 2011.

There are youth exchanges with each of these cities. In February 2011, there were 41 exchange students from Wujiang City, China welcomed into the homes of Marlboro. They were also welcomed August 2012 and August 2014. However, beginning in 2014, exchange students from Wujiang City visit Marlboro every other summer.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Marlboro Township include:

 * John Boyd (1679–1708), the first Presbyterian minister ordained in America
 * Chris Carrino, sports play-by-play announcer
 * Robert J. Collier (1876–1918), Editor of Collier's Weekly who owned the publishing company P.F. Collier & Son
 * Alex DeJohn (born 1991), professional soccer player for Atlanta United
 * Frank Dicopoulos (born 1957), actor (Guiding Light)
 * Max Ehrich (born 1991), actor from High School Musical 3: Senior Year
 * Jeff Feuerzeig (born 1964), film screenwriter and director
 * Ronald "Monkey Man" Filocomo, Bonanno crime family associate, convicted murderer of Bonanno capo Dominick "Sonny Black" Napolitano
 * Josh Flitter (born 1994), actor most noted for starring in the movies The Greatest Game Ever Played and Nancy Drew
 * Elmer H. Geran (1875–1954), politician represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 1925 to 1927 after having served in the New Jersey General Assembly in 1911 and 1912
 * Hunter Gorskie (born 1991), professional soccer defender for the New York Cosmos
 * Mark Haines (1946–2011), host on the CNBC television network
 * Garret Hobart (1844–1899), 24th Vice President of the United States
 * Asher Holmes (1740–1808), Lived in Pleasant Valley... Colonel in the Revolutionary War who saw battle, elected first sheriff of Monmouth county and in 1774, he was appointed to the Committee of Correspondence (a forerunner to the Continental Congress)... He was a member of the state legislative council from 1786 to 1787
 * John D. Honce (1834–1915), member of the New Jersey General Assembly who was a champion of fisherman and clammers along the shore
 * Mike Kamerman, guitar player for the indie pop band Smallpools
 * Ellen Karcher (born 1964), New Jersey state senator from 2004 to 2008
 * Dan Klecko (born 1981), NFL Fullback for the Philadelphia Eagles
 * Jeff Kwatinetz (born 1965), Hollywood talent manager
 * Otandeka Laki (born 1996), footballer who plays as a winger and a striker for the Uganda women's national team
 * Craig Mazin (born 1971), screenwriter of Scary Movie 3 and Scary Movie 4
 * Idina Menzel (born 1971 as Idina Kim Mentzel), lived in Marlboro from kindergarten to third grade
 * Adam Mesh (born 1975), television reality show contestant on NBC's Average Joe and Average Joe: Adam Returns
 * Akash Modi (born 1995), artistic gymnast who represented the United States at the 2018 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships
 * Jim Nantz (born 1959), sportscaster
 * Declan O'Scanlon (born 1963), member of the New Jersey General Assembly since 2012
 * Kal Penn (born 1977), actor who has appeared in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and House
 * Melissa Rauch (born 1980), actress (The Big Bang Theory, Best Week Ever)
 * Tony Reali (born 1978), television personality and host (Around the Horn)
 * John Reid (1683–1723), County Judge and Surveyor-General of East Jersey who created one of the earliest surviving map of East Jersey in 1686 and was one of the first members elected to the New Jersey Assembly following its creation in 1702
 * Howie Roseman (born 1975), General Manager of the Philadelphia Eagles
 * Felicia Stoler, host of TLC's Honey, We're Killing the Kids
 * David Stone (born 1966), Broadway producer (Wicked and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee)
 * Rev. John Tennent (1707–1732), Presbyterian Minister who provided initial thought into the "Great Awakening" in Presbyterian theology. Buried at Old Scot's Burial Ground. A tablet, erected by the Presbyterian Synod of New Jersey in 1915 commemorates his life is near his grave.
 * Paul Wesley (born 1982), actor who has appeared on The Vampire Diaries
 * Sharnee Zoll-Norman (born 1986), point guard who has played for the Chicago Sky of the WNBA

title: Marlboro Township, New Jersey


text:
Matawan, New Jersey

Matawan is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A historic community located near the Raritan Bay in the much larger Raritan Valley region, the borough is a commuter town of New York City within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 9,565, an increase of 755 (+8.6%) from the 2010 census count of 8,810,  which in turn reflected a decline of 100 (−1.1%) from the 8,910 counted in the 2000 census.

