Lacey's colorful history spans back prior to the Revolutionary War, when the area was inhabited by the friendly Lenape Indians, who were instrumental in helping the first settlers from England survive in their new country.

Most settlers were involved in making charcoal and iron from the Pinelands, though wood production and the harvesting of cranberries were among the chief industries in the area.

The first Universalist sermon in the United States was preached in 1770 by John Murray at Potter's Meeting House, which was located in Lanoka Harbor.

The Potter Church, which still stands in Murray Grove, was built in 1760 from portions of the meeting house.

Gen. John Lacey, for whom the township was named, began his Bamber iron works during that period, bringing prosperity to the area.

Much of Lacey's colorful history can be viewed at the Schoolhouse Museum on Route 9, which is open during the summer.

For those who like to read about local history or just want to borrow a good book, Lacey has a library on East Lacey Road which is a branch of the Ocean County Library.

Lacey's economy was boosted again in 1969 when Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station made its home in the Forked River section of the township. The power plant is one of the largest employers in Ocean County and is the largest tax ratable in the township.

The announcement that the plant is closing continues to raise concerns as to the township's financial future. Local officials went to work immediately lobbying for tax reform and have secured the town's finances for many years to come.

Pride and community spirit are embodied in the way Lacey Township residents and officials celebrate the small town American way of life in an area rich with scenic beauty and ripe with economic promise.

It is the unique location of the township, nestled between Cedar Creek and Oyster Creek, that provides opportunities for financial gains while protecting the natural surroundings that make it a choice place to live, work and play.

The township has been touted as the "gateway to the Pinelands region" and this year local officials worked with representatives from the Pinelands Commission to develop plans for a park in a section of the Pinelands brimming with Lacey and neighboring Berkeley Township history.

Cranberry bogs located in the area are still in use today and a unique collection of buildings from an actual Pinelands village, including a sawmill will be restored as part of the park project.

While the Pinelands park will introduce visitors to the wonder and history of the region, township residents are treated to annual events that tie the past to the present.

Each year officials and residents work together organizing a number of special events including Lacey Day and the annual Christmas Day Parade.

Anyone who loves a parade can also witness the line of lighted boats that travel up and down the Forked River during the annual Night of Lights Celebration.

There is no shortage of good spirit and love for the town among any of its residents. Private business owners also get involved in the community spirit conducting events and activities of their own.

While events are conducted year round, summertime fun can be found at any of the four large, spring-fed lakes in the township, three of which have beaches for swimming.

There are a number of parks and tot lots in the township, and a new low impact 28 acre County park on East Lacey Road is scheduled for completion in the spring.

Popcorn Park Zoo, which cares for injured and unwanted animals, attracts visitors from all over Ocean County. The zoo is west of the parkway off Lacey Road.

The Lacey Municipal Building is at 818 West Lacey Road in Forked River (693-1100). The mayor is Louis A. Amato Jr., and members of the Township Committee are Deputy Mayor John C. Parker is joined by Committee persons Brian Reid and Robert Bischoff.

The high school district opened a new middle school this month and renovated the old middle school as the Mill Pond Elementary School. The Lacey Township High School educates students in grades nine through 12, the middle school educates the townships seventh- to eighth-graders and four elementary schools, Mill Pond, Cedar Creek, Lanoka Harbor and Forked River, round off the list.

A new southbound entrance and northbound exit between the Garden State Parkway and Lacey Road makes Lacey Township accessible from all directions.

The township today encompasses 84.6 square miles and has a population of 22,141, according to the 1990 census.

Most residents live east of the Garden State Parkway, and the western portion of the township consists of thousands of acres of Pine Barrens where the new historic park will be situated.

Published in the Southern Ocean Community Guide 9/23-24/98
Times-Beacon Newspapers

Old Schoolhouse Museum photo taken by Lisa Braunsdorf - Copyright© 2002