Until the British took over New Netherland in 1664 – now known as Burlington – everyone in the town – and we mean everyone – lived here … Native Americans, the Dutch, Belgian Walloons, the French, Swedes, Finns and Quakers who just wanted to be able to worship without the King getting his knickers all in a knot.

Burlington’s location between New York and Philadelphia contributed to its prosperity in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, the town’s main street is still a popular destination with restaurants, antique shops and the facilities of the Burlington County Historical Society. If it happened in Burlington, the Historical Society has a book, newspaper clipping, deed or other record that traces events of the area. You can spend hours sifting through their extensive library facilities researching genealogy, deeds or just checking out the town’s history. The library's collections also include record books from Atsion, papers of the Abolition Society, and the James Fenimore Cooper collection.

Up and down High Street are historic sites and buildings that recount the county’s past. Fans of Hawkeye in “The Last of the Mohicans” can check out the birthplace of its author, James Fenimore Cooper. Before his famous “Don’t give up the ship” slogan became famous, Captain James Lawrence grew up in Burlington and his 18th century home still stands and is open for tours. The Bard-Row House, which once belonged to the representative at the Provincial Congress of New Jersey, is packed with antiques and other artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries.

There are other historic spots in Burlington, too. The Burlington Pharmacy was once a stop on the Underground Railroad. The one-room Quaker Schoolhouse dates back to 1794 and the tiny Revell House, the oldest building in the county, was once a stopover for Benjamin Franklin.

Call ahead for tours of the historic sites or just spend an afternoon wandering up and down the main and side streets of this historic town.