Matawan was part of the Bayshore Regional Strategic Plan, an effort by nine municipalities in northern Monmouth County to reinvigorate the area's economy by emphasizing the traditional downtowns, dense residential neighborhoods, maritime history, and the natural beauty of the Raritan Bayshore coastline. The plan has since been integrated into the 2016 Monmouth County Master Plan. Matawan is a part of the New Jersey Transit Village Initiative, a type of residential-focused transit-oriented development focused around the Aberdeen-Matawan train station.

History
The Lenape Native Americans called the area "Mechananienk", which gave rise to the area being called "Matovancons" by Dutch settlers, from which derives the name "Matawan". The name may derive from a Lenape language word meaning "where two rivers come together" or it may originate from the Southern Unami Matawonge, "bad riverbank" or "bad hill", a possible reference to bluffs along Raritan Bay which were subject to erosion and collapse prior to the construction of a seawall in the 1970s. Another possible source is Matawan, Northern Unami for "bad fog", which may have referred to fog generated on Raritan Bay. Other possible meanings are "magician", "charmed skin" or "it arrives in a lake".

The community was established by Dutch settlers in the 17th century (Matawan celebrated a tricentennial in the 1980s). In 1686, Scotch-Irish settlers from New Hampshire later named the town New Aberdeen, and later Mount Pleasant. The town consisted with a church and a few houses around where southern Main Street and Freneau Avenue are. Neighboring Matawan Township reused the historic name in the 1970s when it changed its name to Aberdeen Township. As docks were built along Matawan Creek, which led to the area being called Middletown Point, which helped increase trade and commerce in the town. By the mid 18th century, the town became the main point of water-bound export and entry for Monmouth County. Over the course of the 18th century, the main center of the town moved north toward where it is today on Main Street. Some of Monmouth County's wealthiest merchants and tradesmen made their homes along Main Street during this time, many of which remain today.

On May 27, 1778, the Burrowes Mansion, which was built in 1723 and located on Main Street, and sold to wealthy grain merchant John "Corn King" Burrowes Sr. in 1769, was the site of a skirmish between the Patriots and the British during the Revolutionary War. The mansion is the site where the first New Jersey Company of the Continental Army formed, as John Burrowes Jr. trained local militia in his front yard. Local Patriots used whaleboats stored in Lake Matawan to attack British ships in the Raritan Bay. In response, British General Cortlandt Skinner, leading his Loyalist "Skinner's Greens", attacked Matawan with the (successful) intention of burning down the warehouses and mills owned by Burrowes and to capture Burrowes Jr. 200 Greens made their way from Sandy Hook, and greatly outnumbered the Matawan Patriots. Burrowes Jr. was able to avoid capture by swimming across Matawan Creek and hide, however Burrowes Sr. and several other Patriots were captured. Nearby, a house on Ravine Drive was owned by Samuel Forman, a wealthy merchant and Continental Army colonel and business partner with John Burrowes Sr. Forman had three sons, all of which became officers in the Continental Army, with the oldest Johnathan becoming a general. Of his four daughters, two married prominent local men, with Margaret marrying John Burrowes Jr. (where she was attacked by the loyalists during the skirmish at the Burrowes Mansion) and Eleanor marrying Philip Freneau, who was known as the "Poet of the Revolution". On May 23, 1779, there was another skirmish between the American militia and British troops near the Forman house, and the militia successfully forced the British to retreat down a hill and swim across the Matawan Creek into the Raritan Bay. The house became nicknamed the "Old Hospital" because many wounded soldiers were cared for in the house. In 1795, Philip Freneau established Monmouth County's first newspaper, the Jersey Chronicle. In the 1830s, with the invention of the steamboat, Matawan grew and prospered, as it allowed for goods to be more accessible to the New York regional market.

