Highlands, New Jersey facts for kids

See also New York–New Jersey Highlands for the northwestern part of New Jersey.

Quick facts for kids Highlands, New Jersey
Borough
The eastern shore of Highlands borough, topped on a bluff by the Twin Lights of the Navesink
Seal
Location of Highlands in Monmouth County highlighted in red (left). Inset map: Location of Monmouth County in New Jersey highlighted in orange (right).
Census Bureau map of Highlands, New Jersey
Highlands, New Jersey Location in Monmouth County, New Jersey Show map of Monmouth County, New Jersey Highlands, New Jersey Location in New Jersey Show map of New Jersey Highlands, New Jersey Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	New Jersey
County	Monmouth
Incorporated	March 22, 1900
Government
• Type	Faulkner Act (small municipality)
• Body	Borough Council
Area
• Total	1.39 sq mi (3.59 km2)
• Land	0.74 sq mi (1.92 km2)
• Water	0.65 sq mi (1.67 km2)  46.47%
Area rank	462nd of 565 in state 39th of 53 in county
Elevation	13 ft (4 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	4,621
• Estimate  (2023)	4,329
• Rank	392nd of 565 in state 35th of 53 in county
• Density	6,244.6/sq mi (2,411.1/km2)
• Density rank	85th of 565 in state 8th of 53 in county
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (Eastern (EDT))
ZIP Code	07732
Area code(s)	732 exchanges: 291, 708, 872
FIPS code	3402531500
GNIS feature ID	0885253
Website

Highlands is a small town, called a borough, located in northern Monmouth County, New Jersey. It's a historic community right on the water, part of the Raritan Bay area. Many people who live here travel to New York City for work.

In 2020, about 4,621 people lived in Highlands. The eastern part of the town sits on a high bluff that looks out over Sandy Hook Bay, the entrance to New York Harbor, and the Atlantic Ocean. This high land is how the borough got its name. You can see the famous Navesink Twin Lights at the top of this bluff.

Highlands officially became a borough on March 22, 1900. It was formed from parts of Middletown Township. More land from Middletown Township was added in 1914. Highlands was also part of a plan to help the local economy by focusing on its history, neighborhoods, and natural beauty.

On October 29, 2012, Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast. It caused a lot of damage to homes and businesses in Highlands.

A Journey Through Highlands' History

Early Explorers and Native Americans

The area now known as Highlands was first explored by Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1525. Over the next 200 years, English and Dutch settlers arrived. Even in the 1900s, many immigrants saw the tall hills of Navesink, which are almost 300 feet high.

The oldest path to the eastern coast of the United States was the Minisink Trail. It started at the Delaware River and ended at the Navesink River. "Navesink" means "good fishing spot" in the local Native American language. Tribes like the Algonquin and Lenni Lenapi used this trail. They came from all over New Jersey to fish and find clams in the summer. The Newasunks, Raritans, and Sachem Papomorga were the main tribes who lived there and traded with early settlers.

In 1526, a year after Verrazzano, Portuguese explorer Estevan Gomez visited the Highlands of Navesink. He created the first maps of the area. These maps were the first to show Sandy Hook, which he called "Cabo de Arenas" or "Cape of Sands."

In 1609, Henry Hudson sailed into Sandy Hook Bay. He wrote that it was "very good land" with "goodly oaks." Sadly, one of Hudson's crew members was the first person killed by Native Americans in the area.

Settlement and Early Development

Years after Hudson's visit, Dutch traders came to the Navesink Highlands. One Dutch settler, William Reape, traded land with the local natives for rum, blankets, and gunpowder. The Dutch named the land "Rensselaer's Hoeck." But in 1664, British settlers took over and renamed it "Portland."

In 1677, Richard Hartshorne bought a large piece of land, about 2,320 acres, from the Native Americans. This gave him control of almost all of Sandy Hook and Highlands, which was then called "Portland Poynt." Hartshorne and his family were the first permanent settlers in the area.

