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History

Woodbridge’s rich heritage began upon the arrival of its first settlers in 1664. Traveling from Massachusetts, the pioneers put down roots on land acquired from the Lenni Lenape Indians.

The settlement chose the name of Woodbridge, honoring Newbury, Massachusetts Reverend John Woodbridge.

In 1666, the Governor of New Jersey accorded the newly formed village permission to allocate land parcels, appoint a pastor and submit militia officers, followed shortly by the granting of a charter to the township by King Charles of England in 1669 – making Woodbridge the oldest original township in New Jersey.

In the next several decades, the town of Woodbridge grew, with the establishment of the state’s first permanent printing house by James Parker in 1751, resulting in the first published magazine, The New American Magazine, in 1758.

With the formation of additional municipalities, including Carteret, Rahway, Edison and Metuchen, in the 1800s, Woodbridge Township endured land loss – though the community remained one of the largest in the state. In the face of this, Woodbridge benefited from its access to the natural resource of fine clay deposits, placing it as one of the world’s largest producers of fire bricks.

Over the next one hundred years, the township opened its first public library (1877) – what is now known as the Barron Arts Center – built the first U.S. cloverleaf at the intersection of U.S. Route 1 and State Route 35 (1929); received esteemed awards recognizing its advanced growth and contemporary governance in the mid 1960s – among other acknowledgements – established the extensive indoor shopping mall, Woodbridge Center, in 1971; and, in the same year, opened the modern $2.6 million Woodbridge Metro Park train station.

The most recent developments in this burgeoning community include the installation of the new Town Hall in 1996 and the establishment of the Woodbridge Community Center in 2002.

Woodbridge has experienced a number of significant benchmarks since its original settlers came to the area in the late 1600s, and continues to progress into a future just as bright as its vibrant past.