The Port of Perth Amboy lies at the mouth of the Raritan River in east-central New Jersey on the United States' East Coast. On the southwestern shores of Raritan Bay at the river's mouth, the Port of Perth Amboy is about 15 kilometers southwest of the Port of New York and about 16 kilometers southwest of the Port of Newark. The Port of Perth Amboy's name is a combination of Native American language (Amboy) and the fourth Earl of Perth. Historians believe that the first African American cast a ballot to vote in the Port of Perth Amboy in 1870. In 2000, more than 47 thousand people called the Port of Perth Amboy home.

The Port of Perth Amboy economy suffered from the transition of the national economy from industry and manufacturing to high-technology and services. While once a seaside resort, pollution has made its waters unswimmable as well. In the early 1990s, efforts at redevelopment were undertaken, and new businesses located in the Port of Perth Amboy. The waterfront was also renovated and modernized with new promenades and parks.

In 1651, the Algonquin tribe of Leni Lenape peoples sold the land at the mouth of the Raritan River to Augustine Herman. Known at the time as Ompoge, the new settlement's name changed first to Emboyle and then to Amboyle. The first three houses appeared in the new Port of Perth Amboy in 1683, and the settlers started calling the land Amboy.

The Port of Perth Amboy is the only city in the US to be incorporated twice. It was chartered as Perth Amboy in 1718, and the Port of Perth Amboy was incorporated again after the American Revolution in 1784. The Earl of Perth became Lord High Chancellor under King James II in 1684. When Deputy Governor Gawen Lawrie arrived, he came with instructions to call the town Perth.

The Port of Perth Amboy is the only place in the country where the original official Royal Governor's Mansion survives since colonial times (known as the Proprietary House). The Port of Perth Amboy's City Hall was built in the early 1700s as a county courthouse and jail. Destroyed by fire in 1731, the Port of Perth Amboy's city hall and courthouse was rebuilt in 1745. Arson again destroyed the building in the mid-1760s, and it was rebuilt in 1767 with chambers for the Provincial Assembly.

In the City Hall building, New Jersey became the first state to ratify the United States' Bill of Rights. City Hall was renovated twice in the 19th Century and again in 2006, but some of the original 1717 building remains, making it the oldest city hall in the country.

For much of the 19th Century, the City Hall Courthouse was used as a public school. When the first formal public school opened in 1870, the original building was renamed from School One to Thomas Mundy Peterson School, and it is still in use today. Thomas Mundy Peterson was the first black voter in the United States.

In the early 19th Century, the Port of Perth Amboy was a busy business center with warehouses, rooming houses, stores, outdoor markets, eateries, and docks. The ferry service from the Port of Perth Amboy was important for many years for people going to and Staten Island in New York City. Today, the Tottenville Ferry operated until 1963, and the Ferry Terminal has been restored, standing today as a proud historic site for the Port of Perth Amboy.

In the mid-19th Century, the Port of Perth Amboy became the home of a utopian community for intellectuals, abolitionists, and artists. The Eagleswood School was founded in the Port of Perth Amboy by Marcus and Rebecca Spring in 1853, and it attracted many celebrities of the day like Henry Thoreau , Louisa May Alcott , Ralph Waldo Emerson , and Horace Greeley . The Springs managed to have two men who were hung with abolitionist John Brown buried on the school grounds.

The Port of Perth Amboy has experienced many historic moments. In 1752, the first professional play was performed in the city. In 1760, the first American magazine was published in the Port of Perth Amboy. In 1865, the Raritan Yacht Club, the country's second oldest, was established in the Port of Perth Amboy. In 1896, the first modern submarine was constructed at the Industrial Iron Works and Machine Shop in the Port of Perth Amboy. The first air-mail delivery was made when a five-minute hydroplane carried mail from South Amboy to the Port of Perth Amboy in 1912.

The Port of Perth Amboy's waterfront has evolved greatly over time. In the colonial era when it was the capital of the Province of East Jersey, the Port of Perth Amboy was an important center for imports, exports, and fishing as well as the entry point into the United States for many immigrants.

In those early days, the Port of Perth Amboy had plentiful waterway access, a mature infrastructure, and a skilled workforce that made it an important hub for imports of raw materials.

In the 19th and early 20th Centuries, the Port of Perth Amboy was an important manufacturing center. Its native soils fed a profitable terra cotta industry . The Port of Perth Amboy was the source of ships that went all over the Northeast region. Its manufacturing plants and deep-water port attracted petrochemical companies and metal refineries.

In more modern times, the Port of Perth Amboy's economy and industries have changed dramatically. Technological advancements and decreased needs for raw materials left the city's economy depressed. The Port of Perth Amboy waterfront fell out of use during the post-industrial age. Many older industrial companies left town, although several are still active (including Hess, Chevron, General Cable, and many others).

