Location: Maple Street, Old Bridge
Acreage: 111 Acres
Facilities:
• 3 Soccer Fields
• 1 Baseball Field
• 1 Softball Field
• 1 Cricket Pitch
• 2 Playgrounds
• Comfort Station
• Nature Trail
• Bike/Walkways
Key Feature: Park is located within the 1,700 John A. Phillips Open Space Preserve
History
The land for the John A. Phillips Preserve was acquired in 1997 and was one of the first purchases of the Middlesex County Open Space and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund. The property was acquired from Olympia and York, a development corporation who had planned nearly 10,000 high density housing units for the area. Shortly after the land was protected, plans were made for the 111-acre John A. Phillips park which would provide recreational facilities for that area of the county, while leaving the remaining 1600-acres for passive recreation. Trails were laid out, constructed and are maintained by the
Middlesex County Conservation Corps. The MCCC was proposed by the late Freeholder Director, David B. Crabiel to help meet the management needs for the additional land acquired through the Open Space Trust Fund.
John A. “Jack” Phillips was a resident of Laurence Harbor for 40 years. He served as a councilman in Old Bridge Township from 1958-1960 and as the mayor from 1960-1962. He was also a Middlesex County Freeholder from 1962-1983, serving as the Deputy Director from 1973-1983. The park and preserve are named in his memory for his long and untiring commitment to the youth of Old Bridge Township and Middlesex County.