History  

The community of New Egypt began in the early 1700’s as two mills: Snuff Mill and Kimmons Mills (Timmons). Snuff Mill, the older community, had a grist mill, slaughter house, hotel, post office, general store, and a number of small farms and homes.  Kimmons Mills was found on the western bank of the Crosswicks Creek. Cowperthwaite Kimmons used good business sense during years of  bumper crops by storing extra grain.  Then, during lean times people from near and far would travel to his granary for corn.  This is reminiscent of Biblical times when people traveled to Egypt for corn, so that finally the town became known as “New Egypt”.  Today New Egypt is still a place that people come to for food. U-Pick Farms surround area.

The Township of Plumsted was incorporated in 1845 and covers New Egypt and Cream Ridge. The historic district in town consists of 114 structures.  Most of the structures are found in the downtown area of New Egypt and along Evergreen road. They are representative of several architectural styles found in the late 18^th and 19^th centuries.  They trace the development of New Egypt from the original mill town to its emergence as a popular market place.  All of this adds to the charm and character found today in the village of New Egypt. People came from Philadelphia and New York to spend their summer by Oakford Lake in New Egypt. By 1908, New Egypt had become a summer resort.  Cranberry bogs grew with abundance. In 1868 the railroad came to New Egypt.  Passengers as well as freight kept the railroad busy. However in 1959, as trucks became a more popular mode of transportation, the railroad in New Egypt ceased to exist.

For further information on the history of New Egypt contact the New Egypt Historical Society, PO Box 295, New Egypt, NJ 08533.

Topography

Plumsted Township, is found in the center of the state within the Coastal Plain province of New Jersey. Nowhere in Plumsted is topography likely to limit development. The largest drainage system in Plumsted is Crosswicks Creek Basin, with smaller streams draining into this basin.  Plumsted has the second lowest population density (182 people per square mile) of the 33 municipalities in Ocean County.  Future growth will be affected by several factors. Plumsted has been designated as an Agriculture Development Area. It has a Pinelands Management Program. Plumsted has an active Farmland Preservation Program that restricts future residential development.

There are many horse farms in the Plumsted area. Most of the new housing in Plumsted Township is higher income than that found in town.  There are several identifiable neighborhoods in the Plumsted area. First is the town of New Egypt. The majority of the senior population in Plumsted remains in town year round. The library, which is located one mile from the center of New Egypt, is situated next to both New Egypt Middle and High Schools.  Another area of development is in the northeast quadrant of the township. The area is off Route 539, just north of Route 528 (Marshall’s Corner) on Hopkins Road, and includes several developments: Country Acres, Laurel Woods, Bembridge, Oakview Estates and Forest Hill Estates.  Nobel Estates is on Route 528, near Marshall’s Corner, and Rolling Acres is also on Route 528 near the intersection with Fischer Road.  There is a new area of homes off Route 539 on Blanche Drive.  Another developed area of Plumsted is Cream Ridge, along Route 537 and Millstream Road.

There are five areas in Plumsted Township that are on the EPA Superfund List. Goose Farm (off Route 539), Wilson Farm (Hawkins Road) and Hopkins Farm (Route 539) are currently on the Final National Priorities List.   Pijak Farm (Route 528 & Fischer Road) and Spense Farm (Route 528) have been deleted from the National Priorities List.

Commerce

New Egypt is advantageously located adjacent to Route 539, a main road leading to shore points.  Several new residential developments are under construction, increasing growth opportunities for business in the community. New Egypt Market is under new ownership. Most of the small stores in Plumsted have one or two employees. Some of the businesses in the area include Scott’s, a pet shop, auto body shops, hardware store, pharmacy, dry cleaners, an antique barn, travel agent, realtors, banks and a WAWA.  There is a small industrial park located on Route 537.  Also on 537 is the New Egypt Auction and Farmer’s Market that attracts residents as well as visitors on the two days that it is open. Potter’s Square, a small shopping plaza with a bicycle shop, frame shop, doctor, liquor store, pizza, nail salon, gift basket shop and bakery, is found on the corner of Routes 539 and 528 along with a second WAWA.  There are several seasonal garden centers, a Christmas Tree Farm and several U-Pick Farms.  There are many professionals in the area including lawyers, accountants and physicians.  While Plumsted attempts to retain its rural atmosphere, there is opportunity for businesses in the community.

