Middletown Township, New Jersey

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Middletown Township is a township in northern Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township was the state's 20th-most-populous municipality and the largest in the county,<ref name=Largest2020>Table1. New Jersey Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships: 2020 and 2010 Censuses, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref> with a population of 67,106,<ref name=Census2020/><ref name=LWD2020/> an increase of 584 (+0.9%) from the 2010 census count of 66,522,<ref name=Census2010/><ref name=LWD2010/> which in turn reflected an increase of 195 residents (0.3%) from its population of 66,327 at the 2000 census, when it was the state's 17th-most-populous municipality.<ref name=Census2010XLS>The Counties and Most Populous Cities and Townships in 2010 in New Jersey: 2000 and 2010, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 12, 2012.</ref><ref>Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010, New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

Middletown is a bedroom community of New York City, located alongside of the Raritan Bay within the Raritan Valley region in the New York metropolitan area.<ref>Capuzzo, Jill P. "Living In; Middletown, N.J.: Plenty of Space, and a Slower Pace", The New York Times, Published: October 17, 2018. Accessed May 14, 2023.</ref> Due to its affluence, low crime, access to cultural activities, public school system, location at the Jersey Shore and Raritan Bayshore, and central commuting location, Middletown was ranked in 2006, 2008, 2010, and 2014 in the Top 100 in CNNMoney.com's Best Places to Live.<ref>Best places to live 2006: New Jersey, CNNMoney.com. Accessed October 17, 2006.</ref><ref>Best places to live 2008: New Jersey, CNNMoney.com. Accessed January 10, 2011.</ref><ref>Best places to live 2010: New Jersey, CNNMoney.com. Accessed January 10, 2011.</ref><ref>Brown, Caitlin. "Money Magazine Names Middletown One of Best Places to Live in Northeast Region; Middletown was the only town named in Monmouth and Ocean Counties.", Middletown Patch, October 8, 2014. Accessed May 1, 2015. "A low crime rate, great schools, and access to an abundance of cultural and leisure activities are among the reasons that Money magazine has recognized Middletown as one of the best places to live in New Jersey and the Northeast Region in particular, said Mayor Stephanie C. Murray."</ref> Time magazine listed Middletown on its list of "Best Places to Live 2014".<ref>Template:Usurped, Time, September 9, 2014. Accessed May 1, 2015.</ref>

In 2016, SafeWise named Middletown Township as the fifth-safest city in America to raise a child; the township was the highest ranked of the 12 communities in New Jersey included on the list.<ref>Maurer, Caroline. "The 30 Safest Cities to Raise a Child – 2016", SafeWise, June 27, 2016. Accessed August 22, 2016.</ref>

HistoryEdit

Small communities of the Lenape Navesink tribe were common throughout the area when the first known European landing in what would become Middletown Township occurred in 1609. Sea captain and explorer Henry Hudson, in search of the mythical Northwest Passage in the service of the Dutch West India Company, anchored along the shores of Sandy Hook Bay in 1609, describing the area "a very good land to fall in with and a pleasant land to see."<ref name=Thinking1995 /> While a patroonship was granted by the company in 1651 the land wasn't officially settled. Today's Shoal Harbor Museum and Old Spy House includes portions of a house constructed by Thomas Whitlock, one of the area's first European settlers (and a Reformed Baptist at Middletown<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>) who arrived here as early as 1664,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> around the time of the English takeover of New Netherland as a prelude of the Second Anglo-Dutch War.<ref name=Thinking1995 /> Long-standing tradition had Penelope Stout, one of the first settlers, hiding in a tree from hostile Native Americans.<ref>Stockton, Frank R. Story of Penelope Stout. Accessed June 5, 2007.</ref>

Shortly after the Dutch surrender of the New Netherland to the English in 1664 a large tract of land known as the Navesink Patent or Monmouth Tract was granted to Baptist and Quaker settlers from Long Island, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. In 1693 the triangular tract became three townships – Middletown Township, Shrewsbury Township and Freehold Township.<ref>Salter's History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties New Jersey: The First Legislative Assembly in New Jersey.</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Middletown and Shrewsbury |work=Using the Records of East and West Jersey Proprietors |publisher=New Jersey Department of State Division of Archives and Records Management |url=http://www.state.nj.us/state/archives/pdf/proprietors.pdf |access-date=March 1, 2012 |quote=Middletown & Shrewsbury, 1665 (a.k.a. Navesink or Monmouth Patent) – In April 1665, twelve men, principally from Long Island, obtained a triangular tract from Governor Nicolls extending from Sandy Hook to the mouth of the Raritan River, up the river approximately twenty-five miles, then southwest to Barnegat Bay. The area was first known as Navesink, then Middletown and Shrewsbury County, and finally in 1683 as Monmouth County. Founders were mostly Baptists and Quakers. Purchasers at Middletown and Shrewsbury subscribed £3 or £4, which entitled them to 120 acres with additional increments for wives and children, and 60 acres for each servant. As many as eighty families arrived from Long Island, Rhode Island and Massachusetts during the first years. Quaker meetings were established by 1670. Settlers understood their patent to have endowed them with a right of government.}}</ref>

During the American Revolutionary War, Middletown and much of the rest of Eastern Monmouth County was held by the British. After the Battle of Monmouth, the British retreat from Freehold Township carried them down King's Highway through Middletown to their embarkation points at Sandy Hook in the bay, heading back to New York City.<ref name=Thinking1995 /><ref>Jordan, Bob. Template:Usurped, Asbury Park Press, November 15, 2001. Accessed June 29, 2012. "It was originally part of the Minisink Indian Trail and was later the route followed by British troops after their defeat at the Battle of Monmouth."</ref>

Middletown Township was originally formed on October 31, 1693, and was incorporated as a township by the Township Act of 1798 of the New Jersey Legislature on February 21, 1798. Portions of the township were taken to form Atlantic Township (February 8, 1847, now Colts Neck Township), Raritan Township (February 25, 1848, now Hazlet), Atlantic Highlands (February 28, 1887), Highlands (March 22, 1900) and Keansburg (March 22, 1917).<ref name="Story">Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606–1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 182. Accessed May 30, 2024.</ref>

Upon the completion of a railroad junction in 1875, the town grew more rapidly, eventually changing from a group of small and loosely connected fishing and agricultural villages into a fast-growing suburb at the turn of the 20th century. If Middletown ever had a recognizable town center or town square, it was lost in that rapid growth soon after World War II.

In May 1958, several Nike Ajax missiles exploded at Battery NY-53 in Chapel Hill, killing ten Army and civilian personnel. The accident was one of the worst missile-related disasters of the Cold War.<ref>Passeggio, Alyssa. "Fifty years later, residents remember M'town explosion", The Courier May 29, 2008. May 31, 2008.</ref><ref>Becker, Bill. "Experts Seeking Clues To Blast; Comb Nike Area in Wake of Explosion That Killed 10 – Meyner Gets Assurances", The New York Times, May 24, 1958. Accessed June 29, 2012. "An Army board of inquiry and ordnance experts combed the Nike launching base near Middletown, N. J., yesterday for clues to the cause of the eight-missile explosion that took ten lives Thursday."</ref>

During the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Middletown lost 37 of its residents at the World Trade Center,<ref name="911Middletown">World Trade Center Memorial Gardens, Middletown Township. Accessed June 27, 2022. "Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on September 10, 2002. The Memorial Gardens were opened to the public on September 11, 2003."</ref> which was the second-most 9/11 deaths of any municipality, behind New York City itself.<ref>Rogin, Ali. "Middletown lost the most residents on 9/11 after NYC. Here’s how the community is healing", PBC News Hour, September 7, 2021. Accessed June 27, 2022. "One hundred and forty-seven county residents died that day, their names inscribed on the monument's base; 37 were from Middletown, the most of any municipality outside of New York City."</ref><ref>Baldwin, Carly. "Middletown WTC Memorial Garden Receives 9/11 Survivor Tree", Middletown, NJ Patch, May 17, 2022. Accessed June 27, 2022. ""</ref><ref>Erminio, Vinessa. "Faces of the New Jersey victims of Sept. 11: A tribute in photos to 734 victims with ties to the Garden State", nj.com, September 11, 2021. Accessed July 2, 2023.</ref> The World Trade Center Memorial Gardens were opened to the public on September 11, 2003, the second anniversary of the attacks.<ref name="911Middletown"/>

The Waterfront site of Naval Weapons Station Earle is located in Leonardo on Sandy Hook Bay, and is used to load ammunition onto ships on a finger pier that stretches for Template:Convert, making it the world's second-longest such pier.<ref>Getting Here, Naval Weapons Station Earle. Accessed June 29, 2012. "NWS Earle's Waterfront site, which boasts the second longest finger pier in the world, is located on Sandy Hook Bay adjacent to the town of Leonardo. The entrance to the Waterfront is off New Jersey State Highway 36. The 2.9-mile finger pier complex, the only one of its type in the United States, is outfitted with excellent rail and truck accommodations."</ref>

The "Evil Clown of Middletown" is a towering sign along Route 35 painted to resemble a circus clown, that currently advertises a liquor store. The sign is a remnant of an old supermarket that used to be at that location called "Food Circus". The clown and recent successful attempts from residents to save it from demolition have been featured in the pages of Weird NJ magazine, on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and in the Kevin Smith-directed film Clerks II.<ref>Opinion. Template:Usurped, Asbury Park Press, July 17, 2011. Accessed June 29, 2012. "According to the current issue of Weird N.J. magazine, the Circus Foodtown Co., which owns the property on which the Evil Clown stands, is marketing a line of T-shirts featuring a depiction of what the magazine refers to as 'his evilness.'"</ref>

