New Jersey History and Sites

Located within the Jersey Pinelands, Historic Batsto Village preserves over three centuries of history. Batsto was a well-known ironworks, glassmaking factory, and industrial village. With a history dating back to mid-eighteenth century, many building are still standing and now restored. Visitors are transported back time as they wander through the once thriving industrial village.

Next to the Batsto River, Charles Read built an ironworks facility in 1766. Shortly thereafter, the ironworks were taken over by John Cox, and it became an extremely important part of American History. During the American Revolution, Batsto’s ironworks became a vital supplier for the Continental Army. The ironworks manufactures produced war products such as canons, cannonballs, camp kettles, iron fastenings, fittings for artillery, and more. The continental army exempted Batsto men from military service because they viewed the work at Batsto as essential to the success of the army. The Batsto ironworks were highly fruitful during the war years, and their success continued into the years that followed.

In 1784, Willliam Richards purchased land. Richards elevated the land from just a simple ironworks, to a self-sustaining, working village. On the property, Richards erected multiple buildings to make it possible for people and their families to live and work on the land. The buildings developed included a store, sawmill, icehouse, homes, stables, and more. One of his most well-known buildings that was established during this period was the Batsto Mansion. While William Richards was main figure of the village, his family helped in the creation of Batsto village, and carried it forward. In 1809, when Richards retired his son and grandson took over running the ironworks and village.

The Richards family kept Batsto ironworks running smoothly, and they also made several changes and improvements. In 1829, the Batsto furnace was rebuilt, which helped continue the production of pig iron, cast-iron water pipes, firebacks, etc. The family also decided to expand into other endeavors and established a glassmaking factory in 1846. However, like all good things, Batsto eventually fell on hard times. The success that kept the ironworks and village thriving for so long dwindled. Eventually, the furnace shut down and was dismantled in 1855. In addition, the glassworks shut down and fire destroyed half of Batsto in the years that followed.

In 1876, Joseph Wharton, who was a Philadelphia industrialist, purchased Batsto Village. Wharton built a sawmill and underground silo on the property. In addition, Wharton expanded the mansion and cleared land in order to cultivate cranberries. In an effort to make Batsto more farm-like, Wharton also began raising live-stock. