Imlaystown, New Jersey

Imlaystown is a small historic community and unincorporated area located within Upper Freehold Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. It is located in zip code 08526. The village is easily accessible from Exit 11 off Interstate 195.

History

Founded in 1690, the village was once the social, economic and political focus of Upper Freehold. It consists of approximately thirty buildings from the mid-1800s. Most were rebuilt in 1898 after a fire which destroyed much of the town. It takes its name from the Imlay family, the area’s major landowners in the colonial period.

ites of interest

The most recognizable building in Imlaystown is Salter’s Mill situated on a 28-acre millpond that once supported an ice business as well as the mill.

The Happy Apple Inn is the village's only restaurant. Built as a stagecoach stopover between Trenton and the Jersey Shore in the mid-nineteenth century, the current structure was rebuilt following a fire in 1904. The Happy Apple was opened in 1972 by the father of its present owners, Buddy Westendorf and wife Donna.

Preservation

Since the village's addition to the state and national registers of historic places in 1985, portions have suffered from neglect. While the village was somewhat revitalized in the 1990s, many of its buildings are now dilapidated. Some are currently uninhabitable due to septic issues created by the proximity to Doctor's Creek. Upper Freehold’s recent "Master Plan" was supposed to address the preservation of historic structures, rural character, and open space. Preservation New Jersey [ [http://www.preservationnj.org/ten_most/ten_most_property_detail.asp?COUNTY=Monmouth+County&PropID=109 Preservation New Jersey's Top Ten Endangered Historic Sites of Monmouth County] ] believes that preventing the decay of Imlaystown is key to realizing the vision of this plan.

References

External links

* [http://www.happyappleinn.com/ Happy Apple Inn]