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Heritage Sites
South Jersey has been making history since before there was history. Throughout the region, you can explore the sites and landmarks that still stand in testimony to the region's rich historical, environmental and cultural heritage.



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Chesilhurst
Chesilhurst is the Pinelands oldest black community.
 
Crowleytown
Frequently referred to as Crowley's Landing, Crowleytown was named after Samuel Crowley who started a glass factory and began the area's cranberry culture. The area has a wonderful picnic area with grills and a ramp for boat launching.
 
Cumberland County Historical Society Museums
When you get tired of the fast-paced 21st century, the Cumberland County Historical Society has the antidote. Actually, eight antidotes. The CCHS manages eight historic buildings and landmarks that recount the county’s past from its prehistoric origins to its 20th century industrial heritage. There is even a genealogical research library open to the public so you can delve into centuries-old records and documents that hold the secret to your own family’s past.
 
Double Trouble State Park
There’s double the fun awaiting you at Double Trouble State Park. Part historic site (many of the buildings from its 19th century roots as a cranberry production center are still preserved) and part natural playground (its 7,800 acres include trails, bogs, swamps, and Cedar Lake for fishing and boating), means you’ll want to spend twice as long exploring every nook and cranny.
 
Estellville Glassworks
Built in 1825, Estellville is the only South Jersey glassworks that made both bottle and window glass, as well as some specialty pieces such as canes, paperweights, pictures, beads and vases. These products were shipped up and down the eastern seaboard from Boston to Baltimore. Estellville Glassworks recently received a grant to restore and preserve the sandstone glasswork ruins. The site is now open to the public for education and passive recreation purposes as part of the Atlantic
 
Hancock House
In the wee hours of the morning on March 21, 1778, 300 Queen’s Rangers, Hessians and Loyalists attacked William Hancock’s house, where a local militia was stationed; their job was to raise and lower the draw bridge. When the British attacked the Hancock House, they certainly did not expect to find Judge William Hancock, who despite his sympathies toward America, was an Official in the British Colonial Government.
 
Historic Cold Spring Village
How did we get from there to here? That’s the question that Historic Cold Spring Village answers. More than two dozen restored 18th century buildings set the stage to tell the story of a way of life that shaped the region and the nation. Throughout the day, costumed re-enactors, craftspeople and artisans run demonstrations and hands-on activities that put you right there in the past.
 
JD Thompson Inn
JD Thompson Inn Bed and Breakfast is located in the heart of Tuckerton, a bayside community right along the Barnegat Bay. The Inn is within walking distance of the Tuckerton Seaport Museum and only a five minute drive to two excellent golf courses. The Inn was also recently renovated to include all modern amenities while maintaining the integrity of beautiful original architectural features such as mahogany three-story staircases, ten-foot ceilings, and ornate plaster moldings.
 
Old Tuckerton Stage Road
Old Tuckerton Stage Road, once an Indian migration trail to the seashore and later called the Road to Little Egg Harbor, has carried many generations of wayfarers through the Pine forests to the coast. Today, with the excpetion of a few detours, this road can, as in times past, be traveled directly to Tuckerton from Shamong Township, providing you with much the same experience as those who traveled it centuries ago.
 
Ong's Hat
Ong's Hat, the town with funny name is one of the Pine Barrens most historic towns.  Problem is, there is no there there anymore. Although the town was first found on a map of 1828, today it doens't always show up.  Still surrounded in various mysteries, some believe Ongs Hat is a portal for interdimensional time travel or that renegade Princeton scientists conducted secret experiments.  Whatever the truth, it sure is fun.
 
Richards Mansion
Built in 1826 by Samuel Richards, then owner of the Atsion Village iron works, the Richards Mansion is a fine example of rural Greek Revival architecture. The mansion sits in the historic village of Atsion, off Route 206 in Shamong Township.
 
Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
Back in the day – that would be 1789 –the nation’s first glassmaking factory opened in South Jersey launching an industry that would define the region for almost two centuries. That heritage is preserved at the Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center, a complex that combines a nationally-recognized glass museum, glass making studios, Down Jersey Folklife Center, tours, and educational activities. You can even try your hand at blowing your own glass artwork in their studio.
 
Howell Living History Farm
The minute you step onto this 130-acre farm, you are whisked back to the 1890s, before machinery, before electric tools, before most modern-day conveniences. Take a self-guided tour past beehives, pastures, sheds, livestock barns and a restored ice house. Stick around for the seasonal living history programs and demonstrations that depict life on a turn-of-the-century farm.
 
Paulsdale - Alice Paul Institute
Paulsdale is on the New Jersey and National Register's list of Historic Places, and in 1991 it was designated a National Historic Landmark. The exterior and interior of the house have been restored to their appearance during Alice Paul's residence, with modern accommodations that meet visitors' needs. Tours begin with an outdoor walk around the property to see the farm landscape and the remains of the structures that once surrounded Paulsdale.
 
Barclay Farmstead
The centerpiece of the property is a restored, furnished federal-style brick farmhouse built in 1816 by Joseph Thorn for his family of eight. Today, your family -- no matter how big or small -- will get a charge out of seeing how life was lived in the "olden days."  The 32-acre estate still has some of the original buildings of this former Quaker farmstead including a forge, the 'mansion' and other sites.
 
Washington Crossing State Park
It wasn’t exactly the surprise the Hessian troops would have wanted early on a Christmas morning but when General George Washington led his troops on a secret crossing of the Delaware River, he launched what would become the Ten Crucial Days in the fight for American independence. The details of these monumental events are related in the 1,339 acre park’s Visitor Center where you can also find info on the 1400-acre nature area and hiking trails. Most special, the park hosts the re
 
Whitesbog Historic Village

Standing in front of the turn-of-the-century general store, you can almost imagine Historic Whitesbog Village when it was a bustling company town and the center of New Jersey’s cranberry and blueberry industries. Surrounded by pine forests, cranberry bogs and trails winding throughout Whitesbog Village, many of Whitesbog’s historic buildings still stand.
 
Wharton State Forest
It is amazing how many activities, species of wildlife, unusual plants and other natural wonders can be packed into 115,111 acres. Name it and chances are, you can find it in Wharton State Forest, the largest single land tract within the NJ system of parks and forests. Throughout Wharton are rivers and streams for canoeing, trails for hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing, historic landmarks and secluded areas for camping and spotting wildlife.
 

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