LBI & Ocean County Online
Lacey Township, NJ
Lacey Township, NJ
Lacey Township, bordered by Cedar Creek and Oyster Creek, has a colorful
history. Prior to the Revolutionary War, the area was inhabited by the
friendly Lenape Indians, who were instrumental in helping the first
settlers from England survive in their new country.
Most settlers were involved in making charcoal and iron from raw materials found in the Pinelands, though wood production and the harvesting of cranberries were also among the chief industries in the area.
There are cranberry bogs still in use today, and a unique collection of buildings from an actual Pinelands village, including a sawmill are at Double Trouble State Park, on the boundary of Lacey and Berkeley townships.
The first Universalist sermon in the United States was preached in 1770 by John Murray at Potter's Meeting House, which was located in Lanoka Harbor. The Potter Church, which still stands in Murray Grove, was built in 1760 from portions of the meeting house.
Gen. John Lacey, for whom the township was named, began his Bamber iron works during that period, bringing prosperity to the area. Much of Lacey's history can be viewed at the Schoolhouse Museum on Route 9, which is open during the summer.
The township today encompasses 84.6 square miles and has a population of 22,141, according to the 1990 census. Most residents live east of the Garden State Parkway, and the western portion of the township consists of thousands of acres of Pine Barrens. Residents and officials of Lacey Township will celebrate the municipality's 125th Anniversary this year. Members of the Lacey Festival Committee have already drawn up a list of events for the grand celebration sometime in 1996. Thus far, the agenda includes a parade on Lacey Road and refreshments for all.
For those who like to read a good book, Lacey has a library on East Lacey Road that is a branch of the Ocean County Library. The telephone number is 693-8566.
There are four large, spring-fed lakes in the township, three of which have beaches for swimming. The Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station, operating since 1969, is one of the largest employers in Ocean County and is the largest tax ratable in the township.
There are a number of parks and tot lots in the township, including the townships newest hot spot for recreation, Richard L. Gille Park located on Manchester Avenue in Forked River. Popcorn Park Zoo, which cares for injured and unwanted animals, attracts visitors from all over Ocean County. The zoo is west of the Parkway off Lacey Road (693-1900).
The Lacey Municipal Building is at 818 West Lacey Road in Forked River (693-1100). The mayor is William J. "Bill" Boehm, and members of the Township Committee are Deputy Mayor John C. Parker and Committeepersons Louis Amato, Lynn Nick and Helen Dela Cruz. The town clerk is Veronica Laureigh, and administrator is Jorge A. Rod.
To date, the doors of a new building addition at Cedar Creek Elementary School located on Western Boulevard were opened and the residents approved a new seventh- and eighth-grade school in a referendum in December. Presently, the township is the home of five schools including the township middle and high schools and Forked River, Lanoka Harbor and Cedar Creek elementary schools.
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