Between 1820 and 1870, property owners began subdividing their land, which led to a building boom with various new streets and homes opening up surrounding Main Street. Midway Alley, now Jackson Street, was opened in 1821 from Ravine Drive to Church Street. In 1833, Wycoff and Spring Streets were opened. In the 1840s Washington, Monroe, Franklin, Part of Jackson, Little, North, South, and Mill Streets were opened along with Rabbit Lane and Steamboat Alley. Broad Street, which used to be known as Second Street, was opened between Church and South Streets as well as a short piece off Little Street. By 1852 it was extended from Little to South Street and had been renamed Broad Street. The 1850s also saw the opening of Orchard, Center, Stillwell (then Division) and High Streets and Park Ave (then New St.) In the 1860s Clinton and Atlantic Streets were opened, as well as Hoyt Street and Johnson Avenue. Between 1830 and 1860, lumber mills, shipping warehouses, brickyards, and a ceramic industry which focused on pottery, stoneware, and tile were established. In 1865, due to postal confusion with Middletown, the Middletown Point post office was renamed "Matawan", to reflect the name of the Township. In 1869, David Bell began publishing the weekly Matawan Journal newspaper. Matawan's current character on Main Street formed during the late 19th century as schools, banks, stores, churches, and dwellings were formed on and around Main Street. The Matawan Train Station (later renamed Aberdeen-Matawan when the new station building was built on the Aberdeen side) was established in 1875, which helped sustain the town's prominence as a transportation center as Matawan Creek began silting, which led to a decline in ship commerce.

In 1857, the town of Middletown Point was renamed to Matavan Township after it was officially incorporated, being carved from Raritan Township, and was named after Matawan Creek. In 1882, Matavan was renamed Matawan. In 1883, a referendum to establish Matawan as a borough failed 93–79. In 1885, a referendum was held again, passing 144–133, although this was followed by years of opposition to the change. Matawan Borough was formed on June 28, 1895, from portions of Matawan Township (now Aberdeen Township), based on the results of a referendum held that day. Matawan expanded with portions of Matawan Township in 1931 and 1933, and from Madison Township (now Old Bridge Township) in 1939.

Despite being 11 mi from the Atlantic Ocean, Matawan was the site of three shark attacks on July 12, 1916, in Matawan Creek, causing two deaths. They closely followed an attack in Beach Haven on July 1 and one in Spring Lake on July 6 that were all part of the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916. Today, there is a shark mural located in Matawan Creek visible off High Street.

In 1894, an eight-room brick school building was built on the corner of Broad Street and South Street. In 1901, the most disastrous fire in Matawan history destroyed six buildings in the most major part of the business district. In 1923, Lake Matawan was created by damming Gravelly Brook. In 1924, the Matawan High School was built in the same location due to overcrowding concerns at the old school. In 1928, Matawan Creek was dammed to create Lake Lefferts. Also in 1928, Memorial Park was established to honor World War I veterans. In 1929, The Phyllis Wheatley Club, an organization for black women, is formed with 23 members. In 1930, Henry S. Terhune gifted Terhune Park between Main and Broad Streets. In 1938, the current Post Office is built on Main Street. In 1954, the Matawan First Aid and Rescue Squad is established. In 1962, the current Matawan Regional High School was built on Atlantic Avenue in Matawan Township. For the previous two centuries, area surrounding Main Street and its immediate vicinity mostly consisted of farmland and woodland, but around the mid 20th century suburban development brought suburban divisions and highways into the town. In 1988, a Ceronics Inc manufacturing plant on Main Street was destroyed by a fire. In July 1988, the 82 year old Dell's Meat Market closed. In August 1988, Rose Hill Cemetery, which held many famous locals dating back to 1802, was restored. In September 1988, Matawan celebrated its 300th anniversary.

Matawan played an important role in aviation navigation history. In 1944, the first operational Visual Aural Range (VAR) was installed at Matawan. Designed in 1937 at the Bureau of Air Commerce's research center, this system operated in the VHF band around 63 mHz and was an incremental improvement over prior aviation navigation systems such as the four-course radio range. VAR was later redeveloped into VOR.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the borough had a total area of 2.41 square miles (6.24 km2), including 2.27 square miles (5.87 km2) of land and 0.14 square miles (0.37 km2) of water (5.89%). The borough is at the northwest corner of Monmouth County and is the second-highest part of Monmouth County.

Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the borough include Freneau and Oak Shades.

The borough borders Aberdeen Township and Marlboro Township in Monmouth County, as well as Old Bridge Township in Middlesex County. Matawan divides Aberdeen Township into two non-contiguous sections, with a small wedge-shaped exclave on the township's southwest corner separated from the rest of the township by a portion of Matawan located on the opposite side of Route 79.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 8,810 people, 3,358 households, and 2,280 families in the borough. The population density was 3,896.6 per square mile (1,504.5/km2). There were 3,606 housing units at an average density of 1,594.9 per square mile (615.8/km2). The racial makeup was 80.98% (7,134) White, 7.04% (620) Black or African American, 0.11% (10) Native American, 6.41% (565) Asian, 0.01% (1) Pacific Islander, 2.77% (244) from other races, and 2.68% (236) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.77% (949) of the population.

Of the 3,358 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18; 53.0% were married couples living together; 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present and 32.1% were non-families. Of all households, 24.7% were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.15.

22.6% of the population were under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38.3 years. For every 100 females, the population had 94.5 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 90.8 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–10 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $68,375 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,318) and the median family income was $85,677 (+/− $6,353). Males had a median income of $57,376 (+/− $10,034) versus $42,255 (+/− $14,121) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $39,773 (+/− $5,834). About 3.5% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 8,910 people, 3,531 households, and 2,376 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,909.1 PD/sqmi. There were 3,640 housing units at an average density of 1,597.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the borough was 82.35% White, 6.53% African American, 0.02% Native American, 7.99% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.23% from other races, and 1.85% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.45% of the population.

There were 3,531 households, out of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the borough the population was spread out, with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 36.4% from 25 to 44, 23.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.

The median income for a household in the borough was $63,594, and the median income for a family was $72,183. Males had a median income of $51,924 versus $37,113 for females. The per capita income for the borough was $30,320. About 3.8% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Arts and Culture
Matawan was ranked by BusinessWeek magazine at #12 in the nation on their list of "The 50 Best Places to Raise Your Kids" in November 2007. In 2023, an analysis using FBI statistics on small town safety determined that Matawan was the 194th safest small town in the United States.

According to the Monmouth County Master Plan, Matawan has been designated as an upcoming Arts, Cultural, and Entertainment (ACE) Hub, which is defined as municipalities that have a high concentration of arts and cultural activities to serve as a destination for both visitors and locals, usually including an active nightlife scene in proximity to said cultural activities. Only eight towns in Monmouth County share this designation. Additionally, Matawan is a part of the MoCo Arts Corridor, an initiative to designate the towns along the North Jersey Coast Line as regional destinations for arts, with the ACE hubs being the more prominent points along the corridor.

Matawan has several community events throughout the year. The largest event, Matawan Day, takes place annually in October on Main Street, consisting of stands and booths hosted by numerous local businesses, organizations, and artisans; music, a DJ, and live performers; a beer and wine garden; food vendors and trucks; food eating contests; and numerous activities for kids. Between June and October, Matawan hosts a farmers' market every Friday in front of the municipal building. The town also hosts an annual town-wide yard sale in May and the "Blues and Cruise Night" annual car show in May. Matawan hosts an event for most holidays, including New Jersey's shortest St. Patricks Day Parade, an annual Easter egg hunt, an Arbor Day tree planting celebration, a Memorial Day parade, an annual 9/11 memorial service, Halloween home decorating contest and ghost tours, Thanksgiving turkey trots, and annual Christmas tree lighting and home decorating contest.

