An older village becomes a borough
Englishtown became a borough in January 1888 after separating from Manalapan Township. Its name recalls James English, an early landowner. The community was already known as Englishtown during the Revolutionary War, so the incorporation date should not be mistaken for the beginning of the village.
The road to Monmouth
Ellis's county history describes Englishtown as a stopping place for the American army around the Battle of Monmouth in June 1778. This places the village within the network of roads and accommodations that supported travel through inland Monmouth County. Taverns were important community businesses, serving residents as well as people passing through.
A local trading center
During the nineteenth century, Englishtown had stores, medical practitioners, a grist mill and schooling. Ellis also describes its connection to the Jamesburg and Freehold Agricultural Railroad. These institutions helped the village serve the surrounding farming area. Its later separation from Manalapan formalized a municipal identity that had grown from a much older concentration of trade, travel and everyday services.