Morgan Memories – The Remains of the Old Spye Inn
Ye Old Spye Inn in December 1976 After the Fire and Before Demolition. Photos Courtesy of Robert Bender.
The more I think about what was the essence of Morgan, as I knew it from my time growing up there, the more I think it was the Old Spye Inn. Combined with what I have learned in my now over five years of research, it appears that Morgan “started” in the area right around where the Old Spye Inn was located. In its original configuration, Cheesequake Creek emptied into Raritan Bay a few hundred feet away to the east. To the west was where Crossways / Back Creek emptied into Cheesequake Creek from present day Oak Tree Village. It was and still is between the site of the Old Spye Inn, and the bluff immediately next to it, where what is now Old Spye Road transitions from Cheesequake Creek’s sea level elevation to the 30 to 40ish feet of elevation at the top of the road in front of the Morgan Fire House. For many decades until the 1926 opening of what is now the north bound lanes of present day Route 35, the main pathway from all points north to the shore lines of Monmouth County, indeed all of the Jersey Shore from Sandy Hook south, ran right past the Old Spye Inn. With immediate access to a sheltered area right next to the mouth of Cheesequake Creek, the most logical place to put a building was right where the Old Spye Inn was located. If it wasn’t the first building in Morgan, at the time of its sad destruction in 1976 it certainly was the oldest.
This posting doesn’t contain – still – the definitive history of the Old Spye Inn. I still don’t feel like I have accumulated a sufficient amount of factual information about this beloved structure. I did manage to acquire a copy of the 1975 book by Stanley L. Wojcik about The Old Spye Inn but still don’t want to read it until I feel comfortable being able to differentiate the fact from the fiction I assume it contains. Kids in the neighborhood during my time there had known and passed down the name Abe Mussey as being the name of the spy for whom the building was eventually named. We heard he had been hung on a tree next to the Inn. We heard he had been doing some form of signaling to British ships in Raritan Bay when he was caught. What he was signaling, who caught him, what form of trial – if any – occurred, who was the judge, was there a jury, did he actually do what he was accused of, what was the date, how old was he, where was he from, and many other specific questions remain to be answered. Hopefully we’ll be able to eventually find this out. I still have not found any records of this event.
Ye Old Spye Inn in December 1976 After the Fire and Before Demolition. Photos Courtesy of Robert Bender.
When it actually became known as Ye Old Spye Inn vs. whatever it had been known as previously, when it was built, whether it was actually was the Morgan family that built it originally or the Applegate Family – and when – I don’t yet have confirming documentation. Of the on-line research I have thus far accumulated, the most interesting web site to read is New Jersey History’s Mysteries. No doubt some of the information contained in it is true and I already know that some of it isn’t accurate but the real challenge is in knowing which is which.
The December 1976 photos contained in this posting are brought you courtesy of Mr. Robert Bender. Mr. Bender, a longtime resident of the Morgan area, sent me three very faded slides taken by his father containing the originals of the images in this posting. Mr. Bender also recalled finding mortar shells at the Samsel School sight on Ernston Road near the Sayrewoods Shopping Center as well as the building of the Sayrewoods Shopping Center. At the time the shopping center was built, Route 9 was only a one lane road each way. Mrs. Bender is from Morgan and remembers the graves in the Morgan Family cemetery as well as the old chicken farms. I am enormously grateful to Mr. and Mrs. Bender for sharing their Morgan memories and artifacts with all of us so they could have been posted on this web site.
I’ve been hearding what I hope to be only rumors regarding the possible paving of Old Spye Road with asphalt. That would be truly sad – at least for me.
Ye Old Spye Inn in December 1976 After the Fire and Before Demolition. Photos Courtesy of Robert Bender.
Originally posted on December 18, 2011.
The Old Spy In had a cave that was dug across Rt 35 up to the graveyard and was destroyed when 35 was built as I was told growing up in Morgan. My brother did see it in the basement when we were growing up & I was in the The Old Spy Inn before it burned down. It was used as an escape route I was told or is this only a story ? I know the Morgan Creek was used to run liquor in probation day . Old friends that are no longer with us told story’s & I knew someone who found cave up the creek filled with glass bottles.
