Millstone Township in Monmouth County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
A Prosperous Millstone Family Farm
Photographed by Richard Peterson, September 6, 2026
1. A Prosperous Millstone Family Farm Marker
The property on which you are standing was part of a larger block of land owned by the Baird descendants. Generations of farmers have tilled the land from the 1830s, passing through several owners until 2012 when it was acquired by Millstone Township. The Friends of Millstone Township Historic Registered Properties are stewards of the Baird Homestead.
This Thomas Baird portrait shows him as a young man. He was one of the original founders of the Monmouth County Agricultural Society in 1853 along with Joel Parker, two-time Governor of New Jersey, also from Millstone. Thomas was appointed their first vice president. This organization spread new scientific knowledge that increased farm yields and profits. In 1860 he was elected as a chosen freeholder in Monmouth County.
Thomas Baird, born in 1802, married Eleanor Bilyou, born in 1804. Around 1830 they built the house before you on land inherited from Thomas’ father, Captain David Baird. Twins Jonathan and David were born in 1829, though Jonathan died as an infant. Sarah was born in 1833. When David reached adulthood, he married Mary E. Pullen and built their home across
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Immigrants, Farmers and Patriots
Ancestors of the Baird family emigrated from Scotland in the 1680s, settling in the Millstone area as farmers. Nearly 100 years later, the American Revolution brought conflict to Monmouth County. Like many other Scottish Protestants, the Bairds sided with the patriots and heeded the calls to take up arms. Captain Baird enlisted in Colonel David Forman’s regiment of the New Jersey militia during the American Revolution. As a farmer and citizen soldier well acquainted with the local landscape and road network, he escorted General George Washington and Lord Stirling from nearby Englishtown to Monmouth Battlefield on June 28, 1778.
Origins of a Small Village
From around 1830 to 1910, the Baird farm was part of a small, surprisingly diverse village officially referred to as “Bairdsville.” It was built around the Baird family farmsteads and a settlement
Photographed by Richard Peterson, September 6, 2026
2. A Prosperous Millstone Family Farm Marker
( image captions )
— This extract from the U.S. Census of 1850, lists Thomas, Eleanor, David and Sarah Baird, ages 49 to 17, living in the house with two African American children, Milbert Truxon, age 14, and Catherine Ellendor, age 8. The “M” and “F” denote male and female. The children, identified in the table with the letter “C” for colored, likely worked as servants. Thomas and David listed their occupations as farmers, though the reality of family farm life was that women and children had daily chores too. The $15,000 is the value of Thomas Baird’s farm, which made it the most valuable in Millstone Township.
— Captain David Baird is shown here in a portrait painted around 1800. He married
Photographed by Richard Peterson, September 6, 2026
3. A Prosperous Millstone Family Farm Marker
( image captions )
— This extract from the U.S. Census of 1850, lists Thomas, Eleanor, David and Sarah Baird, ages 49 to 17, living in the house with two African American children, Milbert Truxon, age 14, and Catherine Ellendor, age 8. The “M” and “F” denote male and female. The children, identified in the table with the letter “C” for colored, likely worked as servants. Thomas and David listed their occupations as farmers, though the reality of family farm life was that women and children had daily chores too. The $15,000 is the value of Thomas Baird’s farm, which made it the most valuable in Millstone Township.
— Captain David Baird is shown here in a portrait painted around 1800. He married three times, to Rebecca Ely, Lydia Gaston and Mary Edwards, his first two wives predeceasing him. His marriages gave him 18 children.
— Beers’ Atlas of Monmouth County of 1873 shows the three Baird family farmhouses on Baird Road in the area known as Bairdsville. The building marked “M.E. Ch.” is the
Photographed by Richard Peterson, September 6, 2026
4. Baird Farmhouse
— Lewis and Catherine Conover gained their freedom in 1828 and 1829 respectively. Together, they founded the St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church & Cemetery around 1836. It is one of the oldest rural AME churches in New Jersey and still holds services at its original location in Woodville. The historic cemetery is the final resting place of many of Woodville's founding families and several Civil War veterans. The St. James AME Church held a camp meeting at Paint Island Springs, roughly 4 miles southwest of the church, in 1868.
— David Baird, Thomas and Eleanor’s son, established Manalapan Fruit Farm and Nurseries around 1859 and grew it into a successful, well-known business on property now occupied in part by the Millstone Township Middle School. He offered a wide variety of fruit and ornamental trees including peaches, pears and apples.
— Emma Baird, the village’s postmistress, married Charles Baird, David’s son. The post office was only open for about a decade, between 1897 and 1909. Charles and Emma lived in the house that contained the post office which still stands today on Baird Road.
Funding for this sign made possible by the New Jersey Historic Trust and Millstone Township. Sign content by Hunter Research, Inc. Graphic design by Jonathan Conner. Historic photographs courtesy of the Friends of Millstone Township Historic Registered Properties.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Agriculture • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Revolutionary. A significant historical year for this entry is 1830.
Location. 40° 14.554′ N, 74° 23.553′ W.
Marker is in Millstone Township, New Jersey, in Monmouth County. It can be reached from Baird Road west of Wagner Farm Lane, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24 Baird Rd, Millstone Township NJ 08535, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Jersey and in the New York City Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Historic Millstone (here, next to this marker); Welcome to Baird Homestead (a few steps from this marker); Woodville (approx. 0.4 miles away); Mary Hays, nicknamed “Molly Pitcher" (approx. 4 miles away); Combs Hill Cannonade (approx. 4.1 miles away); Monmouth Battlefield (approx. 4.1 miles away); General von Steuben (approx. 4.1 miles away); D’Annae: A French, Swedish-Style 4-pounder (approx. 4.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Millstone Township.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 19, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 7, 2026, by Richard Peterson of East Windsor, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 12 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on September 7, 2026, by Richard Peterson of East Windsor, New Jersey. • Michael Herrick was the editor who published this page.