The Indian Trails 15K road race is held each year in April to benefit the Monmouth Conservation Foundation and includes a 5K walk/run event for fun. The race, run on a combination on paved and dirt roads, includes many relatively steep hills and has been described as "the most challenging race in the state".<ref>Staff. Template:Usurped, Daily Record, March 26, 2006. Accessed June 29, 2012. "One of my favorites is the Indian Trails 15K in Middletown on Sunday, April 2nd. With its extreme hills, it has to be the most challenging race in the state, and also the most fun if you are a good downhill runner."</ref>

The Middletown Township Historical Society is a non-profit formed in 1968 to preserve and promote the history of Middletown.<ref>About the Middletown Township Historical Society</ref>

GalleryEdit

Seabrook-Wilson House with an evening backdrop.jpg

The Seabrook-Wilson House was built in 1663 and is one of the oldest surviving structures in New Jersey
MARLPIT, MIDDLETOWN, MONMOUTH COUNTY NJ.jpg

Accessed October 19, 2020</ref>
Sandy Hook Lighthouse, Spring 2021.jpg

Sandy Hook Light was built in 1764. It is the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States.<ref>Sandy Hook Maritime Structures, National Park Service. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref>
New Monmouth Baptist Church.jpg

Middletown was settled as a place of refuge for Baptists from Long Island and New England.<ref>The Baptists of New Jersey Baptist History Homepage, The Baptist Encyclopedia, 1881. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref> Pictured is the New Monmouth Baptist Church, established in 1855.<ref>Home Page, New Monmouth Baptist Church. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref>
Thomas Lloyd House, Brookdale Farm, NJ.jpg

The Thomas Lloyd House at Brookdale Farm
Tatum Park.jpg

The Holland Activity Center at Tatum Park, the former homestead of the prestigious Tatum family
Union Schoolhouse.JPG

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Deep Cut Gardens rose garden.jpg

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World Trade Center Memorial - Middletown, NJ (50064361).jpg

World Trade Center Memorial Gardens in Middletown, which had the second-highest number of residents killed at 37 during the September 11th attacks, behind New York City<ref name="911Middletown"/>

GeographyEdit

File:Huber Woods Park Environmental Center.jpg

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According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 58.72 square miles (152.09 km²), including 40.95 square miles (106.06 km²) of land and 17.78 square miles (46.04 km²) of water (30.27%).<ref name=CensusArea/><ref name=GR1 />

Other unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include Browns Dock, Chapel Hill, East Keansburg, Everett, Fort Hancock, Harmony, Headdons Corner, Hendrickson Corners,Template:Citation needed Highland Park, Highlands Beach, Highlands of Navesink, Holland,Template:Citation needed Leonardville, Locust, Locust Point, Monmouth Hills,Template:Citation needed New Monmouth, Normandie, Oak Hill, Philips Mills, Red Hill,Template:Citation needed River Plaza,Template:Citation needed Stone Church,Template:Citation needed Tiltons Corner, Town Brook, Waterwitch Park and Wilmont Park.<ref>Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2015.</ref>

File:Sandy Hook NJ aerial.jpg

Sandy Hook barrier spit as seen from an airplane (looking west) on its approach to JFK International Airport in Queens, New York.

The Sandy Hook peninsula is also within Middletown Township, though it is not connected to the rest of the township by land. However, one could sail along Raritan Bay from the mainland to Sandy Hook and remain within Middletown Township.<ref name=Thinking1995 /><ref>Per "Thinking", 1995: "During the Revolutionary War, the British held Sandy Hook, a seven-mile finger of land in Raritan Bay that is part of Middletown even though it is not connected to the municipality."</ref>

The township borders the Monmouth County communities of Atlantic Highlands, Colts Neck, Fair Haven, Hazlet, Highlands, Holmdel, Keansburg, Red Bank, Rumson, Sea Bright and Tinton Falls.<ref>Areas touching Middletown Township, MapIt. Accessed February 27, 2020.</ref><ref>Regional Location Map, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed February 27, 2020.</ref><ref>New Jersey Municipal Boundaries, New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.</ref>

Poricy Creek (Poricy Park, Oak Hill Road) is locally well known for its deposits of Cretaceous marine fossils, including belemnites.<ref>Staff. Template:Usurped, Asbury Park Press, August 20, 2003. Accessed June 29, 2012. "Ankle deep in the waters of Poricy Brook – which runs through the Oak Hill Road park – fossil hunters sifted through the dirt hoping to find an ancient oyster shell called a Pycnodonte, or a prized Belemnite – a reddish brown, cone-shaped fossil from an ancient squid."</ref> Deep Cut Gardens, a public botanical garden and the former estate of mobster Vito Genovese is located in Middletown,<ref name="DeepCutHistory" /> as is Huber Woods Park, the former estate of the Huber family, Tatum Park, Thompson Park and parts of Hartshorne Woods Park.<ref name="huberwoods"/><ref name="hartshornewoods">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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DemographicsEdit

File:Autumn Foliage in Middletown.jpg

Autumn foliage in Middletown

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File:Memorial for deceased officers.jpg

Memorial for deceased officers

2010 censusEdit

The 2010 United States census counted 66,522 people, 23,962 households, and 18,235 families in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 24,959 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup was 93.89% (62,456) White, 1.31% (869) Black or African American, 0.10% (67) Native American, 2.60% (1,730) Asian, 0.01% (8) Pacific Islander, 0.81% (537) from other races, and 1.29% (855) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.37% (3,569) of the population.<ref name=Census2010/>

Of the 23,962 households, 34.5% had children under the age of 18; 63.5% were married couples living together; 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present and 23.9% were non-families. Of all households, 20.3% were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.77 and the average family size was 3.22.<ref name=Census2010/>

24.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 22.7% from 25 to 44, 31.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.5 years. For every 100 females, the population had 93.7 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 91.1 males.<ref name=Census2010/>

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $96,190 (with a margin of error of +/− $2,818) and the median family income was $110,944 (+/− $3,794). Males had a median income of $78,739 (+/− $3,585) versus $52,752 (+/− $2,573) for females. The per capita income for the township was $42,792 (+/− $1,706). About 1.7% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 5.1% of those age 65 or over.<ref>DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics from the 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates for Middletown township, Monmouth County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 12, 2012.</ref>

2000 censusEdit

File:Covered Bridge in Middletown.png

One of the few remaining covered bridges in the state

File:Dempsey Pump House, Leonardo, NJ.jpg

The Dempsey Pump House in the Leonardo neighborhood

As of the 2000 United States census there were 66,327 people, 23,236 households, and 18,100 families residing in the township. The population density was Template:Convert. There were 23,841 housing units at an average density of Template:Convert. The racial makeup of the township was 94.71% White, 1.21% African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.53% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 3.41% of the population.<ref name=Census2000>Census 2000 Profiles of Demographic / Social / Economic / Housing Characteristics for Middletown township, Monmouth County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed March 1, 2012.</ref><ref name=Census2000SF1>DP-1: Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 – Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data for Middletown township, Monmouth County, New Jersey Template:Webarchive, United States Census Bureau. Accessed November 22, 2012.</ref>

There were 23,236 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.3% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.1% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.84 and the average family size was 3.27.<ref name=Census2000 /><ref name=Census2000SF1 />

In the township the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.<ref name=Census2000 /><ref name=Census2000SF1 />

The median income for a household in the township was $75,566, and the median income for a family was $86,124. Males had a median income of $60,755 versus $36,229 for females. The per capita income for the township was $34,196. About 1.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 105 or over.<ref name=Census2000 /><ref name=Census2000SF1 />

GovernmentEdit

Local governmentEdit

File:New Middletown Town Hall.jpg

Middletown Town Hall

The Township Committee operates under a special charter approved on June 23, 1971, by the New Jersey Legislature; The charter preserves many aspects of the township form of government. The township is one of 11 (of the 564) municipalities statewide governed under a special charter.<ref>Inventory of Municipal Forms of Government in New Jersey, Rutgers University Center for Government Studies, July 1, 2011. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>"Forms of Municipal Government in New Jersey", p. 15. Rutgers University Center for Government Studies. Accessed June 1, 2023.</ref><ref>Cerra, Michael F. "Forms of Government: Everything You've Always Wanted to Know, But Were Afraid to Ask", New Jersey State League of Municipalities, March 2007. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref> The township's governing body is comprised of the five-member Township Committee, whose members are elected at-large in partisan elections to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with either one or two seats coming up for election each year in a three-year cycle as part of the November general election. At an annual reorganization meeting, the Committee selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another as Deputy Mayor, each for a one-year term. The Township Committee establishes municipal policies and programs and appropriates funds.<ref name=DataBook>2012 New Jersey Legislative District Data Book, Rutgers University Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy, March 2013, p. 67.</ref>

