Cream Ridge

History

The soil in Cream Ridge is Freehold sandy loam, some of the richest in the state of New Jersey. Many of the early residents became relatively wealthy gentleman farmers, with the actual farm work done by tenant farmers. Most of the early families were Presbyterians, Quakers, or Northern Baptists. Some of the surnames associated with the area are Holmes, Meirs, Rue, Cox, Wright, Lawrence, and Ridgway. The gentleman farmer lifestyle was dramatically curtailed during the Great Depression and after World War II, although remnants of this bygone lifestyle existed into the 1980s.

Geography

Cream Ridge is close to the southwesternmost extent of Monmouth County and occupies the south-central part of Upper Freehold Township. The community is southeast of Trenton, the state capital, and southwest of Freehold, the Monmouth county seat. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Cream Ridge CDP has a total area of , of which , or 0.69%, are water. Miry Run flows westward through the community, joining Crosswicks Creek, which forms the western edge of the CDP. Via Crosswicks Creek, the community is part of the Delaware River watershed.

Race & ethnicity