Pride in Our Past & Present
Settled by a group of Scottish Presbyterians beginning in the 1680’s, Matawan was first called New Aberdeen, and then Mount Pleasant. Today, Matawan’s historic town core retains its appeal as a place to live, work, and shop.
America’s 250th Birthday celeBRATION
The Borough of Matawan has adopted the 250-Resolution formally announcing Matawan’s participation in the upcoming 250th birthday celebration of the United States of America.
Special Announcement: The Matawan Historical Society is pleased to announce that it is collaborating with the Keyport Historical Society on a series of special events celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution. This includes co-sponsoring related lectures in our regular monthly meeting series, as well as partnering on special events commemorating the local fight for independence in the Bayshore area. Both Matawan and Keyport are proud partners in the RevolutionNJ and MonmouthNJ 250 programs.
Matawan and Keyport’s first collaborative event will be John Schneider’s lecture “The Deadly Divide: America’s First Civil War During the American Revolution” on January 26, 2026. A complete list of our upcoming events will be published soon.
Burrowes Mansion History
The new edition of The Burrowes Mansion of Matawan New Jersey: and Notations on the History of Monmouth County, Second Edition (2023) by Mary Lou Diecker and Barry C. Orr is now available! The Burrowes Mansion, constructed in 1723, celebrated its 300th Birthday in 2023, and this newly expanded edition of the book commemorates that anniversary. Please visit our “Shop” page to order your copy.
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THIS SATURDAY - Installation Ceremony for the Minisink Trail Marker
Freneau Woods Park, Aberdeen
Saturday, April 18th, 2026
11 am
Please join us for the unveiling of the final Minisink Trail marker in Monmouth County. This will be the final sign in a series of eight, placed in Monmouth County from Navesink to Freneau Woods Park (Aberdeen). There will be guest speakers and an unveiling ceremony followed by refreshments.
This trail marker continues to mark the historic Minisink Trail -- a historic Lenape Native American pathway that connected the Lenape people's Navesink River settlements to their Minisink Island council fire along the Delaware River. While parts of this ancient route were used for trade and travel, some segments were later incorporated into early roads and property boundaries, such as Mill Road in Matawan, NJ.
The first trail marker on the Matawan/Aberdeen section of the Minisink Trail was unveiled on September 13, 2025, and is located on Mill Road in Matawan. A second marker was placed near the corner of Van Brackle and Line Roads in Aberdeen on November 22, 2025.
These installations were years in the making and were made possible in large part due to the persistence of MHS member Claire Garland and Mark Gottwerth, who reached out to the Historic Sites Commission and the Matawan Historical Society for help in finding suitable grants to fund the markers. Thanks to the volunteers in the Historical Society who assisted with the grant proposal and helped plan and staff the marker installation programs.
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