Bradevelt is an unincorporated community located within the Morganville section of Marlboro Township, in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Locality Search, State of New Jersey. Accessed February 17, 2015. County Route 520 travels through Bradevelt, while Route 79 is located west of the community. The area consists of a mix of businesses along the two main roads, farmland, and the remains of the Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital which is being converted to Big Brook Park.https://co.monmouth.nj.us/documents/130/BigBrook8x11.pdf Big Brook Park Overview Map The former Monmouth County Agricultural Railroad (a portion of which is now part of the Henry Hudson Trail) runs north and south through Bradevelt. Early to mid 1800s the area was called Hulsetown.John Melville, The Freehold Transcript, 25 Mar 1898, Page 5

Agriculture

Produce was shipped to many locations nationally.Traffic World, Chicago Ill, Volume 9, Part 2, January 6, 1912, Page 17 The New York Times describes a harvest time observation that at one point, as many as 100 wagons and horses were in line waiting to unload at the train station."Monmouth Farmers Have a Banner Year", Asbury Park Press, September 24, 1914, Page 2 However, the area was also known for Rome, Paragon and Stark apples, which won awardsNew Jersey State Horticultural Society, Proceedings of the State Horticultural Society at Its Annual 41st Session, Freehold NJ, December 1, 1915, 180-182New Jersey State Horticultural Society, Proceedings of the State Horticultural Society at Its Annual 40th Session, Freehold NJ, December 9, 1914, Pages 192Asbury Park Press, November 15, 1915, Page 1 as well as peaches, cornThe Rural New-Yorker, Volume 72, January 4, 1913, page 934"Won Seed Corn Prize", Red Bank Register, June 10, 1925, Page 4 and amber wheat.The Cultivator & Country Gentleman, Volume 50, 1885, page 732 In 1908, "the largest ear of corn ever grown in New Jersey... was picked"—it contained twenty-six rows of large corn on it."News of State Cut Short for Rapid Reading", Courier News, October 23, 1908, Page 2

In addition to farming produce, the area also hosted most other livestock commonly found on a farm. At various times, the area was known for turkey production"Prize Winning Turkeys", Red Bank Register, October 23, 1929, Page 18 and other poultry,"Poultry Convention", Red Bank Register, October 21, 1925, Page 1 boar,National Chester White Record, Volume 2, Louisville, Ky, 1888, page 40 Berkshire pigs, calves, cows, Khedive Bulls, horses and ads to sell them were common in local livestock magazines.The Cultivator & Country Gentleman, Volume 50, 1885, page 248-390

Some years were bad for the farmers, Army worm were heavily infesting the farms in the area in 1924"Army Worm Invasion", Red Bank Register, July 9, 1924, Page 12 and then in 1925, the area was heavily infested with Japanese beetle. The infestation was so bad that the township of Marlboro, and specifically Bradevelt was placed under a Quarantine. All produce sold had to be certified by the state lab in Riverton where it had to be inspected free of Japanese beetles."The Beetle Quarantine", Red Bank Register, June 10, 1925, Page 5 This had a dramatic negative effect on selling produce that year.

Structures

School

There was a two-story red school house"50 years ago", Matawan Journal, January 29, 1959, Page 4 on Route 520 in Bradevelt re-purposed from a house in 1810,Randall Gabrielan, Marlboro Township, c. 1999, Page 70 which was torn down in 1913 and replaced for 1914 school year.Randall Gabrielan, Marlboro Township, c. 1999, Page 70 In this school, future U.S. Vice President Garret Hobart as well as his father Addison Hobart and future Assemblyman John D. Honce were teachers."Abandon School Used Over Century", Asbury Park Press, February 9, 1914, Page 4 Frank Dugan came from this school and later became important to the educational system in Marlboro; a school is named after him.

Psychiatric hospital

In 1928, construction of a Marlboro Psychiatric Hospital was begun. The main entrance to the hospital was on route 520 in Bradevelt. The hospital transferred 500 patients from Graystone Hospital in 1931 when it opened.State Freeholders Visit New Bradevelt Hospital, Asbury Park Press, July 14, 1931, Page 15

The 509 acres purchased by the state for the hospital grounds were purchased for $76,000. It was reported that the houses and farms which were obtained in 1928 were considered "very old". Some of the structured destroyed were built before the Revolutionary War."Hospital Built At Bradevelt", Red Bank Register, December 26, 1928, Page 1

Post office

Bradevelt had a post office. In 1865, the mail was handled by Patrick Carton who lost an arm in the Civil War.Ceres, Gerald: Holmdel and Pleasant Valley, 1996, Page 50 Mail delivery started as twice a day. In 1929, it was changed to once daily in the evening; then changed to morning delivery."Mail Delivery changed from Evening to Morning", Red Bank Register, March 21, 1928, Page 20 However, the population did not support a separate dispatch and the Post Office was closed in February 1932. Mail for the area was sent to the main Marlboro office.Marlboro Happenings, The Matawan Journal, February 19, 1932, page 5

Historic churches

Two historic churches serve Bradevelt. Both Located on Route 520, the first is St. Gabriel's Chappel. Built by Fr. Frederick Kivelitz in 1878, the church served the community until a larger church was built in Marlboro. St. Gabriel's Church is known for an annual carnival. In 1949, the carnival featured the Yankees baseball team featuring Phil Rizzuto and Snuffy Stirnweiss."Yanks to Star at Bradevelt Fair", Asbury Park Press, July 27, 1949, Page 2 The second church was started in 1709, as the "First Reformed Church of Freehold", but in 1931 changed its name to "Old Brick Reformed Church". In 1826, the church reconstructed the building and erected the present edifice.250th Anniversary of Church at Bradevelt to be Marked, Asbury Park Press, October 7, 1949, Page 1

Train station One of seven railroad station stops along the twelve mile railroad line from Matawan to Freehold was located by Route 520 in Bradevelt. Potatoes & Marl were a main crop and product for the area. In 1914, 225,000 barrels of potatoes were shipped from the Bradevelt station. The depot burned down in May 1926.Marlboro Happenings, Asbury Park Press, May 25, 1926, page 12 Following the fire, a rail car was used for the station agent and ticket sales."Passenger Car as Station", Red Bank Register, June 9, 1926, Page 1

Other features

Illegal alcohol stills were very common in the Bradevelt area during the prohibition."Officials Raid Still in Woods", Asbury Park Press, July 31, 1923, Page 2 In some cases, the stills would explode causing barn and house fires."Exploding Still Impede Firemen, Asbury Park Press, June 27, 1928, Page 1

Found in a Marl pit in Bradevelt was evidence that New Jersey had chestnuts growing 60 million years ago. This was after a well preserved specimen was found and identified by the Yale Forest School."Chestnut Trees in Jersey 60 Million Years Ago, New York Times, July 23, 1929

The area was known for good fishing on the Hop Brook. Trout, Pike, pickerel and perch were known to be caught on this stream."Some Good Fishing Spots", Asbury Park Press, March 9, 1914, Page 10

References