Lakewood, New Jersey


Lakewood Township is located in the north-eastern part and is the fourth largest city in the U.S. State of New Jersey. Known for its Jewish community. It is the home to the world's largest yeshiva outside Israel, a place where Jews study Torah and rabbinic traditions.

It is one of the fastest-growing town in New Jersey, even if it's one of the least affordable U.S. towns. The increase in population is explained by Latino and Jewish people moving to Lakewood. It is a major hub of Orthodox Judaism.




To See And To Do In Lakewood


  • Strand Theater
  • Ocean County Park
  • South Side Sandwich Shop
  • Eagle Ridge Golf Club
  • Lakewood Heritage Commission Museum
  • Georgian Court University
  • Lake Carasaljo
  • Town and Country Shopping Center
  • Lakewood Country Club
  • Carousel of Music summer concert
  • Westgate Plaza Shopping


History Of Lakewood - Timeline


Thousands of years before the first European came to the area, the Lenni-Lenape Native Americans lived in the region.

In 1614, the Dutch navigator, surveyor, and cartographer, Cornelius Hendrickson, explored the area. In 1750, sawmill operators and farmers came to the area. Early settlers found a thick forest, which provided timber for early industries. That is the first documented European activity in the area. In 1789, Three Partners' Mill" was established. It was a sawmill operation run by John, George, and Henry Skidmore.

In 1804, Gilbert Hyer settled and established the Hyer Farm In 1814, Jesse Richards established an iron-smelting operation called Washington Furnace. In 1832, Joseph W. Brick purchased the Washington Furnace and renamed it Bergen Iron Works. It produced essential goods, including pipes for New York City's utilities. At the time, the township was also called Bergen Iron Works.

In 1860, the New Jersey Southern Railroad was establishing rail service to Lakewood. In 1865, the community renamed Bergen Iron Works to Bricksburg in honor of Joseph Brick. The Bricksburg House Hotel was built. In 1866, the engineer Samuel Shreave surveyed and laid out the streets. In 1871, the Ocean County Journal newspaper began publication.

In 1880, the residents voted to rename the town to Lakewood. The name Lakewood was officially approved. The Laurel House hotel opened. In 1883, the Lakewood Library Association was incorporated. In 1888, the fire department was founded. In 1891, the Lakewood Hotel, and the Laurel-in-the-Pines hotel opened. The 22nd and 24th President of the United States, Grover Cleveland, began visiting Lakewood to escape city business.

In 1892, Lakewood was incorporated as a township. In 1894, the Golf Club of Lakewood was organized, and the Lakewood Times and Journal newspaper began publication. In 1895, Lakewood was known as a luxurious winter resort for New York's elite. At the time, people like Mark Twain, president Grover Cleveland, and Oliver Wendell Holmes, visited the town regularly. Holmes is one of the most widely cited and influential Supreme Court justices in the history.

In 1896, the millionaire George Jay Gould, a financier and a railroad executive, acquired an estate, which today is now Georgian Court University. The Lakewood Country Club was founded. The construction of the Gould Mansion began. George Jay Gould was a railroad magnate, and the building served as his summer house.

In 1901, John D. Rockefeller began to build his 30-bedroom estate in Lakewood. (Known as Golf House). In 1902, John D. Rockefeller, purchased the Ocean County Hunt and Golf Club. This land was part of the old Hyer Farm. The Township gets its first Town Hall. In 1904, the grand Lakewood Hall was built, and served as a central hub for township meetings, and other public events.

In 1905, the Carnegie Library was built. In 1907, the Jewish Orthodox synagogue, Congregation Sons of Israel, was built. In 1908, the Georgian Court University was founded. It is a private Catholic university in Lakewood. The composer, arranger and orchestrator, Bernard Mayers, was born in the town. He arranged and orchestrated the music for around 70 movies, including South Pacific, The King and I, and Carousel.

In 1913, the Paul Kimball Hospital was built. In 1919, the Strand Theater building was built, but the theater opened a couple of years later. In 1920, Lakewood was called the Land of 100 Hotels. There were around 130 hotels in the town. In 1921, a post office opened. In 1922, the Strand Theater opened. In 1924, a new Township Hall was built.

In 1943, Rabbi Aharon Kotler established the Beth Medrash Govoha rabbinical college. Rabbi Aharon Kotler was a respected Jewish leader who escaped Nazi-occupied Europe. In 1949, the film producer Steve Tisch was born in the town. He produced Forrest Gump, American History X, The Postman, The Equalizer, and many more films. In 1967, the Laurel-in-the-Pines hotel was destroyed by fire.

In 1968, the actor David Lee Russek was born in the town. (Chicago Fire, Daredevil, and more). In 2000, there were 60,352 people living in the town. In 2001, the ShoreTown Ballpark stadium was built. In 2025, there were 143,910 people living in the town.