Holmdel is a township in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Located near Raritan Bay in the Raritan Valley Region, the township is a regional commercial hub of Central Jersey, home to Bell Labs and PNC Bank Arts Center, and a bedroom community of New York City in the New York area.Tarabour, Brooke. "New Jersey-Bound: The Staten Island Migration" , The New York Times, January 10, 1993. Accessed June 10, 2022.Cheslow, Jerry "If You're Thinking of Living In/Holmdel, N.J.; Grazing Cattle and a Growing Population , The New York Times, December 10, 2000. Accessed June 7, 2022.Capuzzo, Jill P. "Living In; Holmdel, N.J.: A Friendly Community 'Full of Peace and Quiet'" , The New York Times, Published: August 26, 2020, Updated: September 9, 2020. Accessed June 7, 2022.
As of the 2020 U.S. census, the township's population was 17,400, an increase of 627 (+3.7%) from the 2010 census count of 16,773, which in turn reflected an increase of 992 (+6.3%) from the 15,781 counted in the 2000 census.Table 7. Population for the Counties and Municipalities in New Jersey: 1990, 2000 and 2010 , New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, February 2011. Accessed May 1, 2023.
Holmdel Township was formed by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 23, 1857, from portions of Raritan Township (now Hazlet).Snyder, John P. The Story of New Jersey's Civil Boundaries: 1606-1968, Bureau of Geology and Topography; Trenton, New Jersey; 1969. p. 180. Accessed May 29, 2024. The origin of the township's name is unclear, with some sources indicating that it was named for the Holmes family, who were early settlers of the area, while others point to Dutch language words and , meaning 'pleasant valley'.Hutchinson, Viola L. The Origin of New Jersey Place Names , New Jersey Public Library Commission, May 1945. Accessed September 2, 2015.History of Holmdel, New Jersey , Holmdel Historical Society. Accessed September 2, 2015.
Holmdel is located west of the Jersey Shore. The township is notable for its historical and present connection to Bell Labs. Important evidence for the Big Bang was discovered using the Holmdel Horn Antenna at a Bell Labs facility by Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, both of whom won the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work here.Penzias and Wilson discover cosmic microwave radiation - 1965 PBS. Accessed July 13, 2011. "Bell Labs built a giant antenna in Holmdel, New Jersey, in 1960. It was part of a very early satellite transmission system called Echo.... Since Penzias, Wilson, and Dicke's work, all that has changed. The measurement of cosmic background radiation, as the Holmdel telescope's noise is now called), combined with Edwin Hubble's much earlier finding that the galaxies are rushing away, makes a strong case for the big bang. By the mid 1970s, astronomers called it 'the standard model.' Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1978." In addition, former U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu earned a Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on laser cooling in Holmdel.
Holmdel's picturesque beauty, proximity to New York City, and main highways, award-winning public schools, large homes, rich history, the PNC Bank Arts Center, and the presence of many high paying jobs within commuting distance led the township to be ranked the #1 "Six-Figure Town" by Money magazine and CNN for 2009.
The township has been one of the state's highest-income communities. Based on data from the American Community Survey for 2013–2017, Holmdel Township residents had a median household income of $155,842, ranked 10th in the state among municipalities with more than 10,000 residents, more than double the statewide median of $76,475.Raychaudhuri, Disha. "The wealthiest towns in N.J., ranked" , NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, June 7, 2019. Accessed November 4, 2019. "The median household income in N.J. is $76,475, recent Census data shows.... A note about the data: The data comes from 2013–2017 American Community Survey conducted by U.S. Census Bureau. Smaller towns with less than 10,000 residents were excluded from the list.... 10. Holmdel, Monmouth County Median income: $155,842" Based on data from the 2006–2010 ACS, Holmdel had a per-capita income of $62,120, ranked 46th in the state.Median Household, Family, Per-Capita Income: State, County, Municipality and Census Designated Place (CDP) With Municipalities Ranked by Per Capita Income; 2010 5-year ACS estimates (Excel Format) , New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Accessed April 23, 2020.
History
The Lenape people were present in the 1600s when Europeans first showed up in the area that is now Holmdel. Holmdel was part of the Monmouth Tract setup by the English in 1675. The area was part of Middletown township when that was set up in 1693, but, split off in 1848 to form part of Raritan township (now Hazlet) which in turn split off Holmdel Township (February 23, 1857).
The earliest work on radio astronomy was conducted by Bell Labs engineer Karl Guthe Jansky in 1931 in Holmdel.Staff. "New radio waves traced to centre of the Milky Way; Mysterious static, reported by K.G. Jansky, held to differ from cosmic ray. Direction is unchanging. Recorded and tested for more than year to identify it as from Earth's galaxy. Its intensity is low. Only delicate receiver is able to register -- No evidence of interstellar signaling." , The New York Times, May 15, 1933. Accessed July 13, 2011. "Discovery of mysterious radio waves which appear to come from the centre of the Milky Way galaxy was announced yesterday by the Bell Telephone Laboratories. The discovery was made during research studies on static by Karl G. Jansky of the radio research department at Holmdel, N.J., and was described by him in a paper delivered before the International Scientific Radio Union in Washington."Staff. "Karl G. Jansky, 44, authority in radio; Bell Laboratories engineer dies--discovered waves of extraterrestrial origin" , The New York Times, February 15, 1950. Accessed July 13, 2011. "His work was carried on principally at the Bell Laboratories installation at Holmdel, N. J.""Detective work leads to monument honoring the father of radio astronomy" , Alcatel-Lucent press release dated June 3, 1998. Accessed July 13, 2011. "A lot of detective work by Tony Tyson and Robert Wilson will lead to a June 8 ceremony at Bell Labs Holmdel facility to honor Karl Jansky, the first person to hear radio waves from outer space. Jansky's discovery in 1931, which was not publicly discussed until a 1933 page-one article in the New York Times, spawned the field of radio astronomy." In 1964, Arno Penzias and Robert Woodrow Wilson of Bell Labs discovered evidence for cosmic microwave background radiation while performing research with the Holmdel Horn Antenna, earning them the Nobel Prize in Physics.Astronomy and Astrophysics: Horn Antenna , National Park Service. Accessed November 17, 2007.
