Mechanicsville

Mechanicsville was formerly a small village in the southeast corner of Keyport, but it is now part of the borough. In 1843 it consisted of one dwelling house. The following year, Thomas Carhart, a carriage builder, erected a shop, which was afterward developed into an extensive business in that line, employing a number of mechanics, from which the place derived its name. In 1885 the village consisted of the brick shop built by Thomas Carhart, two stores, a carriage shop, blacksmith's shop, and St. John Methodist Episcopal Church, which is the successor of the old Bethany Church Society which was organized not far from the year 1800 at a place known as Bethany, in the south part of Raritan Township and near the line of Holmdel. The first members were the families of Murphy, Carhart, Bedle, Hoff, Polin and others. Meetings were first held in Squire Thomas Murphy's house. A lot of land was purchased in 1820, containing one-quarter of an acre on which was erected the Bethany Church. From the church sprang the churches of keyport, Matawan, Clifford, Granville, Harmony and others; and it was sometimes called the Dorsetttown Church. The building in 1870 was removed to Mechanicsville and placed on a lot donated by Andrew Polin, and was dedicated January 1st, 1871. The first pastor of the Bethany Church, Rev. Bartholomew Weed, was present at the dedication. The present pastor [1922] is the Rev. Abram L. Izard.

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Street Names: Bedle Road, Broad Street, Center Street, Florence Avenue, Monroe Street, Route 35, Route 36, Van Dorn Street