Historic Portland Place In Middletown Opens This Weekend For Tours

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — The Monmouth County Park System is pleased to announce it will host docent-led tours of Historic Portland Place near Hartshorne Woods Park.

Located at 200 Hartshorne Road in the Locust section of Middletown, this beautifully restored 18th century house and its exhibits tell the story of the region's history and the Hartshorne family legacy in Monmouth County.

The tours will start this Saturday & Sunday, May 6 & 7 and run through November 19. Site hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. with tours offered at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. Please note there is a maximum of 10 persons per tour and indoor tours may be suspended during inclement weather.

Parking is limited. Register at the site's Visitor Center the day of the tour.

Once a 200-acre farm, and later a summer home, Historic Portland Place was owned by the Hartshorne family for most of its long history. Portland Place is closely interwoven with the early settlement of the Navesink Highlands, the Hartshorne family and the lands that are now Hartshorne Woods Park.

Inside the new Visitor Center, visitors can learn about these connections through interpretive panels with maps and historic images.

Visitors are also invited to stroll the grounds to enjoy the gardens and expansive views of the Navesink River as the Hartshorne family did for generations.

It was one of the Hartshorne family descendants, Daniel Ward Seitz, who bequeathed 4.5 acres to the Park System in 2008 where the historic house and gardens are located. Through additional acquisitions, the site grew and now offers 15 acres for the public to explore.

A peaceful spot along the water, the site’s tranquility makes it an ideal location for several Park System programs such as yoga classes and painting workshops. Details on upcoming yoga classes will be published in the summer issue of Park System’s Parks & Programs Guide, available May 5.