New Jersey Real Estate & Relocation Guide

Greenwich Township, New Jersey

Population: 4,365

Located in Gloucester County

As residents of Greenwich Township, we should be proud of our area’s role in American History. The land that we currently live on, once belong to a group of early Native Americans, known as the Lenni-Lenape, a subdivision of the Algonquin Indians. In 1677, John Cook, Greenwich’s earliest settler purchased 1,111 acres of land from this tribe. Mr. Cook constructed a home, along with a mill on his property. It was this same mill along with other local ones that would be responsible for the feed and flour supplied to the Continental army while encamped in Morristown, New Jersey during our Revolutionary War.

The earliest families of our community came from different and remote areas of the world. They had ethnic backgrounds such as English, Scotch, Scotch-Irish, German, Dutch and Welsh. Family names of these early settlers were Maxwell, Stewart, Kennedy, Ramsey, McCullough, Kell, Smith, Creveling, Bidleman, Fines, Hulshizer, Carpenter, Cline, Hances, Young, Boyer, Hagawout, Beaver, Sharpensteins, Pursell, Hunt, Hixon, Davis, Hamlin, Carter, Green, Barber, Bulman, Hughes and Hyndshaw.

Many notables passed though our township. David Brainerd, “The Missionary to the American Indians” preached at the Old Greenwich Presbyterian Church. Local legend has it that Chigachook, the hero in James Fenimore Cooper’s novel; “The Last of the Mohicans was buried under a tree in the Old Greenwich cemetery.

Several of our former residents fought in the Revolutionary War. One was Lt. Thomas Stewart whom the hamlet of Stewartsville is named after. Stewart was assigned to Valley Forge and eventually became George Washington’s secretary. The “Father of our Country” attended the Stewart’s wedding. Upon completion of his military responsibilities, he became one of the state’s first civil engineers, surveying most of the farms in Warren County.

Another was General William “Scotch Willie” Maxwell while born in Tyrone, Ireland but lived in Greenwich Township for the majority of his life. He was promoted to Brigadier General on October 23, 1776. Maxwell led the First New Jersey Regiment during American Revolution.

Then there was Major General John Peter Gabriel Muhlenberg, who preached at The Old Straw Lutheran Church. History cites that he stepped from the pulpit while at the Shenandoah, Virginia Church to lead the 8th Virginian Regiment of the Continental Army. He would become a Pennsylvania Senator and would hold numerous political positions.

Greenwich Township has also been at the center of early transportation history, such as the Morris Canal, the old New Brunswick Pike, which is now Route 173, an old stagecoach route and the first cement highway in the state of New Jersey, which is located on Route 57. The cement came from Edison Portland Cement, which operated in New Village. It was the brainchild of Thomas Edison, who was a frequent visitor of Stewartsville and once celebrated his birthday in the Fulmer Hotel on our town’s square. It was also noted that Edison would also visit school children at the old school on North Main Street.

If you are looking for a good, safe place to raise a family, you could hardly do better than Greenwich Township, with its beauty, calm and tranquility. Greenwich Township offers the best of everything with New York City giving the lure of glitz and glamour, and Greenwich Township giving the stability and quiet country living.

Imagine living in the center of a state that is less than an hour from one of the world's great cities, set in the mountains, forests and less than an hour from beautiful beaches. That’s what Greenwich Township has to offer. It is ideally situated to offer the best of all worlds. Enjoy the unsurpassed cultural and employment opportunities of New York City and the breathtaking natural wonders and recreational opportunities of the great outdoors.

Perhaps Greenwich Townships’ charm and appeal is most evident by the fact that families stay in town from generation to generation And yet, new residents are welcomed like old friends. Together with the beautiful parks and a fine mix of residential dwellings, Greenwich Township can be considered a city with much to offer.