About New Brunswick

Diversified industry and higher education support the busy city of New Brunswick, which originated in 1686 as a ferry crossing in a settled area known as Prigmore's Swamp. The good port and water power afforded by the Raritan River made the city one of New Jersey's major shipping and milling depots by the 1750s.

A 1770 charter resulted in the opening of Queen's College the following year in a tavern. After years of shifting locations and monetary struggles, the college took form in 1766 and now occupies several campuses in the city. It was renamed Rutgers in 1825.

Buccleuch Park, a 78-acre park at the north end of College Avenue, overlooks the Raritan River. In addition to recreational facilities it contains a house built in 1729 by a British officer. The birthplace of Alfred Joyce Kilmer, best known for his poem “Trees,” is at 17 Joyce Kilmer Ave. Each weekend in June and early July, 15 acres of nearby Somerset become a 1490s English village complete with entertainment and craftsmen's booths during the New Jersey Renaissance Faire; phone (732) 271-1119.

Visitor Information

Middlesex County Regional Chamber of Commerce: 1 Distribution Way, Suite 101, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852-3001; phone (732) 821-1700.

New Brunswick hotels