Matawan's primary historic site is the Maj. John Burrowes Mansion museum located on Main Street, a 1723 Georgian style mansion that housed Maj. John Burrowes, a Revolutionary War major. The mansion is the site where the first New Jersey Company of the Continental Army formed. During the war, the British attacked the site in 1778. It has been designated a part of the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. Main Street and surrounding streets contains dozens of historical houses and buildings dating back to the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries. The architectural styles vary a lot, producing a great variety of styles to look at, including Greek Revival, Queen Anne, Italianate, Victorian Gothic, Victorian Stick, Folk Victorian, French Second Empire, Federal, Colonial, Beaux Arts, and Georgian styles. In nearby neighborhoods such as Claire Court and Tina Place off Franeau Avenue, all of the houses are modern bright, colorful, Victorian-style houses. Matawan Historical Society provides information about historical residents who lived in many of the houses and buildings, most of which are privately owned today.

Parks and recreation
Matawan is the northern terminus of the middle segment of the Henry Hudson Trail, and the western terminus of the eastern section. Views of Lake Matawan are visible on the northern end along Main Street and Broad Street by Memorial Park, as well as on the southern end on the Little Street bridge, while the rest of it is bordered by houses or trees.

Matawan has ten parks within its borders, including:

 * Lake Lefferts, a lake with a boat launch, fishing docks, and canoe, kayak, and paddleboat rentals
 * Memorial Park, a park with several memorials, including local firemen, 9/11, a WW1 statue, the 1916 shark attacks, and a memorial wall commemorating veterans from WW2 onwards
 * Gravelly Brook Park, a playground, soccer/baseball field, basketball courts, and bathrooms
 * Clinton Street Youth Center, a basketball court, handball wall, and playground
 * Jeremiah E. Hourihan Field, a ballfield and playground
 * Joseph Penniplede Park, a basketball court, playground, and handball wall
 * Terhune Park, a playground
 * The Pocket Park, a small park next to the Post Office
 * Toomer Baseball Field
 * Freneau Baseball Field

Local government
Matawan is governed under the borough 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 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 includes 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. The borough form of government used by Matawan is a "weak mayor / 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 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.

, the mayor of Matawan is Democrat Joseph Altomonte whose term of office ends December 31, 2023. Members of the Matawan Borough Council are Council President Deana Gunn (D, 2023), Stephanie Buckel (D, 2023), Brian Livesey (D, 2025), Charles Ross (R, 2024), Steven Russell (D, 2025) and Melanie Wang (R, 2024).

In July 2019, Brian Livesey was appointed to fill the seat expiring in December 2021 that become vacant following the death of David Vergaretti the previous month; Livesey will serve on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when voters will select a candidate to serve the balance of the term of office. In the November 2019 general election, Livesey ran and won a full three-year term while John Lazar was elected to serve the balance of Vergaretti's term of office.

Federal, state and county representation
Matawan is located in the 6th Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 12th state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,315 registered voters in Matawan, of which 1,355 (25.5%) were registered as Democrats, 1,136 (21.4%) were registered as Republicans and 2,820 (53.1%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 4 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens.
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In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 52.1% of the vote (1,937 cast), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 46.6% (1,732 votes), and other candidates with 1.3% (50 votes), among the 3,753 ballots cast by the borough's 5,667 registered voters (34 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 66.2%. In the 2008 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 49.9% of the vote (2,090 cast), ahead of Republican John McCain with 47.3% (1,983 votes) and other candidates with 1.4% (57 votes), among the 4,188 ballots cast by the borough's 5,604 registered voters, for a turnout of 74.7%. In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 52.3% of the vote (2,081 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 47.3% (1,880 votes) and other candidates with 0.5% (29 votes), among the 3,978 ballots cast by the borough's 5,440 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 73.1.

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 68.2% of the vote (1,638 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 30.3% (727 votes), and other candidates with 1.5% (37 votes), among the 2,432 ballots cast by the borough's 5,678 registered voters (30 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.8%. In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 58.0% of the vote (1,639 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 32.5% (920 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 7.5% (213 votes) and other candidates with 1.2% (35 votes), among the 2,827 ballots cast by the borough's 5,377 registered voters, yielding a 52.6% turnout.

