The Middletown Township Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Middletown, New Jersey, one of the oldest European settlements in the state. Founded in 1968, we are independent of the municipality of Middletown Township, and are registered as a non-profit 501(c)(3). We are governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees and Officers.
Please read more about the history of the Middletown Township Historical Society below, and if you'd like to become a member, make a donation, or become a volunteer, please visit our Contribute or Contact pages. |
Our History
A group of concerned citizens began to organize in 1967 to save the Seabrook-Wilson House (then known at the White House, and later as the Spy House) in the Port Monmouth neighborhood. The centuries-old house was owned by the town, and it had fallen into extreme disrepair and was a frequent target of vandals.
The Middletown Township Historical Society was officially registered with the State of New Jersey as a non-profit corporation on May 28, 1968, with federal 501(c)(3) status following. The group immediately went to work to secure the house, and by 1970 the newly-christened Shoal Harbor Marine Museum served as the Society's headquarters and meeting place and had opened to the public as a marine and folk museum. |
However, the Society had aspirations beyond the one museum-- they wanted to make the immediate area into a historic village by importing other historic, endangered buildings from elsewhere in town. By 1974, three other buildings had been moved to the nascent complex, including the Leedsville General store from Lincroft and a barber shop from Port Monmouth. However, it was in 1975 that the Middletown Township Historical Society formally parted ways with the museum complex, mainly due to differences with its curator. Some volunteers split off to form other groups which continued to run the museum into the 1990s. It is now operated by Monmouth County Parks as an activity center within Bayshore Waterfront Park.
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Though the Society was without a home, it remained active by presenting speakers at locations throughout town. In the early 1980s, the Society began to hold meetings in the township-owned MacLeod-Rice House on the campus of the former Croydon Hall school in Leonardo. On April 25, 1983 the township formally executed a lease which allowed the Society to occupy the first floor of the house to use as its headquarters, meeting place, museum, and library.
The new space reinvigorated the Society: fundraising drives got underway to repair and improve the old building, a bimonthly newsletter was produced, monthly speaker events were scheduled, the archive grew, and the museum housed a rotation of exhibits. |
The Society remained in the Macleod-Rice House until September, 2013, when the town required the building to be vacated. With its home of 30 years now off-limits, the Society once again became non-landed. Monthly speaker events continued, first held at the Nature Center in Poricy Park, and now at the Middletown Township Public Library and online.
The Middletown Township Historical Society celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018 with a reconstituted board that updated its bylaws, improved public outreach, and increased funding. The Society plans to continue to grow so it can better serve its mission of preserving and promoting the history of Middletown, New Jersey. |
Board of Trustees & Officers:
Thomas Valenti - President
Peter VanNortwick - Vice President
Gail Nelsen - Treasurer
James Hinckley - Secretary
Raymond J. Veth
Thomas Valenti - President
Peter VanNortwick - Vice President
Gail Nelsen - Treasurer
James Hinckley - Secretary
Raymond J. Veth
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Middletown Township Historical Society is a nonprofit New Jersey corporation with federal 501(c)(3) status. Contributions may be tax deductible as allowed by federal and state law; please consult a tax advisor. Middletown Township Historical Society is not affiliated with the government of Middletown Township, NJ and is not responsible for the content of any of the links included in this website.
Copyright 2024 PO Box 180 Middletown, NJ 07748 |