Template:As of, members of the Middletown Township Committee are Mayor Anthony S. Perry Jr. (R, term on committee ends December 31, 2027; term as mayor ends 2025), Deputy Mayor Rick W. Hibell (R, term on committee and as deputy mayor ends 2025), Ryan M. Clarke (R, 2026), Kimberly Kratz (R, 2026) and Kevin M. Settembrino (R, 2025).<ref name=Committee>Township Committee, Middletown Township. Accessed January 30, 2025. "Township of Middletown operates under the Township Committee form of government. The 5 members are elected at-large to staggered 3-year terms. The Township Committee conducts a reorganization meeting annually in January. At this meeting the Township Committee elects one of the 5 members to serve as Mayor and 1 to serve as Deputy Mayor for a 1-year term."</ref><ref>2024 Municipal Data Sheet, Middletown Township. Accessed January 30, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2024>November 5, 2024 General Election Official Results, Monmouth County, New Jersey, updated December 16, 2024. Accessed January 1, 2025.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2023>November 8, 2023 General Election Official Results, Monmouth County, New Jersey, updated January 18, 2024. Accessed January 22, 2024.</ref><ref name=Monmouth2022>General Election November 8, 2022 Official Results, Monmouth County, New Jersey Clerk, updated December 27, 2022. Accessed January 1, 2023.</ref>

In September 2021, the Township Committee selected Kimberly Kratz from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2023 that had been held by Patricia A. Snell until she resigned from office the previous month.<ref>Gecan, Alex N. "Middletown Township Committee selects Kimberly Kratz to succeed Pat Snell", Asbury Park Press, September 8, 2021. Accessed May 2, 2022. "The Township Committee has appointed Republican Kimberly Kratz, a longtime business manager and current chair of the Middletown Township Municipal Alliance to Prevent Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, as the short-term successor to former Committeewoman Patricia Snell, who resigned last month. The appointment only stands until the results of November's general election are certified, township officials said Tuesday, but Kratz will also run to serve out the rest of Snell's term, according to state records."</ref> Kratz served on an interim basis until the November 2021 general election, when she was chosen by the voters to serve the balance of the term of office.<ref name=Monmouth2021>November 2, 2021 General Election Official Results, Monmouth County, New Jersey, December 13, 2021. Accessed January 1, 2022.</ref>

In February 2018, the Township Committee selected Rick Hibell to fill the seat expiring in December 2019 that was vacated by Gerard Scharfenberger after he resigned and took office on the Monmouth County Board of Chosen Freeholders; Hibell served on an interim basis until the November 2018 general election, when voters elected him to fill the balance of the term of office.<ref>Zimmer, Russ. "NJ marijuana legalization: Middletown rolls out weed law tonight", Asbury Park Press, February 20, 2018. Accessed February 21, 2018. "Rick Hibell, a former township fire chief and planning board member, will be appointed to fill Gerry Scharfenberger's seat on township committee. Scharfenberger stepped down last week to take an opening on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders."</ref><ref name=Monmouth2018>General Election November 6, 2018 Official Results, Monmouth County, New Jersey Clerk, updated January 7, 2020. Accessed February 8, 2020.</ref>

In November 2017, the committee chose Anthony Perry, the son-in-law of then-Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger, from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the seat expiring in December 2018 that had been vacated by Stephen G. Massell the previous month when he resigned from office to accept a position on the Monmouth County Tax Board.<ref>Baldwin, Carly. "Watch The Nov. 13 Middletown Township Committee Meeting; The Committee seat left vacant by Steve Massell was filled by Anthony Perry, son-in-law of Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger.", Middletown Patch, November 17, 2017. Accessed January 27, 2018. "The Committee seat left vacant by Steve Massell was filled with the appointment of Anthony Perry, the son-in-law of current Middletown Mayor Gerry Scharfenberger. Scharfenberger said he saw no conflict in voting to sit his son-in-law on the same governing body that he sits on."</ref><ref>Zimmer, Russ. "Tony Perry appointed to Middletown committee", Asbury Park Press, November 13, 2017. Accessed January 27, 2018. "Tony Perry was selected by the township committee to join their ranks during Monday night's meeting. Perry fills a vacancy that was created last month when Stephen Massell, who had been on the committee for eight years, stepped aside to accept an appointment to the Monmouth County Tax Board."</ref>

In October 2006, Middletown councilman and former four-term mayor Raymond J. O'Grady (R) was sentenced to 43 months in federal prison on bribery and extortion charges arising from his involvement in a federal sting operation known as Operation Bid Rig targeting political corruption in New Jersey. O'Grady committed to obtain no-bid contracts after he had accepted bribes from contractors in exchange for the work.<ref>Smothers, Ronald. "Former Mayor of a Monmouth County Town Is Sentenced in a Corruption Case", The New York Times, October 12, 2006. Accessed January 17, 2017. "A former mayor of Middletown, N.J., was sentenced to 43 months in federal prison on Wednesday on bribery and extortion charges arising from a sting operation aimed at what prosecutors said was pervasive corruption in Monmouth County. The former mayor, Raymond J. O'Grady, 57, is the only one of nearly two dozen public officials and contractors caught up in the F.B.I. sting who has been tried. ... Prosecutors argued that Mr. O'Grady accepted the bribes with the understanding that he would use his office and influence to steer no-bid contracts to the agents posing as contractors."</ref>

Federal, state, and county representationEdit

Middletown Township is split between the 4th and 6th Congressional Districts<ref name=PCR2012>Plan Components Report, New Jersey Redistricting Commission, December 23, 2011. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref> and is part of New Jersey's 13th state legislative district.<ref>Districts by Number for 2023-2031, New Jersey Legislature. Accessed September 18, 2023.</ref>

Prior to the 2010 Census, Middletown Township had been split between the 6th Congressional District and the Template:Ushr, a change made by the New Jersey Redistricting Commission that took effect in January 2013, based on the results of the November 2012 general elections.<ref name=LWV2011>2011 New Jersey Citizen's Guide to Government Template:Webarchive, p. 61, New Jersey League of Women Voters. Accessed May 22, 2015.</ref> The split that took effect in 2013 placed 30,866 residents living in the township's southeast in the 4th District, while 35,656 residents in the northern and eastern portions of the township were placed in the 6th District.<ref name=PCR2012 /><ref>New Jersey Congressional Districts 2012–2021: Middletown Map, New Jersey Department of State. Accessed February 1, 2020.</ref>

Template:NJ Congress 04 Template:NJ Congress 06 Template:NJ Senate

Template:NJ Legislative 13

Template:NJ Monmouth County Commissioners

PoliticsEdit

Template:PresHead Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow Template:PresRow |} As of March 2011, there were a total of 46,628 registered voters in Middletown Township, of which 10,222 (21.9%) were registered as Democrats, 11,674 (25.0%) were registered as Republicans and 24,701 (53.0%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 31 voters registered to other parties.<ref>Voter Registration Summary – Monmouth, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, March 23, 2011. Accessed December 2, 2012.</ref>

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 58.2% of the vote (18,426 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 40.4% (12,801 votes), and other candidates with 1.4% (448 votes), among the 37,742 ballots cast by the township's 48,011 registered voters (6,067 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 78.6%.<ref name=2012Elections>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=2012VoterReg>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 57.6% of the vote (20,997 cast), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 41.3% (15,058 votes) and other candidates with 1.1% (404 votes), among the 36,887 ballots cast by the township's 48,174 registered voters, for a turnout of 76.6%.<ref>2008 Presidential General Election Results: Monmouth County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 23, 2008. Accessed December 2, 2012.</ref> In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 60.2% of the vote (21,317 ballots cast), outpolling Democrat John Kerry with 38.6% (13,651 votes) and other candidates with 0.7% (301 votes), among the 35,403 ballots cast by the township's 46,022 registered voters, for a turnout percentage of 76.9.<ref name="2004Election">2004 Presidential Election: Monmouth County, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 13, 2004. Accessed December 2, 2012.</ref>

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 74.5% of the vote (15,145 cast), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 23.8% (4,834 votes), and other candidates with 1.7% (337 votes), among the 20,555 ballots cast by the township's 47,933 registered voters (239 ballots were spoiled), for a turnout of 42.9%.<ref name=2013Elections>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=2013VoterReg>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 67.3% of the vote (16,351 ballots cast), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 25.8% (6,265 votes), Independent Chris Daggett with 5.7% (1,382 votes) and other candidates with 0.8% (188 votes), among the 24,298 ballots cast by the township's 47,422 registered voters, yielding a 51.2% turnout.<ref>2009 Governor: Monmouth County Template:Webarchive, New Jersey Department of State Division of Elections, December 31, 2009. Accessed December 2, 2012.</ref>

