On May 27, 1778, the Burrowes Mansion, which was built in 1723 and located on Main Street, and sold to wealthy grain merchant John "Corn King" Burrowes Sr. in 1769, was the site of a skirmish between the Patriots and the British during the Revolutionary War. The mansion is the site where the first New Jersey Company of the Continental Army formed, as John Burrowes Jr. trained local militia in his front yard. Local Patriots used whaleboats stored in Lake Matawan to attack British ships in the Raritan Bay. In response, British General Cortlandt Skinner, leading his Loyalist "Skinner's Greens", attacked Matawan with the (successful) intention of burning down the warehouses and mills owned by Burrowes and to capture Burrowes Jr. 200 Greens made their way from Sandy Hook, and greatly outnumbered the Matawan Patriots. Burrowes Jr. was able to avoid capture by swimming across Matawan Creek and hide, however Burrowes Sr. and several other Patriots were captured. Nearby, a house on Ravine Drive was owned by Samuel Forman, a wealthy merchant and Continental Army colonel and business partner with John Burrowes Sr. Forman had three sons, all of which became officers in the Continental Army, with the oldest Johnathan becoming a general. Of his four daughters, two married prominent local men, with Margaret marrying John Burrowes Jr. (where she was attacked by the loyalists during the skirmish at the Burrowes Mansion) and Eleanor marrying Philip Freneau, who was known as the "Poet of the Revolution". On May 23, 1779, there was another skirmish between the American militia and British troops near the Forman house, and the militia successfully forced the British to retreat down a hill and swim across the Matawan Creek into the Raritan Bay. The house became nicknamed the "Old Hospital" because many wounded soldiers were cared for in the house. In 1795, Philip Freneau established Monmouth County's first newspaper, the Jersey Chronicle. In the 1830s, with the invention of the steamboat, Matawan grew and prospered, as it allowed for goods to be more accessible to the New York regional market.
On mAy 27, 1778, the burrOwES MansIOn, which was bUilT In 1723 ANd LoCateD on main sTrEeT, and soLd to weaLtHy gRaIn MerChant john "corn King" burRowEs sR. In 1769, Was thE sIte of a SkirMIsh betWeen THE PATrioTs and tHe bRITIsh durInG thE rEvoLUTIoNary wAr. The mAnsion is tHe Site WheRe tHe FIrst New jerSeY cOmpaNY of The ContINental army fOrmED, As John bUrroWES jr. traiNed local mILitia IN hiS fRont yArd. Local patrioTs UsEd whaleboats stoREd IN Lake mAtawaN to attack BrItIsH ships in THE RariTan baY. in rEspOnSe, BRitish GenerAl cOrtlaNDt skInner, lEadInG His LoYAlISt "skinner's GREEns", attackeD MAtAwaN wiTh THe (sUCcessfuL) intENtioN of burninG down tHE WAreHOUses And mills owNed by burroWEs aND tO capture burROwEs jr. 200 greeNs madE theIr WAy from Sandy hook, And greatly OutnuMBeRed tHE MatAwaN PatrIots. burrOwes jr. was ABLe To avoiD cApTure by swiMMing across Matawan CReeK And HIde, hoWeveR burrowES sr. aNd severAl othER patriots WeRe CAptUreD. nearby, a hOuse on RavInE dRive wAS oWneD BY sAmuel forman, a wealThy mErcHAnt AND CoNtiNEnTAL Army cOlonel aNd busINeSs PaRtnEr witH JOhN bURroWES Sr. foRmAN hAd ThreE SoNs, alL oF WhICH BecAmE OFficErs in The cOntinentAl army, wiTh the olDest johNathaN becoming a generAl. oF his FouR dAuGHters, tWo mARRied promiNenT locaL men, with mArgarEt maRryiNG jOHN buRrowES jR. (wherE she wAS AttacKed By the loyaliSts dUring the skirMiSh at ThE bUrRoWeS Mansion) and elEanor maRRYiNg phiLip fRenEau, who wAs KnoWN As thE "poet of the revolUtion". ON May 23, 1779, there wAs aNOtHEr sKirmish bEtwEen The AmEricAn mILitia AnD bRitIsh tRoopS neAR The FOrmaN housE, And tHe MIlitia SUcCEssfUlly forced thE BriTISh To reTreaT Down a hill AnD SWim AcrOSS the matawAN cReek iNTo tHe RArItan BaY. tHe hOUSe became nicKNAmEd The "old hOsPiTaL" bEcAuse Many wounded sOldiers wERe careD FoR In THe House. IN 1795, philip FREneau eStablishEd MOnmoUTh County'S fIrsT neWSpApeR, thE JERSey chROnicLe. iN tHE 1830s, with The inveNtion of The steaMboaT, MaTawAn gRew anD prOspered, aS It ALlOWED For Goods tO be MORe acceSsIble tO The nEw york RegIOnal mArkEt.