Stafford Township Historical Society - Stafford Township, New Jersey - Historical Society Headquarters on Waymarking.com

Township History

Stafford Township was chartered on March 3, 1749. Up until then, the land had been part of Shrewsbury Township, Monmouth County. Stafford included all land now belonging to Waretown, Barnegat and much of the area south of present day Stafford, including Eagleswood. Also included was a large part of Long Beach Island.

Historical Society Activities

Regular meetings are held at 7pm at the Cultural Center on the 3rd wednesday of every month unless otherwise noted.

Yearly Events

Summer Concert Series will be held every Monday, from early June to late August, at the Cultural Center on Route 9 in Manahawkin. Concerts start at 7 PM and go until 9 PM. Concerts are free but a $1.00 donation is encouraged.

Battle of Cedar Bridge re-enactment.

Fund Raising Dinner is held in late October.

Heritage Park

The Heritage Park of Stafford Township stands as a reminder of yesteryear for the surrounding community. The park is on West Bay Ave, just west of Rt. 9 and across from the A Paul King Park which is on Manahawkin Lake.

Within the park is the rebuilt Old Stone Store which stands today in the same place it did in the mid to late 1700s. Rt 9, formerly Broadway, used to curve from the traffic light at Rt. 9 and Bay Ave. and run straight in front of the store. When Rt. 72 was put through, the coarse of Rt. 9 was changed and the store no longer had a road but a 20 ft berm to open its doors up to.

Also in the park is the Manahawkin Train Station which has been moved from its original location at Letts and Stafford Ave. about where Larry's Barber shop now stands. The insides have been refinished and you can still see the many years of use scuffed into the floor. It will hopefully be soon turned into a museum for Stafford.