The Monmouth County Historical Association was established in 1898 by a group of county residents headed by professional educator Caroline Gallup Reed. They soon incorporated in order “to discover, procure, preserve and perpetuate whatever relates to the history of Monmouth County.” In 1931, the present Museum and Library, a brick Georgian-style building designed by architect J. Hallam Conover, was constructed in Freehold Borough, the county seat of Monmouth County, New Jersey. The enthusiasm generated by the announcement of a new headquarters brought in numerous contributions of furniture, artifacts, paintings, rare documents and books.