EducationEdit

Template:Multiple image

The Middletown Township Public School District serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade.<ref>Middletown Township Board of Education District Policy 0110 - Identification, Middletown Township Public School District. Accessed January 25, 2024. "Purpose: The Board of Education exists for the purpose of providing a thorough and efficient system of free public education in grades Kindergarten through twelve in the Middletown Township School District. Composition: The Middletown Township School District is comprised of all the area within the municipal boundaries of Middletown Township, including the Middletown section of Sandy Hook."</ref> As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of 16 schools, had an enrollment of 9,150 students and 794.3 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 11.5:1.<ref name=NCES>District information for Middletown Township Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref> The district consists of twelve K–5 elementary schools, three middle schools for grades 6–8, and two four-year high schools. Four elementary schools feed into each of the three middle schools. The facilities vary in age, architecture, size, and student population. Schools in the district (with 2021-22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics<ref>School Data for the Middletown Township Public School District, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed December 1, 2022.</ref>) are Bayview Elementary School<ref>Bayview Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (341 students in grades K-5), Fairview Elementary School<ref>Fairview Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (304; PreK-5), Harmony Elementary School<ref>Harmony Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (471; PreK-5), Leonardo Elementary School<ref>Leonardo Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (258; K-5), Lincroft Elementary School<ref>Lincroft Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (452; K-5), Middletown Village Elementary School<ref>Middletown Village Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (425; K-5), Navesink Elementary School<ref>Navesink Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (194; K-5), New Monmouth Elementary School<ref>New Monmouth Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (486; PreK-5), Nut Swamp Elementary School<ref>Nut Swamp Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (519; K-5), Ocean Avenue Elementary School<ref>Ocean Avenue Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (292; K-5), River Plaza Elementary School<ref>River Plaza Elementary School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (260; K-5), Bayshore Middle School<ref>Bayshore Middle School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (616; 6–8), Thompson Middle School<ref>Thompson Middle School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (917; 6–8), Thorne Middle School<ref>Thorne Middle School, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (625; 6–8), Middletown High School North<ref>Middletown High School North, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (1,399; 9–12) and Middletown High School South<ref>Middletown High School South, Middletown Township Public School District, Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref> (1,544; 9–12).<ref>Schools, Middletown Township School District. Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref><ref>County School List L-M, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed January 25, 2024.</ref><ref>School Performance Reports for the Middletown Township Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed April 1, 2024.</ref><ref>New Jersey School Directory for the Middletown Township Public School District, New Jersey Department of Education. Accessed February 1, 2024.</ref>

Middletown also hosts two public magnet schools, High Technology High School, on the property of Brookdale Community College, located in the Lincroft section of town, and the Marine Academy of Science and Technology located on Sandy Hook, which are part of the Monmouth County Vocational School District.<ref>School Overview Template:Webarchive, High Technology High School. Accessed November 20, 2011.</ref>

Middletown Township is home to one private high school, Christian Brothers Academy which is an all-boys College preparatory school with a focus on Christian education run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, located in Lincroft. Mater Dei High School was a four-year Catholic coeducational high school located in the New Monmouth section and operated under the supervision of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton before closing in 2022.<ref name=TrentonDioceseSchools>Monmouth County School Directory Template:Webarchive, Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton. Accessed July 18, 2016.</ref>

Saint Mary School (for Pre-K–8, founded in 1953) in New Monmouth<ref>Facts and Key Statistics, Saint Mary School. Accessed July 18, 2016.</ref> and Saint Leo the Great School (a National Blue Ribbon School founded in 1960) in Lincroft<ref>History Template:Webarchive, Parish Community of Saint Leo the Great. Accessed July 18, 2016.</ref> both operate as part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trenton.<ref name=TrentonDioceseSchools /> Oak Hill Academy is an independent school for Pre-K–8 in Lincroft, that was founded in 1981.<ref>History and Philosophy Template:Webarchive, Oak Hill Academy. Accessed July 18, 2016.</ref>

Historic districtEdit

Template:Infobox NRHP

The Middletown Village Historic District is an Template:Convert historic district located on both sides of Kings Highway, south and west of Route 35. It features numerous structures from the early colonial period, when settlers primarily of English descent from Long Island and New England were first immigrating to Middletown after the Dutch surrender of the New Netherland colony at the onset of the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1664.<ref>Salter, Edwin. A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties: Embracing a Genealogical Record of Earliest Settlers in Monmouth and Ocean Counties and Their Descendants. (Bayonne, New Jersey: E Gardner & Son, 1890), 24.</ref><ref>Scharfenberger, Gerry., "Kings Highway: Middletown's Most Historic Road", Patch.com, Posted: January 16, 2013. Accessed: June 11, 2023.</ref> The most distinct preserved structures in this village are the three historic churches along Kings Highway, including The Old First Church (founded in 1688<ref>About Us, Old First Church. Accessed June 10, 2023. "Our roots are in the Baptist tradition as our congregation was originally established as the Middletown Baptist Church in 1688."</ref>), Christ Church (founded in 1702, which is one of the oldest Episcopal parishes in New Jersey), and The Middletown Reformed Church (which dates from 1836).<ref name=mvhis>Middletown Village, Middletown Township, New Jersey. Accessed June 10, 2023.</ref>

The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 3, 1974, for its significance in education, military history, political history, religion, and settlement.<ref>New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places: Monmouth County, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Historic Preservation Office, updated March 30, 2023.</ref> It includes a total of 15 contributing properties.

Old First Church.jpg

Old First Church
Middletown Reformed Church.jpg

Reformed Church

InfrastructureEdit

Emergency servicesEdit

Middletown has some of the largest emergency service departments in the area. The police and fire departments celebrated a joint 75th Anniversary in 2003.<ref>Van Develde, Elaine. Template:Usurped, Independent, June 18, 2003. Accessed August 7, 2012. "Middletown's police and fire departments both celebrated 75 years on the beat Saturday. While the beat was as expansive then as it is now, neither department was anywhere near their present size. Three-quarters of a century later, the township's fire department is boasted as the largest all-volunteer department in the world. The police department is one of the largest in the state."</ref> As of November 2016, Middletown Township switched their radio system over to county dispatch as part of an effort to save an estimated $1 million per year by eliminating 15 dispatchers.<ref>Zimmer, Russ. "Middletown to lay off dispatchers, join county's 911 center", Asbury Park Press, April 5, 2016. Accessed December 4, 2016. "Middletown is shifting its emergency dispatch operations to the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office in Freehold Township, eliminating 15 township jobs, although those workers will have an opportunity to join on with the county. The switch could save the town as much as $1 million annually beginning in 2017, according to Township Administrator Anthony Mercantante."</ref>

PoliceEdit

The Middletown Township Police Department is the largest police force in Monmouth County, with 112 sworn officers.<ref>Police Department, Middletown Township. Accessed January 30, 2025.</ref> The department was formed on May 15, 1928, with the hiring of its first full-time police officer, Earl N. Hoyer. His appointment read Patrolman / Chief of Police, at an annual salary of $125.00.<ref>Finck, Adam. Police Department History, Middletown Township. Accessed January 30, 2025.</ref>

The Rude Awakening Program educates the youth and their parents about alcohol abuse and its position as a gateway drug to further and harsher drugs and substance abuse. The program is specifically designed to educate the student in the life altering ramifications of drinking and driving.<ref>Middletown Township – Police Department Rude Awakening Program Template:Webarchive</ref> The program is mainly backed by the police department and has later encompassed EMS and fire into the program for vehicle extrication demonstrations.

Fire departmentEdit

The Middletown Township Fire Department (referred to as MTFD, Monmouth County agency prefix 31 and 71) consists of 11 fire companies plus additional specialized units spread throughout the town. The department has 500 volunteers.<ref>Fire Department, Middletown Township. Accessed February 27, 2020.</ref> It is commonly stated that the Middletown Township Fire Department is "the world's largest all volunteer fire department".<ref>Davison, Andrew. Template:Usurped, Middletown Independent, July 22, 2010. Accessed March 12, 2012. "Scharfenberger said the Middletown Township Fire Department (MTFD), which is composed entirely of volunteers, caught Money magazine's attention. 'They were really impressed with the fire department, not only the largeness of it but the effectiveness of it.' Scharfenberger said the MTFD is considered the largest all-volunteer fire department in the world."</ref><ref>Sheehy, Gail. Middletown, America: One Town's Passage from Trauma to Hope, p. 54. Random House, 2003. Template:ISBN. Accessed October 30, 2019. "And with the exception of one, all have their own fire company, which allows Middletown to boast of the largest all-volunteer fire department in the world."</ref>

Fire companies, in order of creation, are as follows:

Navesink Hook and Ladder Fire Company No. 1 on May 1, 1886<ref>Home page, Navesink Hook and Ladder Fire Company. Accessed June 29, 2012.</ref><ref>Davison, Andrew. "Navesink Hook & Ladder celebrates 125 years; Legacy of volunteers connects generations" Template:Webarchive, Independent, June 30, 2011. Accessed June 29, 2012.</ref>
Brevent Park & Leonardo Fire Company on October 16, 1903
Belford Chemical Engine Company No. 1 on August 14, 1916<ref>History, Belford Engine Company. Accessed June 29, 2012.</ref>
Community Fire Company of Leonardo on September 9, 1922<ref>A Brief History – 1922–present Template:Webarchive, Community Fire Company. Accessed June 29, 2012.</ref>
East Keansburg Fire Company No. 1 in 1922
Port Monmouth Fire Company No. 1 in November 1922
Belford Independent Fire Company in 1923
Middletown Fire Company No. 1 in April 1924
River Plaza Hose Company No. 1 on December 8, 1927

These companies acted separately, until August 28, 1928, when all the individual companies were brought together to form the current fire department. Since then, two more companies have been formed:

Lincroft Fire Company in May 1932
Old Village Fire Company on September 7, 1955

Later, the individual companies took on station numbers with regard to their creation date, with Navesink becoming Station #1 and Old Village becoming Station #11.

Specialized unitsEdit

There are other special units besides the main fire companies. The MTFD has its own Fire Police Unit, Air Unit, and Special Services Unit (SSU).

MTFD Fire Police controls fire scenes and ensures that civilians are kept away
The Air Unit provides service for firefighter SCBA equipment and also has a mobile air compressor truck to refill air bottles at the scene of a fire. This truck responds outside of Middletown to neighboring towns as requested.
MTFD Special Services Emergency Response Team provides Level A hazardous material emergency response, technical and mass decontamination, structural collapse rescue, emergency shoring, high & low angle rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue and various other technical rescue capabilities to Township of Middletown as well as neighboring towns as requested or under contract by certain towns.
The Brevent Park and Leonardo Fire Company is the owner of a marine fireboat that can be requested throughout the Bayshore community for scenes on the water involving fire and water rescue.

EMSEdit

There are five squads that make up the Township of Middletown EMS Department (EMS) and provide Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulances to the township. They are:

Middletown First Aid and Rescue Squad
Fairview First Aid Squad
Port Monmouth First Aid Squad
Leonardo First Aid and Rescue Squad
Lincroft First Aid and Rescue Squad

They are all volunteer as well.<ref>Township of Middletown Emergency Medical Services</ref> All except Port Monmouth have EMS rescue trucks with equipment to handle vehicle extrications and rope rescue. These squads also have boats and dive teams to perform rescue and recovery operations involving water which have been called out of town to assist with large area searches. Port Monmouth provides a bariatric unit, a converted ambulance, for severely overweight patients. It has been requested outside of Middletown Township as a back-up for the unit from the Monmouth Ocean Hospital Service Corporation(MONOC).

Advanced Life Support or paramedics for the township and surrounding towns are provided by MONOC. The two primary paramedic units for Middletown Township are Medic 206 located at MTFD Station 8 (Middletown Fire Company No. 1) covering a majority of the town and Medic 201 located at South Aberdeen First Aid Squad in Aberdeen covering the Northwestern end of town. Other medic units from farther distances are dispatched when these are not available.

TransportationEdit

Roads and highwaysEdit

File:2021-05-27 16 47 32 View south along the northbound lanes of New Jersey State Route 444 (Garden State Parkway) from the overpass for Monmouth County Route 52 (Red Hill Road) in Middletown Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey.jpg

The Garden State Parkway in Middletown

Template:As of, the township had a total of Template:Convert of roadways, of which Template:Convert were maintained by the municipality, Template:Convert by Monmouth County and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Template:Convert by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority.<ref>Monmouth County Mileage by Municipality and Jurisdiction, New Jersey Department of Transportation, May 2010. Accessed July 18, 2014.</ref>

The Garden State Parkway is the largest and busiest highway which passes through the township, connecting Tinton Falls in the south to Holmdel Township in the north.<ref>Garden State Parkway Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, January 1997. Accessed October 2, 2014.</ref> The township includes Parkway interchange 109 which is signed for County Route 520 to Red Bank / Lincroft and interchange 114 for Holmdel / Middletown.<ref>Travel Resources: Interchanges, Service Areas & Commuter Lots, New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Accessed October 2, 2014.</ref> There are three toll gates on the Parkway located in Middletown, two of them are at Exit 109 (northbound entry, southbound exit), and two at Exit 114 (northbound entry, with the southbound toll exit in Holmdel). Routes 35<ref>Route 35 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated March 2016. Accessed November 17, 2022.</ref> and 36<ref>Route 36 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated May 2018. Accessed November 17, 2022.</ref> pass through Middletown.

CR 516 travels through the northern part of the township and its eastern end is at Route 36 near Leonardo, while its western end is at Route 18 in Old Bridge.<ref>County Route 516 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated November 2012. Accessed November 17, 2022.</ref> CR 520 passes through the southern portion of Middletown, and leads to Sea Bright to the east, and turns into CR 612 in Monroe Township to the west, making it a vital route for central New Jersey, by connecting sections of the state near the shore to inland sections of the state near the New Jersey Turnpike at Exit 8A.<ref>County Route 520 Straight Line Diagram, New Jersey Department of Transportation, updated November 2012. Accessed November 17, 2022.</ref><ref>Monmouth County Road Plan, Monmouth County, New Jersey, adopted October 15, 2012. Accessed November 17, 2022.</ref>

Public transportationEdit

File:New Jersey Transit ALP-46 4626 leads Train 3270 into Middletown Station.jpg

Train approaching Middletown station

NJ Transit provides rail service at the Middletown station.<ref>Middletown station, NJ Transit. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref> Commuter service runs between New York City's Pennsylvania Station and Bay Head on the North Jersey Coast Line.<ref>Transportation Map - Rail Service, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2022.</ref><ref>North Jersey Coast Line schedule, NJ Transit, updated April 23, 2023. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 817, 833 and 834 routes.<ref>Bus Routes, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed May 1, 2023.</ref>

File:SeaStreak 34th Street.jpg

SeaStreak Wall Street docked at the East 34th Street Ferry Landing

Ferry service to and from New York City is available through the NY Waterway. The ferry slip is located in the neighborhood of Belford and is utilized by many Middletown residents for commuting to New York City. The roughly 50 minute trip on the ferry to West Midtown Ferry Terminal travels across the Lower New York Bay to enter Lower New York Harbor at The Narrows.<ref>Belford / Harbor Way, NY Waterway. Accessed July 21, 2016.</ref>

SeaStreak is another local ferry service, with its ferry slip in neighboring Highlands. SeaStreak offers ferry service to and from New York City with trips to Pier 11 (on the East River at Wall Street) and East 35th Street in Manhattan.<ref>Caldwell, Dave. "A Clam Town, Coming Out of Its Shell – Living In Highlands, N.J.", The New York Times, August 24, 2008. Accessed July 27, 2021. "Three SeaStreak (seastreak.com) ferries depart on weekday mornings from the Conner's Ferry Landing. The trip to Pier 11 in Manhattan, near Wall Street, takes 40 minutes."</ref> 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.<ref>Routes, Schedules and Fares, SeaStreak. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref>

HealthcareEdit

Hackensack Meridian Health has two hospitals in the area. Bayshore Medical Center in neighboring Holmdel and Riverview Medical Center in neighboring Red Bank.<ref>Locations, Hackensack Meridian Health. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref> These are local hospitals for the Raritan Bayshore region and handles all but trauma cases. The closest major university hospitals to the area that handle trauma care are, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in nearby Neptune Township and Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in nearby New Brunswick.<ref>Stainton, Lilo H. "List: New Jersey’s 10 Trauma Centers — Always Ready When Needed", NJ Spotlight News, June 20, 2016. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref>

Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, founded in New York City in 1884, has a regional center for Monmouth County located in Middletown.<ref>Our Locations, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref> The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of Monmouth is the first center outside of the main center in Manhattan to offer outpatient surgery.<ref>Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center: Monmouth. Accessed January 22, 2025.</ref>

In popular cultureEdit

The progressive metal band Symphony X was formed in Middletown Township in the mid-1990s.<ref>"These Are The Best Metal Bands In Each State", Alternative Nation, March 5, 2018. Accessed October 22, 2018. "Power/Prog titans Symphony X of Middletown, mainly have their speed in their lead guitar player."</ref><ref>"Symphony X", Encyclopaedia Metallum. Accessed October 22, 2018.</ref><ref>Ling, Dave. "Q&A: Symphony X's Michael Romeo On Prog Metal And Lucky Numbers", Louder Sound, May 4, 2016. Accessed October 22, 2018. "Formed 22 years ago in Middletown, New Jersey, Symphony X have made slow but steady progress over the course of nine albums."</ref>

Kevin Smith wrote and filmed Clerks at a Quick Stop in the Leonardo section of the township.<ref name=NewYork2006>Wasserstein, Ben. "The Man with 50,000 Friends: How Kevin Smith accidentally invented the future of movie marketing., New York, July 24, 2006. Accessed July 3, 2007. "Smith's is the great Horatio Alger story of nineties independent film. A New School and film-school dropout, he wrote the screenplay for Clerks while working at a Quick Stop in Leonardo, New Jersey. He shot in the store at night with $27,000 he raised in part by selling his comic-book collection."</ref>

Notable peopleEdit

Template:Category see also People who were born in, are residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Middletown Township include:

