Laurence Harbor

History

The lands known today as Laurence Harbor were part of the southernmost region inhabited by the Lenni Lenape tribe (also known as the Delaware) in the 17th century. In 1664, they became part of greater East Jersey, and in 1684 became part of South Amboy, which was much larger than it is today. In 1869, Madison Township split off from South Amboy; it was renamed Old Bridge Township in 1975. European settlement of the area was linked to commerce passing through the Amboys along the Raritan River. From a military perspective, the area was useful for its high bayside cliffs, which allowed strategic observation of ships traveling between New York Harbor and the Atlantic Ocean. Laurence Harbor is named after land developer Laurence Lamb, who bought property in what was then known as Madison Township at the turn of the 20th century and subdivided it into bungalow-sized lots. Lamb established a shorefront golf and country club on the site. Among those who frequented Mr. Lamb's establishment were Clark Gable, Guy Lombardo, the Prince of Wales and the Vanderbilts, who came to party and eat chingarora oysters, for which Raritan Bay was then famous. In 1928, the golf club was sold to developers for the above-mentioned construction of bungalows. A boardwalk, complete with a dance hall, casino, band shell, concession stands and a merry-go-round that played only one song, "Let's Remember Pearl Harbor", provided entertainment, hot dogs and ice cream during the 1940s. For those traveling south from North Jersey or New York, it was the first stretch of Jersey Shore beachfront before reaching Keansburg or Asbury Park. According to a local historian who grew up in Old Bridge Township, the area was used during Prohibition by rum runners who would lower their cargo of bootleg liquor…

Geography

Laurence Harbor is the easternmost community in Middlesex County and occupies the northeast corner of Old Bridge Township. It is bordered to the north by Raritan Bay; to the northwest by Cheesequake Creek, across which is the neighborhood of Morgan within the borough of Sayreville; to the southwest by the Garden State Parkway; and to the southeast by the communities of Cliffwood and Cliffwood Beach in Monmouth County. The CDP is located off Exit 120 of the Garden State Parkway. The main routes are Laurence Parkway and New Jersey Route 35. The railroad, which no longer has a station in Laurence Harbor (it had a Morgan station during most of the first half of the 20th century, located right across Cheesequake Creek from Laurence Harbor), divides the community into eastern and western sections, the former being locally referred to as "The Front". According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the Laurence Harbor CDP has a total area of , including of land and of water (1.83%).

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Old Bridge High School
  High · MATAWAN · 2,707 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• Perth Amboy High School
  High · PERTH AMBOY · 2,658 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Edison High School
  High · EDISON · 2,280 students · 14.3:1 ratio
• East Brunswick High School
  High · EAST BRUNSWICK · 2,036 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Churchill Junior High School
  Middle · EAST BRUNSWICK · 2,002 students · 12.5:1 ratio
• Sayreville War Memorial High School
  High · PARLIN · 1,750 students · 13:1 ratio
• Woodbridge High School
  High · WOODBRIDGE · 1,558 students · 11.9:1 ratio
• John F. Kennedy Memorial High School
  High · ISELIN · 1,371 students · 12:1 ratio