Erik Reilly

Old Bridge Township

Third largest municipality in Middlesex County with about 66,000 people and 42 square miles of land. The forty-two square miles that comprise the Township separated from South Amboy in 1869 and was called Madison Township until 1975, when the name was changed by referendum to the Township of Old Bridge. The first settlers were John Warne, son of one of the original proprietors of East Jersey, and John and Susannah Brown, who obtained a 1,000 acre land grant from the King of England in 1737. A section of the Township still carries the name Browntown. Initially, the Township was made up of farms and the population grew slowly. In 1880, the population was 1,662 and in 1950 it had reached only 7,365. Then the building boom started and farms gave way to developments. In 1960, the population was 22,772 and that was only the beginning. The 1980 census sited 51,406 people and even that was questioned because areas of the Township have post offices bearing the names of other communities in the area. Today, the Township population is estimated to be 60,000 and continued growth is forecasted. Approximately one third of the Township is developed.