ANY other photos or information on Morgan (Morgan Beach) you come across> Please forward them to me if possible. I grew up there back in the 50’s and early 60’s.
Dave, I have a bunch of photos from the 1930s and 1940s which I’ll someday post.
Dave, do you remember when I learned how to swim when Jackie Adams threw me off the dock?That is what I remember about cross creek. Bo
I lived on Morgan ave and fished at the oldest spy inn a lot also my uncle Stanley wrot the book on it
My first date was at the Old Spy Inn. I had some miss givens about going there cause I really didn’t know this person that well. We stayed there till closing and the bar tender was a friend of his, There I was in this tavern with two men I really didn’t know, but all turned out well. I married this wonderful guy and had a great life with him. So the Old Spy Inn is very memorable to me.
I visited a few times in the late 70’s with a young man I was dating. A very intriguing place. I can’t believe I even remembered the name. I am glad there is some research concerning the history of the place.
Use to live at 18 Applegate place…..ye old spy in was down the road. Had a red brick road we use to follow. Then down a little further was Millies fish and tackle. You could buy penny candy.
Many thanks for posting this memory that is still vivid in my senile brain!
Yup, I grew up in one of those houses (now gone) that adjoined Back Creek
literally a stone’s throw away from the Old Spye Inn. I recall “Candy”, the
proprietor of the bar and “Joe” who ran the rowboat livery at the Old Spye.
Diving off my father’s dock (high tide only) and swimming over to
“Aunt Hank” Becker’s (again using the tide to minimize the effort)
was a highlight of my summer days.
I was in the old spye 2 hrs.before it burnt down that night….at least I can say I had one of the last beers ever served that night….still don’t know the cause of the fire,there were only 4 people in the bar when I left…that’s my story,and I’m sticking to it…..
It burned down??? We lived in Laurence Harbor in the 1970.s and I loved the name and history associated with the Inn – we always took visitors there. And one of the highlights of those years is when we took our 3 children to the reenactment of the hanging. always loved the history of the whole area.
Yes, it sadly burned down many years ago.
Here’s a a local piece of history that dates back to pre-revolutionary times, Brit Spies were hung on the tree out front and they say the place was haunted with paranormal activity, remember it from 70’s before it burnt and new homes on cul de sac there ………
remains of old brick rd reaming and it’s called OLD SPYE RD
here location
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4619076,-74.2613879,3a,75y,327.26h,85.74t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sye6UIPjtnwYEihw7OTvd5Q!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
How cool !!
I lived on the corner of Fearey Place and Old Spye Road from 1937 till 1957. Remember my mother taking us there as kids coming back from the beach. Before I was born I understand my mother with some of my sisters friends in a car provided by Tony Sheridan ( who owned Sheridan’s Bar and grill) would deliver booze hidden in side panels of the car during probation. Who would suspect a nice lady with a bunch of kids in a car.
I remember this place quite well, as the drinking age was then 18 in NJ back in 1975, we would frequent this location during our rounds to other bars, The Bed Room, The Colonels Garter, My Wife’s Place, Robert E. Lee, The Play Pen, etc. But getting back to The Ye Ol’ Spy Inn, It had a very mystique feeling, back in the woods effect on you, the bar section, from my fried memories was small, with tables to the rear of you as you sat at the bar, it was a damp low lit atmosphere, but they had the old Michelob Beer, I consumed back then. It was a loss when it burned down and back then, we really didn’t take this place as for what it really was. A historic landmark of the old Morgan Creek History and roots.
I own the ol spy in, liquor license
That seems cool. What does it look like?
I lived in Morgan in the Early 70s I don’t remember the street but it was on the creek side and I remember going down to the old spy and being told stories about ghosts I also remember swinging in the creek and jumping off the railroad bridge. I do remember the name of a few families Burns family McGees who I lived with
Most interesting, my daughter and I are currently researching Asher Morse, our great x 3 grandfather who lived and died Millstone, NJ. His daughter married an Applegate ( Ole Spye Inn). Asher at sometime owned and operated an establishment called the “Burnt Tavern”.
