http://www.app.com/app/story/0,21625,886152,00.html
Published in the Asbury Park Press 1/12/04
By ED PRINCE
STAFF WRITER
Call it the incredible shrinking township. Once a geographic giant encompassing most of present-day Monmouth and Ocean counties, Shrewsbury Township has been whittled away over the centuries to one of the state's smallest towns, a village of three streets and a single store.
One of the three original towns of Monmouth County, Shrewsbury Township was created in 1693 along with Middletown and Freehold townships.
Monmouth, which had been formed in 1664, included most of present-day Ocean County. Middletown covered the northern part of the county, Freehold the west, and Shrewsbury the rest.
Extending from the Navesink River to Little Egg Harbor, Shrewsbury Township soon began to splinter as settlers arrived and sought their own local governments.
The first to secede was Upper Freehold Township, formed in 1730 from sections of both Shrewsbury and Freehold townships.
Stafford -- including present-day Eagleswood and Waretown -- split off in 1749.
Carved out in 1767, Dover Township included present-day Manchester, Berkeley, Lacey, Lakewood, Jackson and Plumsted townships, part of Brick Township, and the boroughs of Island Heights, Beachwood, South Toms River, Ocean Gate and Pine Beach.
Howell Township was formed in 1801. Its own progeny would include Wall Township and the boroughs of Farmingdale, Belmar, Manasquan, Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Brielle, South Belmar and Spring Lake Heights.
Atlantic Township, which later changed its name to Colts Neck, left in 1847.
Ocean Township, created in 1849, eventually gave rise to Eatontown, Oceanport, West Long Branch, Neptune Township, Neptune City, Bradley Beach, Asbury Park, Avon, Ocean Grove, Sea Bright, Deal, Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, Interlaken and Loch Arbour.
The process didn't stop after the 19th century.
Shrewsbury broke off in 1926, and New Shrewsbury, a borough that later changed its name to Tinton Falls, left in 1950.
All that was left of Shrewsbury Township was less than a square mile of military housing built for nearby Fort Monmouth -- an enclave of three roads with a single entrance off of Shrewsbury Avenue.
Today the tiny township comprises three housing developments: the Alfred Vail Mutual Association, 265 units of former military housing built in the 1940s; the Shrewsbury Arms Apartments, which has 165 units, and the 120 town houses of Shrewsbury Woods. Total population: slightly more than 1,000.
The final separation came with a twist on a slogan from the Revolutionary War.
According to Joyce Fertig, deputy Shrewsbury Township historian, New Shrewsbury property owners resented that residents of the base housing did not have to pay property taxes.
For a town that was already old when the battle cry "No taxation without representation" rang out, the final cut came with the cry of "No representation without taxation."
Published in the Asbury Park Press 1/12/04
By ED PRINCE
STAFF WRITER
Call it the incredible shrinking township. Once a geographic giant encompassing most of present-day Monmouth and Ocean counties, Shrewsbury Township has been whittled away over the centuries to one of the state's smallest towns, a village of three streets and a single store.
One of the three original towns of Monmouth County, Shrewsbury Township was created in 1693 along with Middletown and Freehold townships.
Monmouth, which had been formed in 1664, included most of present-day Ocean County. Middletown covered the northern part of the county, Freehold the west, and Shrewsbury the rest.
Extending from the Navesink River to Little Egg Harbor, Shrewsbury Township soon began to splinter as settlers arrived and sought their own local governments.
The first to secede was Upper Freehold Township, formed in 1730 from sections of both Shrewsbury and Freehold townships.
Stafford -- including present-day Eagleswood and Waretown -- split off in 1749.
Carved out in 1767, Dover Township included present-day Manchester, Berkeley, Lacey, Lakewood, Jackson and Plumsted townships, part of Brick Township, and the boroughs of Island Heights, Beachwood, South Toms River, Ocean Gate and Pine Beach.
Howell Township was formed in 1801. Its own progeny would include Wall Township and the boroughs of Farmingdale, Belmar, Manasquan, Spring Lake, Sea Girt, Brielle, South Belmar and Spring Lake Heights.
Atlantic Township, which later changed its name to Colts Neck, left in 1847.
Ocean Township, created in 1849, eventually gave rise to Eatontown, Oceanport, West Long Branch, Neptune Township, Neptune City, Bradley Beach, Asbury Park, Avon, Ocean Grove, Sea Bright, Deal, Long Branch, Monmouth Beach, Interlaken and Loch Arbour.
The process didn't stop after the 19th century.
Shrewsbury broke off in 1926, and New Shrewsbury, a borough that later changed its name to Tinton Falls, left in 1950.
All that was left of Shrewsbury Township was less than a square mile of military housing built for nearby Fort Monmouth -- an enclave of three roads with a single entrance off of Shrewsbury Avenue.
Today the tiny township comprises three housing developments: the Alfred Vail Mutual Association, 265 units of former military housing built in the 1940s; the Shrewsbury Arms Apartments, which has 165 units, and the 120 town houses of Shrewsbury Woods. Total population: slightly more than 1,000.
The final separation came with a twist on a slogan from the Revolutionary War.
According to Joyce Fertig, deputy Shrewsbury Township historian, New Shrewsbury property owners resented that residents of the base housing did not have to pay property taxes.
For a town that was already old when the battle cry "No taxation without representation" rang out, the final cut came with the cry of "No representation without taxation."