The PNC Bank Arts Center is a 10,800-seat outdoor amphitheatre concert venue located in Holmdel. PNC Financial Services agreed to a deal in 1996 under which it would pay $9.2 million for the naming rights, as part an effort by the Parkway Authority to avoid toll increases, a deal that was extended for another five years in 2006.Curran, John via Associated Press. "PNC to add its name to N.J. arts center; the bank will pay $9.2 million.; that will delay the need for a Garden State Parkway toll increase." , The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 3, 1996. Accessed January 16,2023, via Newspapers.com. "Like Candlestick Park, the Brendan Byrne Arena and dozens of New Year's Day bowl games, the Garden State Arts Center is trading in its name for cash. The 10,800-seat arena on the Garden State Parkway will be renamed the PNC Bank Arts Center in exchange for $9.2 million, officials said yesterday."Staff. "Local Briefs; PNV retains naming rights" , Asbury Park Press, May 4, 2006. Accessed July 13, 2011. "PNC Financial Services Group has retained the naming rights to PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel through 2011, through 2011 a company spokesman said Wednesday." The facility, which originally opened in 1968, was commissioned by the Garden State Parkway Authority and built based on a design by architect Edward Durell Stone at a cost of $6.75 million (equivalent to $ million in ).Ericson, Raymond. "New Names on the Map" , The New York Times, May 26, 1968. Accessed July 13, 2011. "Almost completed at the former site is the Garden State Arts Center, which must be unique as the creation of a highway authority. An amphitheater accommodating 5,000, it was designed by Edward Durell Stone, and it is 25 miles south of Newark on the Garden State Parkway."Staff. "Jersey Arts Center Will Open June 15" , The New York Times, February 29, 1968. Accessed July 13, 2011. "The new $6.75-million Garden State Arts Center will open June 15 with a concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy and Van Cliburn as guest soloist." Adjacent to it is the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which opened on May 7, 1995."Pulse; Planning for Memorial Day" , The New York Times, May 22, 1995. Accessed January 16, 2023. "Vietnam veterans were honored on May 7, with the opening of the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Holmdel."
In 1977, Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded many of his songs from his album Darkness on the Edge of Town in an old farmhouse in Holmdel.Gardner, Elysa. "Bruce Springsteen explores a time of 'Darkness'" , USA Today, October 2, 2010. Accessed March 15, 2011. "Darkness also was haunted and enriched by Springsteen's struggle to come to terms with his success and with a growing sense of social awareness. He wrote most of the songs while living on a farm in Holmdel, N.J., not far from the working-class neighborhood where he was raised."
VoIP provider Vonage Holdings, Inc., relocated its world headquarters from Edison to Holmdel in November 2005, occupying the building that formerly housed Prudential Property Casualty & Insurance.Willis, David P. Phone Talk" , Asbury Park Press, October 15, 2006. Accessed July 13, 2011. "It has been a memorable year for Vonage Holdings Corp the nation's largest Internet telephone company.... Vonage became one of the Jersey Shore's largest employers in late 2005 when it moved its headquarters from Edison to Holmdel. The renovated 350,000-square-foot building it occupies was once home to Prudential Financial Inc.'s property and casualty division."
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 18.05 square miles (46.75 km2), including 17.85 square miles (46.22 km2) of land and 0.20 square miles (0.53 km2) of water (1.13%). Holmdel Township is located roughly south of Manhattan. It is also about 70 miles northeast of Philadelphia.
Crawford Hill, located at (40.3904, −74.1840), is Monmouth County's highest point, standing above sea level.Facts and Figures , Monmouth County, New Jersey Office of Economic Development. Accessed April 23, 2012. "Elevations: Highest - 391 ft above sea level (Crawford Hill, Holmdel)" The top portion of the hill is owned by Alcatel-Lucent and houses a research laboratory of Bell Laboratories.
The township borders the Monmouth County communities of Aberdeen, Colts Neck, Hazlet, Marlboro and Middletown.Areas touching Holmdel Township , MapIt. Accessed July 13, 2015.Regional Location Map , Monmouth County, New Jersey. Accessed February 24, 2020.New Jersey Municipal Boundaries , New Jersey Department of Transportation. Accessed November 15, 2019.
Unincorporated communities, localities and place names located partially or completely within the township include:Locality Search , State of New Jersey. Accessed April 20, 2015. Beers, Centerville, Crawford Corners, Everett, Morrells Corner and Pleasant Valley Crossroads.