Early settlers quickly realized how important Highlands and Sandy Hook were for defending the country. They could warn New York City if enemies were approaching by sea. They could also guide ships into New York Harbor. In 1762, New York merchants bought land from the Hartshorne family for a lighthouse. Two years later, the Sandy Hook Light House was lit for the first time.

Highlands During the American Revolution

The hills of Navesink and Sandy Hook were very important during the American Revolutionary War. They were a key spot for both the British and Colonial armies. When the British fleet arrived near Sandy Hook in 1776, people who supported the British built forts. With British help, they held Sandy Hook for the rest of the war. These Loyalists stayed in control even after the war ended in 1781.

Captain Joshua Huddy was a member of the local militia. He chased groups of Tory (Loyalist) refugees who were attacking American rebels. The Loyalists targeted Huddy. One time, they set his house on fire. Huddy escaped during a fight with the Loyalists.

However, two years later, Loyalists captured Huddy again. They brought him to Gravelly Point in Highlands. He was allowed to write his will before being hanged. This was done because of the death of Captain Philip White, a Loyalist who had been captured by Rebels and shot. Huddy was not involved in White's death, as he was in prison at the time. Patriots carried Huddy's body to Freehold for burial. Today, a monument in Huddy Park honors Captain Joshua Huddy.

Growth as a Tourist Spot

In 1796, the first hotel in the Highlands of Navesink was built. More hotels followed until the War of 1812. After the war, tourism grew, and new hotels appeared on Sandy Hook and in Highlands. Many new homes were also built, and visitors arrived by boat.

Famous author James Fenimore Cooper, who wrote The Last of the Mohicans, was inspired by his visits to Highlands for his novel Water Witch. Walt Whitman, a famous American poet, wrote about his trips to Highlands in his journals and a group of poems called "Fancies at Navesink."

By 1880, Highlands was full of hotels, beach pavilions, and private clubs. It was a great time for the small town. Trains and steamships brought vacationers who were enjoying the prosperity after the American Civil War. New York theater producers and famous actors built summer homes here. Harper's Magazine even sent journalists to write about the community in the 1870s and 1880s.

Transportation and Innovation

The Seashore Railroad was built on the Sandy Hook peninsula in 1865. A ferry service took passengers across the river from Highlands to a hotel on Sandy Hook. In 1872, a bridge was built, and the ferry stopped. This new drawbridge was about 1,500 feet long and 18 feet wide. It cost $35,000. It closed for three years in 1875 after a schooner hit it.

By 1883, a railroad reached Atlantic Highlands. In 1892, the old drawbridge at Highlands was replaced. The New Jersey Central Railroad Company built a new bridge for trains, cars, and people. This new bridge opened in 1892.

On Lighthouse Hill, you'll find the Twin Lights, a very historic site. Built in 1862, it was:

• The first twin lighthouse.
• The first electric-powered light.
• The first sight of America for incoming ships.
• The first in the nation to use the Fresnel lens.
• The first to use wireless telegraphy.
• The site of the first experiments with radar.

Beacon Hill (also known as Light House Hill) was used for a beacon as early as 1746. This was during a war between England and France. The beacon, which burned whale oil, warned sailors and citizens if the French were approaching. During the American Revolutionary War, it served the same purpose, but the enemy was Britain.

In 1899, Guglielmo Marconi, who invented wireless telegraphy, showed his invention at the Twin Lights. This allowed the New York Herald to get news of the 1899 America's Cup races first.

By the 1920s, Highlands was a very popular tourist spot. However, by 1932, steamboat services on the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers ended. Before World War II, the northern tower of the Twin Lights was used for early radar experiments. These tests were so successful that after the war, radar became a main tool for navigation. Because of this, the government decided to stop using the Twin Lights as an active lighthouse.

Local Life and Traditions

In 1900, when Highlands became a borough, it passed a rule that horses, cows, and pigs could not run loose in the streets. It also ordered that strong wooden planks be used for curbs along the streets.

