The 1880 United States census identifies Benjamin Hulse as thirty years old, living in Brick Township, and his occupation as a laborer. He was born on January 30, 1848 in Howell Township, Monmouth County, New Jersey, later to become Brick Township, Ocean County. Ben built his farmhouse in the Brushy Neck section of Brick. There was a sand road that ran from Herbertsville Road on the south side of Saw Mill Pond and went in a northwesterly direction through the Saw Mill Tract, the road divided, to the right (north) was the road to Dombek’s farm (Dunbeck Road) and to the left it went to Brushy Neck. It was in this area that the house was located.
When interviewed for a newspaper article in 1933, Benjamin Hulse was described as being a plump little person with mutton chop whiskers and identified his occupation as a farmer and fisherman. According to his lifelong friend Pete Tilton in the same 1933 newspaper article, the area in Brushy Neck was called “Silver Hill” because during the American Revolution the residents hid their valuables by burying them in the ground to protect them from the British and the “Pine Robbers”.
Ben married Mary Catherine Herbert who was born in Brick on September 20 1854. Mary was the daughter of Hampton and Mary Herbert and the granddaughter of Abraham Herbert, builder of the Herbert-Colvin House on Ridge Road, in Brick Township, where Mary grew up. Ben and Mary had four children, Prudence Mary, Elwood Hampton , (Elwood is identified as Edward in the 1880 United States census.) Benjamin Franklin, and Olive Mary.
Elwood Hampton Hulse born September 21, 1875 was the next owner of the Hulse house. According to Matilda Matthews Hulse, Elwood had the house moved from Brushy Neck to Herbertsville Road sometime prior to 1930. Elwood worked as a farmhand for Ray Burdge, whose farm was on the corner of Herbertsville Road and Winding River Road. Elwood married Lena Clayton, together they had extensive land holdings along Herbertsville Road including the land that is now Godfrey Manor. Elwood and Lena also had a small grocery store and gas station next to their home. They later closed the store and converted the building into their home, when they sold the Hulse house to their son Stanley.
Stanley, born July 4, 1908, purchased the house from his mother on May 17, 1950. (Deed Book 1365-168) Stanley married Matilda (Tillie) Matthews of Lakewood. He and Matilda were licensed pheasant farmers. While Stanley worked as an automobile mechanic for Howard Height Ford and Johnson’s Boat Works, Matilda tended to the pheasants they raised behind their home. They sold the pheasants to gunning clubs which stocked their hunting grounds with them. They also sold dressed pheasants to the local population. Stanley and Matilda had three sons, Gerald, Weldon, and David.
In November 2002, Matilda and her son David sold the Hulse house to the Township of Brick.