Template:Div col

Mary Kay Adams (born 1962), actress on Babylon 5<ref>Profile of Mary Kay Adams, what-a-character.com. Accessed December 30, 2006.</ref><ref>Passalacqua, Connie. "India is First Stop on Adams' Road To Fame", Times-Union, January 26, 1985. Accessed November 20, 2011. "In reality, Miss Adams is from a middle-class background and was raised in Middletown, N.J."</ref>
Joseph Azzolina (1926–2010), served in the New Jersey General Assembly 1966–1972, 1986–1988, and 1992–2006<ref>Sullivan, Joseph F. "Politics; Parties Maneuver to Replace 2 Representatives", The New York Times, April 3, 1988. Accessed March 12, 2012. "Before Mr. Howard suffered a fatal heart attack on March 24 – he died the next day – his likely Republican opponent was former Assemblyman Joseph Azzolina of Middletown."</ref>
Sebastian Bach (born 1968), heavy metal singer<ref>Considine, Bob. "Springing Bach to life", Asbury Park Press, May 19, 2006. Accessed July 30, 2007. "The 38-year-old Middletown resident is as excitable as ever, discussing the past, present and future with his typical hyperactivity."</ref>
Howard Barbieri (born 1987), former American football guard<ref>Franklin, Paul. "Sanu even took himself by surprise", Scarket Scuttlebutt at Courier News, July 2, 2010. Accessed August 28, 2019. "'He’s a monster. Just look at him,' said Barbieri, a 6-foot-5, 300-pound offensive lineman from Middletown."</ref>
Virginia Bauer (born 1956), advocate for families of the victims of the September 11 terror attacks who is a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey<ref>Staff. "Sept. 11 Activist Bauer Weds Judge", Red Bank Green, October 9, 2007. Accessed August 31, 2016. "The paper reports that Bauer, of Red Bank, wed U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Donald H. Steckroth in a ceremony held Saturday at Georgian Court College. Bauer, 51, grew up in Middletown and was a Rumson resident when her first husband, David Bauer, died in the terror attacks."</ref>
Alyssa Beckerman (born 1981), former gymnast and balance beam national champion<ref>Van Develde, Elaine. "Olympians to get the royal treatment Oct. 22 parade will honor local swimmer and gymnast", Central Jersey Archives, October 4, 2000. Accessed November 21, 2020. "It’s no secret that Tom Wilkens and Alyssa Beckerman, both Middletown natives, went to Sydney, Australia, for the world’s biggest sporting attraction."</ref>
Jon Bon Jovi (born 1962), musician<ref>Derakhshani, Tirdad. Template:Usurped, The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 16, 2011. Accessed June 29, 2012. "Jon Bon Jovi's house in Middletown Township, N.J., was burgled April 3, with $100K in jewelry running down the road. The perp also burgled three neighbors."</ref><ref>Light, Alan. "Music; Bon Jovi Learns the Value of Staying on Message", The New York Times, October 13, 2002. Accessed June 29, 2012. "But sipping coffee by the pool at his home in Middletown, N.J. – a sprawling estate he shares with his wife, Dorothea (his one-time high school sweetheart), and three children, complete with a recording studio and a fully operational pub – Mr. Bon Jovi revealed no bitterness."</ref>
Jake Bongiovi (born 2002), actor, son of Jon Bon Jovi<ref>Jordan, Chris. "Coronavirus in NJ: Bon Jovi son had symptoms, family self-quarantined in Middletown", Asbury Park Press, March 28, 2020. Accessed April 3, 2023. "The rocker's son, 17-year-old Jake Bongiovi, showed 'mild' symptoms of COVID-19 and now the family is 'sequestered and under quarantine' in their Middletown home in case Jake had it, Jon Bon Jovi said."</ref>
Vinnie Brand (born 1963), comedian<ref>Thibault, Dannielle. "Interview: Headliner Comedian and Middletown Resident Vinnie Brand Supports the Arts ", Middletown Patch, September 25, 2013. Accessed July 18, 2016. "Vinnie Brand is a comedian.... But he's also on the Board of Education in his hometown of Middletown, NJ, is a father to six, and is helping the Middletown Arts Center raise money to support their cultural and musical programming."</ref><ref>Bio and Press materials Template:Webarchive, VinnieBrand.com. Accessed July 18, 2016. "Vinnie grew up in Middletown NJ, the third of four children born to a plumber and a overly optimistic mother."</ref>
Nicole Byer (born 1986), comedian<ref>Lutes, Alicia. "16 Smart Questions for Nicole Byer", Amy Poehler's Smart Girls, September 29, 2015. Accessed January 14, 2019. "Hometown: Lincroft, New Jersey... Monmouth County"</ref>
Shilique Calhoun (born 1992), NFL defensive end<ref>Shilique Calhoun, Pro-Football-Reference.com. Accessed July 20, 2019. "Born: March 20, 1992 (Age: 27-123d) in Middletown Twp, NJ"</ref>
Pete Capella (born 1977), voice actor and comedian<ref>Celano, Clare Marie. "Freehold Borough to serve as filmmaker's backdrop", News Transcript, April 17, 2002. Accessed June 21, 2017. "Members of the cast include Peter Capella, who plays Steve Wilson. A Middletown resident, Capella has been featured in commercials and television pilots."</ref>
Connie Chung (born 1946), TV journalist<ref name=APP>Template:Usurped, Asbury Park Press, October 14, 2004, backed up by Archive.is as of August 12, 2013. Accessed November 26, 2017.</ref><ref>Jordan, Chris. "NJ Hall of Fame inductees celebrate in Asbury Park", Asbury Park Press, May 7, 2017. Accessed November 26, 2017. "Connie Chung lived in Middletown with her husband Maury Povich for 25 years while she was breaking barriers in TV journalism."</ref>
Josh Cohen (born 2001), college basketball player for the USC Trojans<ref>Josh Cohen, Saint Francis Red Flash men's basketball. Accessed January 22, 2025. "Hometown: Lincroft, N.J. High school: Christian Brothers Academy"</ref>
Gary Cuozzo (born 1941), former quarterback who played in the NFL for the Baltimore Colts, New Orleans Saints, Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Cardinals<ref>Klingaman, Mike. "Catching Up With ... former Colt Gary Cuozzo", The Baltimore Sun, September 29, 2009. Accessed August 28, 2019. "Cuozzo's effort earned him the game ball, though now he doesn't know its whereabouts. 'It's in the attic, I think,' said Cuozzo, of Middletown, N.J. A retired orthodontist, he kept the ball in his office for years, where it kept patients occupied as he straightened their teeth."</ref>
James Dale (born 1970), gay rights activist best known for his role in Boy Scouts of America v. Dale, the landmark US Supreme Court case challenging the BSA's policy of excluding homosexuals from being scout leaders<ref>Devlin, Dory. "James Dale: Alumnus Put a Spotlight on Discrimination Against Gays; A legal challenge to the Boy Scouts of America’s ban on gay scouts catalyzed the acceptance of gay youths as members", Rutgers Today, July 25, 2016. Accessed August 28, 2019. "Dale came out as gay in 1989, and he was happy at Rutgers. 'There was a tremendous amount of acceptance and pride among peers, staff, and faculty,' says Dale, who grew up in Middletown, New Jersey, and majored in communication and sociology."</ref>
Donald De Lue (1897–1988), sculptor<ref>Stattel, Erin O. "From monumental to medallions, exhibit showcases De Lue's work; Leonardo sculptor known for powerful human figures", The Hub, August 6, 2009. Accessed November 26, 2017. "De Lue, best known for his sculpture 'Rocket Thrower,' showcased at the 1964 New York World's Fair, was originally from Boston but took up residence in the Leonardo section of Middletown after seeking more space for his sculpting passion."</ref>
Billy Devaney (born 1955), general manager of the St. Louis Rams<ref>Garafolo, Mike. "Monmouth County's Billy Devaney now making waves as GM of the St. Louis Rams", The Star-Ledger, April 21, 2009. Accessed July 20, 2011. "'He's very happy right now. And I can tell he is, too,' said Mike Corley, Devaney's best friend from before their days together at Mater Dei High School in New Monmouth.... It was a fitting career path for a self-proclaimed "draftnik" (before there were draftniks) who used to take the bus from Leonardo – a section of Middletown – to Port Authority in Manhattan to pick up a copy of Street & Smith's draft guide."</ref>
Peter Dobson (born 1964), actor who had a cameo role in Forrest Gump as Elvis Presley<ref>Chesek, Tom. "Archive: A Sneak Preview in Circuit City", Upper Wet Side, April 22, 2011. Accessed September 22, 2015. "Red Bank area native, movie actor and filmmaker Peter Dobson directing his project EXIT 102, which climaxes a daylong Reels & Wheels event at various venues in Asbury Park.... Peter Dobson: I was born in Riverview Hospital; lived on West Front Street out by River Plaza.... I went to Lincroft Elementary, Thompson Junior High and Middletown High School South — where I spent two years in tenth grade. I also lived for a while in Loch Arbour, so I have very vivid memories of hanging out in Asbury Park."</ref>
Dean Ehehalt (born 1964), head coach of the Monmouth Hawks baseball team<ref>Dean Ehehalt, Monmouth Hawks baseball. Accessed August 28, 2019. "The Middletown, N.J., native spent the previous year as an assistant coach at Kennesaw State College in Marietta, Ga., where he was directly responsible for all aspects of defensive play and recruiting."</ref>
Siobhan Fallon Hogan (born 1961), former Saturday Night Live cast member<ref>Chesek, Tom. Template:Usurped, Asbury Park Press, May 23, 2009. Accessed January 22, 2011. ""Performing as master of ceremonies for this year's event was Count Basie Theatre board member Siobhan Fallon-Hogan, a Middletown resident...".</ref>