By 1920, making, selling, or transporting alcohol was against the law. However, "rum-running" (smuggling alcohol) was common along New Jersey's coast. Highlands became a main port for this illegal trade. Highlands also had great boat-building facilities that could make boats faster than authorities could catch them. The Jersey Skiff, designed and built in Highlands, became the main boat used for smuggling.

Highlands became known for sport fishing in the 1920s. Today, many boats can be seen in the rivers, bays, and ocean. People fish for fluke, bluefish, striped bass, or whiting.

Clamming was an important activity for Native Americans here, and early settlers learned from them. One writer in 1890 said that clams were as important to Parkertown as whales once were to Nantucket.

Gertrude Ederle spent all her summers in Highlands. She learned to swim at the beach on Miller Street. She would swim from Sandy Hook to the Highlands Bridge to train for her famous English Channel swim in 1926. She became the first woman to swim the English Channel. She was also the first woman to get a ticker-tape parade on Broadway in New York City. In 1975, Ederle attended the dedication of a park in Highlands named in her honor.

In 1975, all military bases on Sandy Hook (except for the U.S. Coast Guard) were closed. The land was given to the National Park Service to become the Gateway National Recreation Area.

Highlands' Geography and Climate

Downtown Highlands as seen from the Route 36 bridge

Highlands covers about 1.37 square miles (3.55 square kilometers). About 0.77 square miles (1.99 square kilometers) is land, and 0.60 square miles (1.56 square kilometers) is water. This means almost half of the borough's area is water!

Some smaller communities and places within Highlands include Parkertown and Waterwitch. Highlands shares borders with nearby towns like Atlantic Highlands, Middletown Township, and Sea Bright.

The climate in Highlands has hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. It's known as a humid subtropical climate.

Highlands' Population

Population Details from 2010

In 2010, there were 5,005 people living in Highlands. Most residents (about 93%) were White. About 1.6% were Black or African American, and 1.3% were Asian. About 6.5% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Highlands was about 45 years old. About 14% of the population was under 18, and about 13% was 65 or older.

Education in Highlands

Students in Highlands attend public schools through the Highlands School District. Children in pre-kindergarten through sixth grade go to Highlands Elementary School. In the 2022–23 school year, there were 169 students and 22 teachers, meaning about 7.6 students per teacher.

For seventh through twelfth grades, students attend Henry Hudson Regional High School. This high school serves students from both Atlantic Highlands and Highlands. In the 2022–23 school year, the high school had 296 students and 39 teachers.

In September 2023, voters decided to combine the two elementary school districts with the Henry Hudson regional district. This means that starting in the 2024–25 school year, there will be one school district for all grades, from kindergarten to 12th grade.

Getting Around Highlands

Roads and Highways

Route 36 northbound entering Highlands

As of 2010, Highlands had about 15.19 miles of roads. Most of these roads are maintained by the town itself. New Jersey State Route 36 is the main highway that goes through Highlands. On the east side of town, Route 36 connects to Sea Bright using the Highlands-Sea Bright Bridge.

Public Transportation

NJ Transit offers local bus service on the 834 route, connecting Highlands to Red Bank. Academy Bus also provides bus service to Midtown Manhattan and Wall Street in New York City.

SeaStreak offers ferry service to Manhattan from Conner's Ferry Landing. There are morning trips that stop at Pier 11/Wall Street and the East 34th Street Ferry Landing. Six ferry trips return each weekday evening.

Famous People from Highlands

Many interesting people have lived in or are connected to Highlands:

• Gertrude Ederle (1905–2003), a swimmer who was the first woman to swim across the English Channel. She learned to swim in Highlands during her summers there.
• Walt Flanagan (born 1967), a comic book store manager and TV personality.
• Bryan Johnson (born 1967), a podcast host and star of Comic Book Men.
• Jason Mewes (born 1974), an actor famous for his role as Jay in the duo Jay and Silent Bob.
• Frankie Montecalvo (born 1990), a racing driver who won the 2015 Pirelli World Challenge GTA Driver's Champion title.

See also

In Spanish: Highlands (Nueva Jersey) para niños