What to See in Freehold - Top Sights and Attractions

Racecourse in Freehold Borough, New Jersey. Freehold Raceway is a half-mile racetrack in Freehold Borough, New Jersey, and is the oldest racetrack in the United States. Horseraces have been taking place at Freehold Raceway since the 1830s. The Monmouth County Agricultural Society was formed on December 17, 1853, and in 1854 they began holding an annual fair with harness racing at Freehold Raceway

From 1998 to 2010, Freehold Raceway was the home of the Cane Pace, a harness horse race run annually since 1955. In 1956 the race joined with the Little Brown Jug and the Messenger Stakes to become the first leg in the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Pacers.

In 1984, an electrical fire destroyed the main building. Racing was then held under tents until the new building was completed in 1986.

In 1990, the Freehold Raceway Mall opened up across the street, and was, until 2007, decorated with harness racing motif.

In 1998, Freehold was acquired by a joint venture of Penn National Gaming and Greenwood Racing (owner of Parx Casino and Racing).

In 2005, Freehold was also the temporary home of the Yonkers Trot, part of the Triple Crown of Harness Racing for Trotters, while renovations took place at Yonkers Raceway.

Freehold Raceway has two meets per year. They race from New Years Day until the end of May, then reopen in September and race until the middle of December. There are two harness tracks in New Jersey, Freehold Raceway and The Meadowlands. There are several farms and training centers located near Freehold Raceway which stable hundreds of standardbred racehorses.^[1]

Covenhoven House is located in Freehold Borough, Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The house was built in 1752–53 by William and Elizabeth Covenhoven. The builder of the historic Old Tennent Church was retained for the job, and began work right after the completion of the church. In 1778, General Henry Clinton occupied this house as his headquarters from June 26 to the morning of June 28th, prior to the Battle of Monmouth that day.

Clinton chose the house because it was clearly the finest home in the area. When he arrived there, he realized that Mrs. Covenhoven had already prepared for their visit. The house was devoid of the fine furnishings one would expect in such a home. The valuables had been hidden away in the woods, and the silver and china had been buried in the yard under some rose bushes. Clinton convinced Mrs. Covenhoven that her fine things would not be safe in the woods. If she returned them to the home, he said, they would be under the protection of the British army. She finally acquiesced, and the hidden wagon load was brought back to the house. According to a complaint she filed with the courthouse, she stated that once the wagon arrived, she was not allowed to bring anything inside the home. By the morning, the entire wagon had been picked over, and everything was stolen except for a few small trifles. One small mercy that was done for her by Clinton was that he did not destroy the home, as the army had burned down several homes in the immediate area.

Covenhoven House added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 1, 1974. The house is one of several houses owned and operated as a historic house museum by the Monmouth County Historical Association. It is open Friday-Sun from 1-4 pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $2.50 for children and seniors.^[2]