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BY ERIC MODEL
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM
JOURNEYS INTO NEW JERSEY
Folks from out of state have often spoken about how confusing it can be to drive on our New Jersey roads. Most often, the complaint one hears most is that our state roads are commercial arteries and freeways in one. Highways like Routes 4, 17, 18 and 72 were built in another time for drivers of another era. Another curious phenomena is an I-95 that suddenly stops and sends drivers onto either I-295 or US 1 (The road which was planned to travel through Princeton was never built - The idea was abandoned in the face of local opposition). Haven't you ever felt a bit sorry for the unsuspecting out-of-stater without a clue about what happened to their straight shot from Florida to Maine?
If that were not enough, New Jersey has more than one name for a place that repeats itself but in very different parts of the state.
My hometown of River Edge was once called Riverside, but changed its name so as not to be confused with a community by the same name in Burlington County.
Other communities were not quite as accommodating as mine, and the results are predictably confusing.For example, there's Union (Union County), Union City (Hudson County) and Union Beach (Monmouth County). And there's Springfield (Union), Township of Springfield (Burlington County) or the Washingtons of (Warren) (Burlington) (Gloucester) (Morris) and what they try to call the "Township of Washington" in Bergen County (that I still call Washington Township).
As a New Jersey native, I thought I finally had a handle on these sorts of things, when not too long ago as driving along I-295 just south of Camden, I came across an overhead road sign reading "Red Bank." I quickly went to my road map to see what road connected from near Philadelphia to Monmouth County. There was no such road.
I soon came to learn that this was a second Red Bank and a place of importance as well.
This Red Bank is, in fact, the Red Bank Battlefield located on the east bank of the Delaware River in National Park, New Jersey. It was the location of the Battle of Red Bank in the Revolutionary War on October 22, 1777.
At that time, Americans successfully defended Fort Mercer, an earthen fort at Red Bank that guarded the Delaware River approach to Philadelphia (as well as Fort Mifflin on the Pennsylvania side of the river). This victory delayed opening the river as a supply route for General Howe's army, which occupied Philadelphia.
Though the forts successfully delayed the British, but in the end were both destroyed or abandoned.
Centuries later, portions of the earthworks remain in a county park that now occupies the site. Nearby, and also part of the park, the James Whitall, Sr., house is a 1748 brick building that served as a hospital during the battle.
The site was the farmstead of James Whitall and his wife, Ann. The property was abandoned during the Revolutionary War, but the Whitalls returned in 1778 and there the family remained until 1897. Surrounding property was acquired by the U.S. government in 1872 - thus the also confusing name National Park, New Jersey. It was turned over to Gloucester County authorities in 1905. Since that time it has been managed as a park in commemoration of the Battle of Red Bank. In fact, there is no National Park at National Park.
Over on the other side of New Jersey in Monmouth County lies the Red Bank more recognizable to most.
This Red Bank was settled in the 17th century, but was not populous until approximately 1809. Originally part of "Shrewsbury Towne," Red Bank was named in 1736, "when Thomas Morford sold Joseph French 'a lot of over three acres on the west side of the highway that goes to the red bank. By 1844, Red Bank had become a commercial center, focused on textiles, fur, tanning, and manufacturing goods for sale in Manhattan. With the dredging of the Naversink River, about 1845, Red Bank became a port from which steamboats transported commuters to Manhattan. Red Bank grew in size as a result of this and the laying of rails in the town by the Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad about 1860.
These days Red Bank is best known for its successful efforts to revitalize its business area (As recently as the 1990s it was being described as Dead Bank. Now it is characterized by brick sidewalks and Victorian street lamps, a dining and nightlife scene said by some to rival New York's Greenwich Village. After the food there's antiquing, art galleries and funky boutiques.
Red Bank is also best known as the home of Count Basie, the legendary jazz pianist who was born there in 1904. The Count Basie Theater, built in 1926 is the cornerstone of culture and community. It is also the scene of annual charity concerts by area locals Bruce Springsteen and and Jon Bon Jovi.
There's a great old railroad station in Red Bank, too. It's one of the last remaining examples of the Stick Style railroad station houses built by the New York and Long Branch Railroad in the 1870s. (The NY&LB line was later taken over by the Central Railroad of New Jersey.). It has been renovated and restored several times, and now belongs to New Jersey Transit.
The building of the railroad in the 1860s and 70s brought increasing numbers of visitors and settlers to Red Bank, and ended dependence on steamboats for transportation.
When England's King George IV and Queen Elizabeth visited Red Bank on June 10, 1939, they arrived by train. They then traveled by motorcade to Sandy Hook to board a naval warship for their visit to New York.
Finally, this Red Bank hosts the annual "Riverfest" Jazz Festival each June (some 160,000 visitors for this 3 day event), as well as what is described as "New Jersey's largest fireworks display" every July 3rd (which draws 150,000).
And for history buffs, the Revolutionary War was fought not too far away - the famous Battle of Monmouth - on the lands near Freehold.
Clearly there are reasons to visit Red Bank - whichever you should choose. But, as most tour books do not speak of these two Red Banks, be warned not to look for the Count Basie Theater near Philadelphia or for the battleground of the Battle of Red Bank in Monmouth County.
To help alleviate any such confusion, here's some information to help you get to the respective Red Banks:
Red Bank Battlefield Park (in Camden County), 100 Hessian Avenue, National Park, NJ 08063; (856) 853-5120.
The Red Bank Visitors Center (in Monmouth County), 20 Broad Street, Red Bank, NJ 07701; (732) 741-9211; 1-800-HIP-TOWN; http://visit.redbank.com/
Eric Model explores the "offbeat, off the beaten path overlooked and forgotten" on SIRIUS-XM Radio and at journeysinto.com.
ALSO BY ERIC MODEL
George Washington, while in New Jersey, slept here and here and here
In search of New Jersey's President
Lawnside: An important New Jersey stop on the Underground Railroad that helped slaves escape
N.J. hockey nostalgia: The original Devils were from South Jersey
Joe Baum's Newarker: An airport eatery that became a destination unto itself
Mummers Parade: Jersey bands influence a great Philly New Year's Day tradition
A different kind of Christmas: Crossing the Delaware as George Washington did
In search of perfect N.J. holiday Main Street that time forgot ...
A New Jersey Turnpike road companion - all about those folks we honor through rest stops
Giving thanks for the Garden State ... and how New Jersey got its nickname
The many ghost towns of New Jersey have something to tell us
Perfect Fall getaway: Uncovering N.J.'s covered bridges
Origin of Manhattan Transfer is part of N.J. history
Labor Day is special in Paterson — home to the American Labor Museum