In 1978, the Port of Perth Amboy's government began to redevelop and revitalize the waterfront area. They tore down old docks, planned waterfront improvements, and acquired grant funds. Public-private partnerships were formed to take on waterfront projects in the Port of Perth Amboy. Today, the Port of Perth Amboy's waterfront development continues to be a primary focus for the development and expansion of the local economy.

The Port of Perth Amboy Municipal Marina is a private company, but it also does business as "Perth Amboy Port Authority." It has annual sales from $500 thousand to a million and employs up to four people. As a Port of Entry, the Port of Perth Amboy has facilities for the Department of Homeland Security, Customs, and Border Protection.

The Port of Perth Amboy's waterfront stretches for almost five kilometers on the Raritan River and Bay and is known as the Marine District. Half of the waterfront is owned by the municipality, and half is owned by private interests. Several commercial and industrial facilities rely on the Port of Perth Amboy's deep-water facilities.

The waterfront in the Port of Perth Amboy is a popular area for recreation. The marina is home to a privately-owned party boat for fishing excursions and a privately-owned dinner cruise ship. Since 2005, the Port of Perth Amboy's Harborside Marina has been home to the Tallship Unicorn, a 36-meter charter and sail training boat. The old ammunition armory from World Wars I and II is now the Seabra's Armory Portuguese Restaurant.

The Port of Perth Amboy waterfront is also popular for social and civic events that include the Red Grant Regatta, the Summer Breeze Jazz Cruise Concert Series, and Concerts by the Bay. The area also offers a 0.8-kilometer walkway, four fishing piers, and plenty of space for enjoying the water.

The Port of Perth Amboy's redevelopment plans include adding bait shops and restaurants at the waterfront as well as a new Brownstone development for two thousand units at the waterfront. Kushner Companies is also planning a new development that will include 2000 residential units, 1.4-hectares of retail space, a community cultural arts center, a waterfront promenade, and new parks and open spaces.

The Port of Perth Amboy municipal government owns several fishing piers on the waterfront: the North Fishing Pier, the South Fishing Pier, the High Street Fishing Pier, and the Brighton Fishing Pier. The Harborside Waterfront Park and Marina is located on Front Street in the Port of Perth Amboy. The marina has 119 boat slips and a Harbor Master building with public facilities, beaches, and walkways. It also contains the North and South Fishing Piers. The Waterfront Promenade is an about 12 kilometer long walkway with benches that stretches along Front Street, Water Street, and the Sadowski Parkway.

The Port of Perth Amboy has developed a plan, Focus 2000, that involves three redevelopment areas. One area will be privately developed into an arena and stadium by the bay. The development will include modern office buildings, retail shops, restaurants, and a new ferry landing. The developments will include three new ferry landings in the Port of Perth Amboy and renewed ferry routes. The projects will include dredging of the deep-water port and nearby waterways to provide for shipping, water transportation, and recreational boating. The current Port of Perth Amboy City Marina will be expanded to offer 140 boat slips.

The sand at the Port of Perth Amboy beaches has already been replenished, and three new fishing piers have been constructed. Future developments will include boat docks, a boat launch, and a dry dock facility. The Port of Perth Amboy will also develop a waterfront trail and increase public access to the waterfront area.

The City of Perth Amboy is not a well-known tourist destination, but it has much to offer for travelers, especially for families. In addition to beautiful scenic landscapes, the town has outdoor sports facilities, a yacht club, and a marina that support active lifestyles and ocean-based recreation. There are also several historic buildings in the Port of Perth Amboy.

The Port of Perth Amboy has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and cold winters moderated by the Atlantic Ocean. Temperatures range from an average high of 30 ?C (86 ?F) in July to an average low of -4 ?C (24 ?F) in January.

The Port of Perth Amboy's Sadowski Parkway Waterfront Park is a space open area with a variety of plant species and wildlife. Visitors to the park can explore the forests and the seashore and participate in many festivals and events throughout the year.

The Kearny Cottage is a historic home built in 1781 by the influential Kearney family. Today, it is a museum displaying local historic memorabilia.

The Proprietors of East Jersey were charged with constructing the house for the Royal Governor (today, called the Proprietary House) of New Jersey in the early 1760s. In 1774, Benjamin Franklin's son, William Franklin, was Royal Governor, and he and his wife lived in the house until the Continental Army arrested him in 1776. After the American Revolution, the house was privately-owned. In 1809, it was converted into a resort hotel that was driven out of business by the War of 1812. In 1883, it was made into a rooming house for retired Presbyterian ministers. Today, the house is owned by New Jersey and maintained by the Proprietary House Association. Visitors can tour the house for a minimal fee or enjoy afternoon tea. In 2009, the home was open for the Haunted Perth Amboy Walking Tour. It was the subject of a Ghost Hunters episode on television's SyFy channel in 2008.