Vincent Favale (born 1959), co-founder of Comedy Central<ref>Josselyn, Jim. "Funny Guy Vinnie Favale’s improbable journey from one night of standup to long-standing gigs with Letterman and Colbert.", New Jersey Monthly, October 8, 2016. Accessed September 19, 2019. "Along the way, the 57-year-old Favale, who lives in Lincroft, worked for a variety of media companies, helped launch VH1 and became a regular guest on Howard Stern’s radio show."</ref>
Darren Fenster (born 1978), manager in the Boston Red Sox minor league system<ref>Darren Fenster – Assistant Coach Template:Webarchive, Rutgers Scarlet Knights baseball. Accessed May 29, 2013. "A native of Middletown, N.J., Fenster is also a part of four appearances in the NCAA Tournament, including three as a player."</ref>
John P. Gallagher (1932–2011), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate from the 13th Legislative District 1982–1984<ref>Manual of the Legislature of New Jersey, Volume 200, Part 2, p. 216. J.A. Fitzgerald. "John P. Gallagher, Rep., Middletown.... Mr. Gallagher was born in Kenilworth on Feb. 2 1932."</ref>
Amy Handlin (born 1956), represents the 13th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly<ref>Assembly Member Amy H. Handlin, Project Vote Smart. Accessed August 10, 2007.</ref>
Tom Hanson (1907–1970), football halfback in the National Football League, mainly for the Philadelphia Eagles, for whom he caught the first touchdown in franchise history<ref>Edelson, Stephen. "The legend of Swede Hanson, among the Shore's greatest", Asbury Park Press, April 9, 2015. Accessed July 26, 2018. "It all started innocently enough in the late 1980s when they began brainstorming a Lions Hall of Fame for Middletown North High School, the former Leonardo High School.... Growing up in Navesink, the oldest Hanson brother, Joseph, played on the first official Leonardo football team in 1919. Swede, who had a twin brother, Henry, began playing high school sports in 1922, when he was just in seventh grade."</ref>
Robert Harper (1951–2020), stage, film and television actor<ref>Patrick, Wally. "Former Middletown resident finds he likes life at Frank's Place", Asbury Park Press, October 19, 1987. Accessed February 13, 2021, via Newspapers.com. "Harper, 35, was born in New York. His parents, Eugene and Muriel Harper, moved to Middletown in 1963 and still reside in the New Monmouth section."</ref>
Judith Rich Harris (1938–2018), psychologist and author of The Nurture Assumption<ref>Gladwell, Malcolm. "Do Parents Matter?" Template:Webarchive, the New Yorker, August 17, 1998. Accessed July 3, 2007. "But her article was accepted, and in the space below her name, where authors typically put 'Princeton University' or 'Yale University' or 'Oxford University,' Harris proudly put 'Middletown, New Jersey.'"</ref>
Debbie Harry (born 1945), singer-songwriter and actress, lead singer of the band Blondie<ref>Ward, John – "I... Will... Drive Past Your House...", Red Bank Green, June 1, 2006. Accessed February 12, 2008. "It seems the frontwoman for Blondie has a house on The Green. Records on file in Freehold show that Harry paid $1 million for a 2.1-acre property on Shadow Lake in the River Plaza section of Middletown in April, 2003. The seller was the Edwin J. Dobson III Trust." River Plaza is serviced by the Red Bank Post Office.</ref>
Josh Heald (born 1977), screenwriter, director, and producer best known for his work on Cobra Kai and Hot Tub Time Machine<ref>Kuperinsky, Amy. "‘Cobra Kai’ season 4 on Netflix: Battle for the soul of Valley rages on for N.J. creators and cast", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, December 31, 2021, updated January 6, 2022. Accessed November 17, 2022. "Heald (co-writer of Hot Tub Time Machine), who met Hurwitz when they were students at the University of Pennsylvania, proudly remembers being an 'alpha' marching band drum major at Middletown High School South."</ref>
Jerry Holbert (1958–2022), editorial cartoonist<ref>Jerry Holbert Editorial Cartoons, United Feature Syndicate. Accessed August 2, 2007. "Born in Middletown, N.J., in 1958, Holbert aspired to cartooning as a young child".</ref>
Kristopher Jansma, fiction writer and essayist<ref>"Screening, Q&A, and Book Signing with Kristopher Jansma at The County Theater", Doylestown and Lahaska Bookshops. Accessed August 28, 2019. "Kristopher Jansma grew up in Lincroft, New Jersey."</ref>
Ed Jones (born 1952), former defensive back for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League 1976–1984, who won five Grey Cups for the Eskimos and was a CFL All-Star 1979–1981<ref>"Harris, Jones named to CFL All-Star Team", Asbury Park Press, January 16, 1980. Accessed July 26, 2018. "Dickie Harris of Point Pleasant Beach and Ed Jones of Middletown Township both were named to the 1979 Canadian Football League All-Star team yesterday."</ref>
Bill Kunkel (1936–1985), former Major League Baseball pitcher and umpire<ref>Staff. "Kunkel undergoes tests", Times-News, February 18, 1983. Accessed August 14, 2012. "Leonardo, N.J. — Bill Kunkel, an American League umpire who has had one cancerous tumor removed, said Thursday that he will enter New York University Hospital for tests on a malignant tumor that was detected last week."</ref>
Jeff Kunkel (born 1961), former major-league shortstop<ref>Alfano, Peter. "Players; Enduring Triple A And A Painful Loss", The New York Times, June 11, 1985. Accessed March 12, 2012. "He joked about the bonus that Jeff would sign, comparing it to his own miserly wages as a ballplayer. He enjoyed answering the telephone at the family's home in Leonardo, N.J., where scouts would call regularly."</ref>
Joe Kyrillos (born 1960), politician who served in the New Jersey Senate 1992–2018, where he represented the 13th Legislative District, and in the General Assembly 1988–1992<ref>Friedman, Matt. "Meet Joe Kyrillos, a nice guy trying to unseat powerful U.S. Sen. Menendez", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, October 21, 2012. Accessed August 28, 2019. "Going to Washington would be a jump for Kyrillos, who’s rarely strayed far from Monmouth County. He still lives in Middletown, where he had a 'great suburban, American, run-around-the-neighborhood childhood.'"</ref>
Mike Largey (born 1960), former professional basketball player who played power forward for Hapoel Tel Aviv B.C. of the Israeli Basketball Premier League 1984–1987<ref>Handleman, Bill. "Largey enjoying status in Israel as star player", Asbury Park Press, July 13, 1986. Accessed May 4, 2021. "Back in 1983, Michael Patrick Largey was a household name in Port Monmouth, Middletown Township, and that was about it. He had emerged from Red Bank Catholic High School not knowing whether he wanted to kick footballs or shoot basketballs."</ref>
Jack Lawless (born 1987), musician who has been the drummer for the bands DNCE and Ocean Grove, as well as a live drummer for the Jonas Brothers<ref>Rotolo, Chris. "The Sounds of Summer", The Two River Times, June 7, 2019. Accessed August 28, 2019. "You can see Nick, Joe and Kevin at several area shows this summer and when you do, be sure to pay your respects to the band’s longtime touring drummer Jack Lawless, a Middletown native."</ref>
Rick Lovato (born 1992), long snapper for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League<ref>Edelson, Stephen. "Eagles sign Middletown long snapper Rick Lovato", Asbury Park Press, December 13, 2016. Accessed May 7, 2018. "Rick Lovato Jr.'s pro football journey continued Monday night when the Philadelphia Eagles signed the 24-year-old long snapper to a contract."</ref>
Brian Lynch (born 1973), writer and director of films including Big Helium Dog<ref>O'Sullivan, Eleanor. Template:Usurped, Asbury Park Press, January 6, 2002. Accessed August 2, 2007. "In addition to Vulgar from Johnson, Atlantic Highlands, the comedy Big Helium Dog, from Middletown's Brian Lynch, also will be shown."</ref>
Raymond P. Martinez, Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration<ref>Symons, Michael. "Christie nominations include Hedinger back atop NJ Lottery", Asbury Park Press, June 11, 2010. Accessed August 28, 2019. "The Senate also voted to confirm Raymond P. Martinez of Middletown as chief administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and James Carey Witham of Annandale, Va., as brigadier general of the New Jersey Air National Guard."</ref>
Ryan McCormick (born 1991), professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour<ref>Prunty, Brendan. "Ryan McCormick wins NJSGA Amateur Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club", The Star-Ledger, June 8, 2012. Accessed January 17, 2024. "'I'm kind of speechless,” the Middletown resident said."</ref>
Melanie McGuire (born 1972, née Slate), convicted of murder<ref>About Melanie. MelanieMcGuire.com. Accessed July 22, 2007.</ref>
Knowshon Moreno (born 1987), former Miami Dolphins running back and 1st round draft choice of the Denver Broncos<ref>Strickland, Carter. "Dogs offensive line good, but not great", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 25, 2007. Accessed October 17, 2007. "Moreno, a 5-foot-11, 207-pound native of Belford, N.J., tied senior Thomas Brown with a team-leading 74 rushing yards during the Bulldogs' 26-23 overtime win."</ref>
Michael Mulheren, actor<ref>"Over A Dozen Fun Ways To Help Others", Red Bank Green, September 2010. Accessed August 28, 2019. "Micahel Mulheren of Middletown soon to return to Broadway as J. Jonah Jameson in the upcoming Spider-Man musical."</ref>