Brad Morse
Hi Mr Brad Morse
Hi I am also researching Asher Morse. He was my 4x grandfather. Another daughter of his married a Debow. I would like to correspond so we can share what ever we can to help one another . We can share pics and documents or whatever. It would be great. I do have a few things to share. If you would like to do this. Please contact me.
grew up in morgan…roughly 55 to 65…heard stories that it was an inn where captain morgan the pirate frequented…never knew if accurate…never went to it when it was an active bar…did ride my bike to it a few times…¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Lived in Morgan from 65-83. I remember riding my bike down the old red cobblestone road when i was little. My father used to go crabbing off the docks and we would go fishing under the bridge and I remember walking the jetty past the Robert E Lee. And I still long for an A&W root beer from the stand that used to be just up 35. Pretty much all gone now, nothing but distant, fading memories. I was 10 or 11 when the Old Spye Inn burned down. Never had a chance to go into it. Lament the fact that I missed that amazing part of the town’s ancient history.
It was a good place to grow up, for sure. BTW, it was a Stewart’s Root Beer stand, not an A&W stand. http://www.morgan-nj.org/blog/sample-page/morgans-people-places/places/stewarts-root-beer-stand/
You say A&W root beer but I thought there was a Stewarts there and you could get a cold frosty mug of Stewarts root Bear out of the old wooden Keg. There was also A Place called GENES that was right by the railroad tracks on the North bound side looking down at the Robert E Lee. My family and I would go there for hamburgers back in the 60s Now I believe there is some kind of water Pump Station. Good Memories. Thanks
While Stewarts is long gone, the sign is still there! Gene’s was at the intersection of Morgan Avenue and Route 35 – right next to the truss bridge on Route 35 North. As I understand it (nautical charts), what is there now is for a gas pipeline which goes under Raritan Bay and comes up somewhere near JFK Airport. Anyone have any photos of Gene’s? I’ve been looking for photos for years.
Maybe the food stand you’re thinking of was Gene’s Hot Dogs. ( northbound side of 35, just after the bridge.)
The night of my first date with my (eventual husband) he took me there for drinks after dinner in 1971. It was absolutely a memorable place as it was hidden from view of any mainstream traffic. I grew up in New Jersey now living in Florida and miss so many of the places long gone. My husband loved history and this place just looked historic and a bit spooky. I loved it and to this day, i still remember that night. Thankfully if you love this type of place, the city of Savannah Georgia has a historic area and its wonderful, the Pirate House restaurant is the oldest and if you like historic places visit Savannah.
I delivered the Star Ledger I was all around here at 5 am pretty creapy for a 12 year old in 1968.
I frequented Ye Ole Spye Inn from 1974-1976 with my friend & also with a guy I dated who unfortunately turned out to be the “one that got away”. I moved to Florida in 1977. However, I still have great memories of those days & even saved a glossy business card with colored pictures of both the outside & inside of Ye Ole Spye Inn. They used to have them on the bar as advertisement. Brings back memories both good & bad. Wish I could upload a picture of it but don’t see that option.
I work with the Sayreville Police Dept and we are currently doing a project on the Old Spye Inn. Any chance you’d be willing to email me to discuss your time there and share those pictures?
I remember the sign on the front door back in the 60’s that said “gentleman must wear proper attire! “ There was posts falling down weeds growing all over it made us laugh reading the sign on the door till you went inside ! A great old place the Ye Spye Inn on Morgan creek!
Wow these pictures brought me back to wonderful memories
I am a Police Officer in Sayreville where the Old Spye Inn was located. We are doing a project on the Old Spye Inn and would love to be able to talk to anyone that had been there. If anyone has any folk lore or paranormal stories, I’d love to use them in the project. Same goes for pictures. Please email me at cteat@sayreville.com.