Education
Matawan is part of the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District (MARSD), which also serves students from the neighboring community of Aberdeen Township. The district is a comprehensive system comprising??? seven schools, which includes one preschool, three elementary schools grades K–3, one 4–5 school, one middle school grades 6–8, one high school grades 9–12. As of the 2018–19 school year, the district, comprised of seven schools, had an enrollment of 3,827 students and 324.1 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.8:1. Schools in the district (with 2018–19 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics ) are Cambridge Park Developmental Learning Center (12 students; Preschool), Cliffwood Elementary School (320; K–3), Ravine Drive Elementary School (326; K–3 – in Matawan), Strathmore Elementary School (397; K–3), Lloyd Road Elementary School (614; 4–5), Matawan Aberdeen Middle School (888; 6–8) and Matawan Regional High School (1,112; 9–12 – in Matawan). The MARSD Central Offices are located at 1 Crest Way, in Aberdeen. Seats on the district's nine-member board of education are allocated based on the population of the constituent municipalities, with three assigned to Matawan.

Roads and highways
, the borough had a total of 31.45 mi of roadways, of which 24.37 mi were maintained by the municipality, 4.50 mi by Monmouth County and 2.50 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Matawan is traversed by Route 34, Route 79 and County Route 516. The Garden State Parkway skirts the northern end of the borough (with the southbound lanes only passing through briefly); the nearest exits are exits 118 and 120.

Public transportation
In the late 20th century, Matawan became known for its heavily used train station at Aberdeen-Matawan. Commuter rail service is available on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast Line, which attracts riders from all over western Monmouth County and provides service to New York City's Penn Station, either directly or via Secaucus Junction. Aberdeen-Matawan station is the busiest station in Monmouth County, having roughly 2,500 daily boardings.

NJ Transit also provides bus service to the Port Authority Bus Terminal in Midtown Manhattan via two routes, the 133, which also stops in Old Bridge and Aberdeen, and the 135, which also stops in Freehold, Marlboro, and Aberdeen.

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Matawan include:

 * Monica Aksamit (born 1990), saber fencer who won a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in the Women's Saber Team event
 * Joseph D. Bedle (1821–1894), 23rd Governor of New Jersey, in office from 1875 to 1878
 * Ryan Buggle (born 2010), actor and dancer who has appeared on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.
 * Gerard Canonico (born 1989), stage actor
 * Connor Clifton (born 1995), ice hockey defenseman for the Boston Bruins of the NHL
 * Robert D. Clifton (born 1968), member of the New Jersey General Assembly who was Mayor of Matawan from 1996 to 2005
 * Terry Deitz (born 1959), third-place finisher on Survivor: Panama
 * Doug Emhoff (born 1964), lawyer, first second gentlemen of the United States, married to Vice President Kamala Harris
 * Edward P. Felt (1959–2001), passenger aboard United Airlines Flight 93 who is believed to have made one of the last calls to 9-1-1 immediately prior to the fatal crash of the jetliner
 * Philip Freneau (1752–1832), poet during the American Revolutionary War
 * Elmer H. Geran (1875–1964), represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 1925 to 1927
 * Delores Holmes (born 1946), soul singer
 * Erison Hurtault (born 1984), 400m Olympian track runner
 * Jim Jeffcoat (born 1961), professional football player for the Dallas Cowboys and the Buffalo Bills from 1983 to 1997
 * Howard Kremer (born 1971), comedian and comedic rapper
 * Bob McKenty, poet
 * Richard Reines, recording industry executive who is co-owner of Drive-Thru Records, a record label specializing largely in pop punk music
 * William H. Sutphin (1887–1972), represented New Jersey's 3rd congressional district from 1931 to 1943, and was mayor of Matawan from 1915 to 1916 and 1921 to 1926
 * Tammy Lynn Sytch (born 1972), professional wrestling manager best known for her time in the World Wrestling Federation as the character, Sunny
 * Thom Wasluck, musician and singer-songwriter who known for his music project Planning for Burial
 * Jacqueline Walker (born 1941), politician who served in the New Jersey General Assembly from 1984 to 1986
 * Greg Wyshynski (born 1977), sportswriter
 * Jimmy Yacabonis (born 1992), professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Mets

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title: Matawan, New Jersey