Phil Murphy (born 1957), financier, diplomat and Governor of New Jersey following the 2017 gubernatorial election<ref>Davis, Mike. "NJ's next governor: Phil Murphy or Kim Guadagno", Asbury Park Press, June 6, 2017. Accessed June 16, 2017. "Murphy, a 59-year-old former Goldman Sachs executive, has been living in Middletown since the late 1990s."</ref><ref>Corasaniti, Nick. "Phil Murphy Is Elected Governor of New Jersey, in a Lift for Democrats", The New York Times, November 7, 2017. Accessed November 8, 2017.</ref>
Tammy Murphy (born 1965), First Lady of New Jersey<ref>Racioppi, Dustin. "Tammy Murphy is elevating the profile of New Jersey's first lady", The Record, March 28, 2018. Accessed August 28, 2019. "Murphy refers to herself as a generalist, and her range was on display during a recent weekday. She was up with the family’s three Briards for a walk at 5:45 a.m., then headed from her Middletown home to speak at a breakfast in Ewing to support local council members."</ref>
Olivia Nuzzi (born 1993), political journalist<ref>Burton, John. "What It's Like on the Campaign Trail: Middletown's Olivia Nuzzi Reports for the Daily Beast", The Two River Times, February 25, 2016. Accessed August 1, 2017. "Nuzzi grew up in the River Plaza section of Middletown, where her mother still lives, and graduated from Middletown High School South."</ref>
Christian Peter (born 1972), former NFL defensive tackle<ref>Template:Usurped, database Football. Accessed August 1, 2007.</ref>
Jason Peter (born 1974), former NFL football player<ref>Ginley, Bill. "When the Cheers Aren't Enough", The New York Times, February 12, 2006. Accessed August 1, 2007. "Peter, who grew up in the Locust section of Middletown and played at Middletown South before moving on to the University of Nebraska and then to the Carolina Panthers, saw his life crumble."</ref>
Maury Povich (born 1939), talk show personality<ref>2007 Spring Invitational on May 16 at Hollywood Golf Course, accessed May 9, 2007. "Player registration and business sponsorship opportunities are underway for one of Monmouth County's most prominent golf tournaments – the CPC Spring Invitational hosted by Honorary Chairman Maury Povich of Middletown."</ref>
Geraldo Rivera (born 1943), television journalist<ref name=Thinking1995>Cheslow, Jerry. "If You're Thinking of Living In: Middletown Township, N.J.;A Historic Community on Raritan Bay", The New York Times, December 24, 1995. Accessed March 12, 2012. "The most expensive area is along the Shrewsbury River, where an eight-bedroom colonial on five acres is listed at $5.9 million. Among the residents of that area are Geraldo Rivera, the television personality, and members of the Hovnanian home-building family."</ref>
Richard Scudder (1913–2012), newspaper pioneer and co-founder of the MediaNews Group<ref>Hevesi, Dennis. "Richard B. Scudder, Co-Founder of MediaNews Group, Dies at 99", The New York Times, July 15, 2012. Accessed August 12, 2012. "Richard B. Scudder, a founder and former chairman of MediaNews Group, one of the nation's largest newspaper chains, and an innovator in recycling newsprint, died on July 11 at his home in Navesink, N.J. He was 99."</ref>
Kevin Smith (born 1970), filmmaker whose films include Clerks, Chasing Amy and Jersey Girl<ref name=NewYork2006/>
Jon Stewart (born 1962) comedian, writer, producer, director, actor, media critic and host of The Daily Show<ref>"A sneak peek at Jon Stewart's animal rescue farm", Mother Nature Network, Accessed April 28, 2016. A sneak peek at Jon Stewart's animal rescue farm</ref><ref>"Jon and Tracey Stewart Partner with Farm Sanctuary to Open Fourth Location in New Jersey" Template:Webarchive, Farm Sanctuary, Accessed April 28, 2016. Jon and Tracey Stewart Partner with Farm Sanctuary to Open Fourth Location in New Jersey</ref><ref>Template:Usurped, ecorazzi. Accessed April 28, 2016.</ref>
Penelope Stout (1622–1732), shipwrecked on Sandy Hook in 1640s and was a founder of Middletown<ref>Dowgin, Maura. "Town gets support for Stout house purchase" Template:Webarchive, Independent, April 16, 2003. Accessed June 29, 2012. "The house once belonged to Penelope Stout, whom many people consider to be the founder of Middletown and a pioneer woman, said Bill Scott, current owner of the house."</ref>
William Strickland (1788–1854), pioneering architect and civil engineer<ref>Template:Philadelphia Architects and Buildings. "Born in Navesink, NJ, to John and Elizabeth Strickland, William Strickland had the advantage of a master carpenter father who moved the family to Philadelphia in c. 1790 and became a charter member of the Practical House Carpenters' Society in 1811."</ref>
E.W. Swackhamer (1927–1994), television director<ref>Roberts, Jerry. Encyclopedia of Television Film Directors, Volume 1, p. 578. Scarecrow Press, 2009. Template:ISBN. Accessed June 29, 2012. "E. W. (Egbert Warmdrink) Swackhamer b. 1927, Middletown, New Jersey; d. December 5, 1994, Berlin, Germany"</ref>
George A. Tice (1938–2025), photographer, known for his images of people and places in New Jersey<ref>Sandomir, Richard. "George Tice, 'Bard of New Jersey' With a Camera, Dies at 86", The New York Times, January 30, 2025. Accessed February 2, 2025. "Mr. Tice lived to the southeast, in Middletown, and he died there, at his home, on Jan. 16 at 86."</ref>
Bob Tucker (born 1945), former tight end in the NFL for the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings<ref>Harvin, Al. "An Offseason Game; New Jersey Sports", The New York Times, January 12, 1973. Accessed November 16, 2008. "Some of the other Jersey residents on the team, according to Davis, are Bob Tucker, the New York Giants' tight end from Lincroft; Phil Villapiano, Oakland Raider linebacker from Ocean Township, and Ron Johnson, Giant running back, now a resident of Fort Lee."</ref>
James van Riemsdyk (born 1989), drafted second overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, he has played for the Philadelphia Flyers and Toronto Maple Leafs<ref>Staff. "Flyers trade James van Riemsdyk to Toronto for defenseman Luke Schenn", The Star-Ledger, June 23, 2012. Accessed August 18, 2012. "Van Riemsdyk, 23, is a native of Middletown and a product of Christian Brothers Academy, in Lincroft. He was the second pick overall in the 2007 draft and scored 47 goals and 52 assists for 99 points in three seasons for the Flyers."</ref>
Trevor van Riemsdyk (born 1991), professional hockey player<ref>Isaac, Dave. "Trevor van Riemsdyk the latest New Jersey success story", Courier-Post, October 21, 2014. Accessed June 10, 2015. "Trevor van Riemsdyk, a 23-year-old defenseman from Middletown, N.J., decided to forego his senior season at the University of New Hampshire so he could go pro."</ref>
Billy Van Zandt (born 1957), actor/playwright<ref>Strauss, Robert. "In Person; These Two People Are a Riot", The New York Times, April 14, 2002. Accessed March 12, 2012. "Abstract – Article on Hollywood actors and television writers Billy Van Zandt, native of Middletown, and Jane Milmore, who grew up in nearby Keansburg; duo has been returning to Jersey Shore each spring for two decades for spring comedy productions."</ref>
Steven Van Zandt (born 1950), solo rocker, guitarist for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and actor on The Sopranos<ref>DeMasters, Karen. "Pop Music; Rocking the Foundations Of American Life", The New York Times, November 7, 1999. Accessed June 13, 2011."Mr. Van Zandt, who grew up in Middletown and now lives in Manhattan, was born into a Catholic family but grew up as a Baptist. He says he now accepts a mixture of many religions."</ref>
Claudia Vázquez (born 1990), footballer who has played as forward and midfielder for the Puerto Rico women's national football team<ref>Claudia Vazquez, Monmouth Hawks. Accessed April 12, 2020. "High School: Middletown North; Hometown: Belford, N.J."</ref>
Bill Weber (1957–2024), NBC sports broadcaster<ref>Bill Weber biography, NASCAR. Accessed December 5, 2012. "I grew up in Middletown, NJ, graduated from Butler University in Indianapolis."</ref>
Jay Weinberg (born 1990), drummer for heavy metal band Slipknot, son of Max Weinberg<ref>Lustig, Jay. "Jay Weinberg speaks: hockey, drumming and the E Street Band",Inside Jersey, April 1, 2019, updated May 15, 2019. Accessed July 3, 2020. "Q. What high school did you go to? A. I went to Rumson-Fair Haven, right on the shore. Q. And you lived in Middletown? A. Yeah, it's about 20 minutes from there."</ref>
Max Weinberg (born 1951), Late Night with Conan O'Brien band leader and drummer of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band<ref>DeMasters, Karen. "Music; For Springsteen, Bar Mitzvahs and Conan, This Drummer Sets the Beat", The New York Times, January 28, 2001. Accessed March 12, 2012. "'I actually played at bar mitzvahs after the band broke up and was glad to do it,' Mr. Weinberg said in a recent interview in his home in a tony section of Middletown Township."</ref>
Tom Wilkens (born 1975), Olympic swimming medalist<ref>Litsky, Frank. "Swimming: National Spring Championship; Wilkens Didn't Expect This Much Success", The New York Times, March 31, 1999. Accessed June 13, 2011. "When Tom Wilkens was growing up in Middletown, N.J., and swimming for Christian Brothers Academy in nearby Lincroft, he never thought he would be ranked No. 1 in the world in a race that was not even his specialty."</ref>
Brian Williams (born 1959), Chief Breaking News Anchor on MSNBC, former anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News<ref>Strauss, Robert. "In Person; The Life Of Brian, Annotated", The New York Times, October 27, 2002. Accessed June 13, 2011. "Mr. Williams grew up in Mom-apple-pie-and-TV-trays style in Middletown, Monmouth County, a town of true middle class."</ref>

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ReferencesEdit

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