HAQLA

September 13, 2006

Greetings All:

I am sending this "Stone Road Meadows" update regarding its historical significance.

To provide some background as to the importance and purpose of researching this historical information, I have included an excerpt from our letter to the Monmouth County Park and Recreation Commission dated August 7, 2006.

Also, and most importantly, a concise summary of essential historical facts about "Stone Road Meadows" by Stephen B. Gale of Keyport is attached below.

Stephen is a member of both the Bayshore Regional Watershed Council and the Hazlet Area Quality of Life Alliance

Thank you Stephen for your good and hard work and dedication to researching the "Historical Van Mater Homestead" at "Stone Road Meadows".

We need to contact the current owner of the property, Devino, and request a meeting with him to begin preliminary discussions regarding his position on the possible preservation of the original Van Mater Homestead buildings.

More To Come:

John Curran

HAQLA

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Excerpt: Letter to County Recreation Commission:

Historical:

*Century Building/s

*Van Mater Family

*Prominent Early Dutch Settlers of Monmouth County had owned this property for generations.

· What are believed to be some of the original historical buildings (with an existing Century House) which were once the Van Mater Family Homestead are situated on a 4.59 acre tract at the Northeast corner of Stone Road Meadows but the lot on which the buildings are situated was sub-divided from the subject farming portion of the "Meadows" at some point in time. We are currently conducting an in-depth study of the history of the Van Mater/Stone Road Meadows properties. With the purchase, restoration and preservation of this surviving Historical Homestead, by the Park System, in addition to the "Meadows", we feel that a Historical Museum to exhibit artifacts from the Communities in this area can be created. Hazlet and Union Beach currently have no museums for showcasing their histories. Local Historians, who have amassed wonderful collections of artifacts, have been waiting for many years for an opportunity to house and exhibit them to the Public.

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Research by Stephen B. Gale:

"Chronology of the Van Mater Farm at Stone Road Meadows"

1. " ... The territory in Raritan and Middletown townships...extending along Raritan Bay from Port Monmouth westward to a point about a mile and a half northwest of Keyport, afterwards knows as Union city, in the Colonial records is named Wakaka...... Richard Hartshorne, who perfected his title May 26th 1676, by purchasing ..... three necks of land called by the Indians, Wacake, Arowonoe and Conoskunk. the land of Richard Hartshorne extended up Wakaka creek and nearly to its head....

pg 443 History of Monmouth County, New Jersey.... vol II 1922 Lewis Publishing Company Inc. New York and Chicago.

History of Monmouth County…..page….

2. Union City on Raritan bay, northeast of Keyport was located on land owned in the time of the Revolution by Colonel Richard Poole and Peter Snyder........ the operations of the Florence and Keyport Company incorporated in 1846, the object being to build a city on the bay and establish a line of travel and trade from New York to Florence on the Delaware river

ibid..page 444

3. . " Cornelius Carhart to Gilbert Van Mater.... 4/1/1836..... all that certain tract lying and being on " Monasconk Neck in the townhsip of Middletown beginning at a stake.... Daniel Walling's land .... line of lands to Monasconck Creek...... containing 58 acres..." Deed Book L-3; page 406...

later deed references identify Monasconck Creek as Flat Creek; before mid-century Middletown Township extended over the lands that later became Raritan Township; and then Hazlet.. Deed book 2516 page 179; deed book 2102 page 466

4. ... Samuel O. Hoff & Elizabeth,wf...of Middletown to Gilbert Van Mater of the same place....... lots of wood situate in the township of Middletown.... lots # 20 & 21 of a survey by Alfred Walling......Stout's mille and northerly edge of Dorn's road.... it being a corner of William Hoff's land to lot 19 containing 26 & 12/100 acres... together with all buildings.... waters water course rights...... Deed Book Y 4 page 22; May 1, 1846....

1889 map of Arcadia publications for Hazlet shows " saw mill " along Flat ( Monasconck ) Creek

5. " William Van Mater and Alfred Walling Jr. of the Township of Raritan......executors of Gilbert Van Mater...departed this life 9/6/1881..... leaving heirs at law and next of kin..... widow Sarah T. Van Mater; son, William Van Mater; son Joseph T. Van Mater.... daughter Charlotte S. Lee..... Monmouth County Surrogate.... # 25901; Will Book N 450.....

6. .... " William Van Mater was born at the home farm in Raritan township, Monmouth county, near keyport, New Jersey February 17, 1840, and later became the owner of that farm. He was educated in the public schools and early became his father's farm assistant. upon the death of Gilbert Van Mater, September 6, 1881, William his son, inherited the farm and there continued a prosperous farmer, fruit and vegetable gardener until his retirement..... Mr Van Mater married December 13, 1876, Margaret A. Wallace, born in Raritan township, Monmouth county, New Jersey, July 6, 1851... To Mr. and Mrs. Van Mater one son was born, Gilbert T. .....

Gilbert T. Van Mater , only son of William and Margaret A. Van mater was born on the home farm in Raritan Township, Monmouth county New Jersey, February 18 1881...... History of Monmouth County pgs……

History of Monmouth County..

Lewis Publishing 1922

8.William Van Mater ...died Nov 16, 1923; a resident of the Township of Raritan... & Margaret A. Van Mater died February 29, 1932.....book 84 or wills pg 248; .Monmouth County surrogate

7. " N.J. HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY'S ANNIVERSARY........ Monmouth county was the location selected.. .. The tour visiting some of the outstanding orchards and vegetable farms in the county.......passed by the farm of Arthur J. Farley, John Willey & Son, both successful fruit farms. next J. Granato's truck farm where 20,000 peppers, 15,000 tomatoes and 15,000 eggplants are being grown. George Robert's farm was passed turning to the right by Gilbert Van Mater's and going out on the state highway passing by John Warnock's..........Keyport Weekly 8/28/25

8. " COUNTY MAY IMPROVE THE STONE ROAD SOON... ..... It was reported this week that the State Highway Department had taken over First Street, Keyport and contemplated the permanent improvement of that highway, the building of a cutoff from a point near the bridge which is 200 feet from Walnut Street to Van Mater's corner on the Stone Road and thence to Keansburg......

Keyport Weekly 1/26/26

9. Gilbert T Van Mater dies at 81..October 19, 1963.....Township Clerk of Raritan for 25 years.... a retired farmer.....

Keyport Weekly ..October 24, 1963