EAST BRUNSWICK After listening to residents on both sides of the street, the Township Council has decided not to rename Van Wickle Road.
On Sept. 25, a few residents voiced their support to have Van Wickle Road renamed due to the road being named after infamous Middlesex County Judge Jacob Van Wickle, who sold nearly 100 African-Americans into slavery in 1818.
On Oct. 10, residents of Van Wickle Road met with Mayor Brad Cohen and Council President Michael Hughes to discuss the issues in this situation, according to Van Wickle Road resident William Fanslow.
“At that meeting, two relevant facts became very clear. First, continued investigation by the township found that the Van Wickle Road name was not selected to honor Jacob Van Wickle, as was portrayed in the original research, which appears to be inaccurate. The road name was selected from a list of family names provided of prominent families of historical importance to the East Brunswick and Middlesex County region,” Fanslow said. “The large Van Wickle family included many reputable members, including landowners and residents in the county. Several other road names were selected in a similar manner. It’s clear that you don’t condemn a family for the purported misdeeds of a single member.”
The attending residents represented about three quarters of the block’s homes.
“After lengthy discussions of several related issues, the residents attending the meeting unanimously indicated their position that the Van Wickle Road name not be changed, as there was no need to do so,” Fanslow said.
“The end result is that council members, myself included, did not feel that this was policy and precedent we wished to start. It’s a great learning opportunity about our town’s past, but I think renaming an entire street would be a bridge too far,” Hughes said.
For more information, visit www.centraljersey.com/news/east-brunswick-residents-aim-to-rename-road/article_f2ba7a63-e3b9-5e57-ab16-42e4e70699db.html.
Contact Vashti Harris at [email protected].