South Brunswick Slave Plantation Fades into Obscurity

Longbridge Farm owner , followed closely by his wife in 1800. After passing through a few family members, the homestead was in the possession of Emily Lawrence and her husband Joseph Fowler in 1834.

At this point the family members were only in possession of 268 acres of homestead land. Emily and her husband left the area and sold the property to Cornelius Cruser and Fredrick Farr.

In the same year, William Rowland purchased the land. The house that stands today is known as the Rowland/Mershon house. This house is two and a half stories with a four-bay frame structure and a smaller one and a half story two-bay frame kitchen wing.

The exterior of the house is clad in painted shingle over clapboard siding. The exterior of the house shows little of the age it could be.

The house occupies a 1.18 acre plot of land and could be over 150 years old. A previous home owner from the 1980’s is in possession of two bayonets found on the property. 

It is known that the Longbridge Farm stretched into Monmouth Junction, but nothing is known to exist today from this era.

The property in Kingston is all that remains of this true plantation that existed in South Brunswick.