Transportation 

The major arteries in Plumsted Township are County Routes 528, 537 and 539. The New Jersey Transit bus from Lakewood to Mount Holly stops in New Egypt. Once in town you can walk to most businesses. Plumsted residents travel to larger towns to use malls and shopping centers. The large shopping centers in the area are Quakerbridge, Burlington Center and Freehold Mall.  Plumsted is a rural, spread out community. The residents most affected by traffic patterns are those in rural areas who do not have a car. The Ocean County SCAT bus runs from the New Egypt Recreation building and Jensens Mobile Home Park to area malls.

Community Organizations     

Of the many civic organizations in Plumsted including Elks, Elk Mates, Lions, Knights of Columbus, American Legion, American Legion Auxiliary, VFW, Masons and Eastern Star, the largest group is the Elks.

with 400 members. The Elks Club is located in New Egypt on Route 528. It is rented to various groups and individuals for public and private affairs. Some of the area religious organizations are New Egypt Methodist, Plumsted Presbyterian, Bible Baptist, Church of the Assumption, Church of Christ, New Egypt Church of the Nazarene, Rose of Sharon Evangelical and Kingdom Hall.  The largest by far is the Roman Catholic Church of the Assumption with 1128 families. Sports continue to be popular in New Egypt with Men’s softball including close to 1000 members.  Both Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts have a large following in the community. Most of the other groups appeal to small segments of the community, each dealing with a particular interest. A few of these are the Senior Citizens, Friends of the Plumsted Township Library, New Egypt Fire Company and the New Egypt First Aid Squad.

Recreation and Entertainment

There are several public recreational facilities in Plumsted.  The Plumsted Recreation Field on Brindletown Road provides tennis courts, 4 baseball fields, 2 softball fields, a basketball court, a football field, volleyball court, horseshoe arena, playground equipment and a wooded picnic area with a senior citizen pavilion.  At the Plumsted Township Park and Gazebo on Lakeview Road there is a lake for fishing, a gazebo and playground equipment. Paradise Park Wildlife Sanctuary is next to this township park on Lakeview Drive and is home to many birds, ducks and wild geese.  Brindletown Lake is a military recreational area with a lake and a lodge.

Children and young adults take part in scouts, sports, choirs and church youth groups. New Egypt Speedway is located in New Egypt on route 539.  Events are weekly during the summer months and are quite popular with area residents.

Important local days and events include the Oyster Dinner, Easter Egg Hunt, Memorial Day Parade, New Egypt Day, July 4^th Fireworks, Christmas Tree Lighting, Annual Fishing Tournament and the New Egypt Elementary Halloween Parade.

Lifestyles

Plumsted does not have nursing homes, hospitals, prisons or military installations.  However, McGuire Air Force Base is located in nearby Wrightstown.  There is one preschool, “Learning Steps” with an enrollment of 180. This school also has an after-school program with the elementary school that offers care for those students who need it.

New Egypt has an active Historical Society that has begun restoring an old home on Evergreen Road to use as a museum for their many treasures of the past.  One of these items will certainly be the book written by local historian, Dorothy S. Mount  A Story of New Egypt and Plumsted Township.

As the community grows, differences in income, education, career and standards become more prevalent. However, the population of Plumsted is still unified in the community’s feelings about being part of a small country town, the clean air, the friendliness and low taxes.  The community cares about its town, its families, friends and neighbors.

An area of considerable change during the 90’s has been the growth of the Plumsted Township School District.  The district  has grown from one school housing grades K through 8, to three schools. In 2001 these schools are New Egypt Elementary with 490 students in grades K through 4, New Egypt Middle School with 650 students in grades 5 through 8, and New Egypt High School with 250 students in grades 9 and 10. The high school will add grades 11 and 12 over the next two years.

Communication

Daily newspapers read in Plumsted Township are the Asbury Park Press, Ocean County Edition, the Trentonian and The Times, Burlington County Edition.   The New Egypt Press was founded in 1898 and serves as a unique piece of communication for the town.  The majority of information has local implications.  It is sold in all stores in New Egypt and is also available for home delivery. The Plumsted Library has the newspaper from 1905 on microfiche, which serves as an excellent tool for genealogy research.  Another weekly paper is the Tri Town News, a free publication that covers local news in New Egypt, Jackson, Howell and Lakewood.

The Plumsted Township Committee meets the second and fourth Monday of the month in the Town Hall. Check the agenda.