There was unprecedented economic and population growth following WW II. The demand for housing skyrocketed while the country was welcoming its victorious servicemen. Developers started resorting to local rural locations, such as Delaware Township, which seemed to be especially an appealing location as the result of its recent reputation as a playground for the middle, as well as the upper class. There were numerous homes developed from empty fields of Downs Farms, Brookfield, and Kingston Estates. In 1977, the Garden State Park racetrack's original grandstand burned to the ground, but in 1985 was rebuilt. In 2001, the final race was run.