The History of West Neptune

West Neptune is one of the oldest parts of Neptune Township. The area now known as the Hamilton section was originally a settlement called “Trap” on the ridge trail from Oceanport. This area had connections by boat to Manhattan, and Manasquan, also referred to as the fishing port of Squan Village. That trail was originally a Native American route that ran from Highlands to the Metedeconk River. Jumping Brook Road, Old Corlies Avenue and Gully Road were parts of that old trail.

“Trap” in Shrewsbury Township was a coach stop back then. The name of this area was also shown on early maps as Shark River Village. The fare from New York to Squan Village via Eaton Town, Shark River, and New Bedford back then was 87 ½ cents. The most noted building in Shark River Village was the Trap Tavern, which was located near the current Redeemer Lutheran Church. The Tavern dated before 1812 and the coach line which stopped there was operated by E.R. Height and each coach accommodated
8 passengers and was pulled by four horses. Mr. Height also carried the
U.S. Mail.

Around the time of the Civil War, the name of the area was changed to Greenville. In 1862 a military company was formed. They called themselves the “Greenville Union Boys,” but that name was later changed to “Greenville Guards, Second Regiment, Monmouth and Ocean County Brigade.” The Guards drilled every Saturday in front of the flag pole at the Trap Tavern.

During the Civil War a weekly paper was delivered to the Trap Tavern and men would come from miles around to hear the news read aloud. Often a Methodist pastor named William Abbott would be the reader, to the dismay of the landlord whose business at the bar suffered when the Reverend was in the house. Reverend Abbott also served as an Army Chaplain during the Civil War.

Early businesses in the area included Newman and Lane’s Blacksmith and Wheelwright shop, a shoe store operated by an Englishman named George Sculthorpe who made shoes and boots for the Village and surrounding area, and a grocery and dry goods store operated by Captain Rogers, an ex-seaman. There were also several mills in the area, including Kisner’s Mill, built around 1825 which was a grist mill (a mill that grinds grain for flour) located on Old Corlies Road. Above the athletic fields at Summerfield School further up the Jumping Brook was Garrabrant’s Saw Mill. There were also two mills on the Shark River Brook, located on what is now School House Road.

School House Road and the corner of Highway 33 was the location of the very first school in what was then part of Ocean Township. That school was torn down and rebuilt in the 1850s and was in continuous use until the two room school was built at the corner of West Bangs Avenue and Green Grove Road in 1897. That was replaced in 1929 with a new 14 room building with Harry C. Mauch as the principal.

Facts and information from: History of Township of Neptune, Bicentennial Edition, Neptune, NJ: 1976. Originally published as Four Score and Five in 1964.

More history can be found in: Neptune and Shark River Hills by Evelyn Stryker Lewis. Arcadia Publishing: Charleston, SC; 1998. Available at Amazon.com or thru oldcorlies.com

These books are available for checkout at the Neptune Public Library.