From the early 1700's to about 1750, the town of New Providence was known as "Turkey." Residents re-christened the settlement following the intervention of "God's Divine Providence."

During a church service, a second floor balcony collapsed, yet no one in the congregation either in the gallery or seated on the floor below was seriously injured. The grateful parishioners adopted the name "New Providence" to replace its original name of "Turkey."

In the late 1800's and early 1900's, New Providence was famous for its large greenhouses specializing in roses and gardenias. Coal was used to heat the enormous greenhouses, and the trains brought many coal cars to the area near Murray Hill station to supply the greenhouses.

The Borough of New Providence was incorporated on March 14, 1899. A portion of the municipality split off in 1952 to become the township of Berkeley Heights.

The Fire Department was formed in 1902. In 1914, the first mechanized fire truck was purchased by the Borough.

While valuing its past, with the landmark Presbyterian Church and cemetery anchoring the heart of downtown, the borough is moving towards the future. A downtown committee developed a master plan to revitalize the look and efficiency of the business core area, including a redesign of traffic lights and crosswalks in the Springfield Avenue and South Street area which have recently been implemented.

New Providence is home to approximately 11,700 residents whom occupy its 3.5 square miles.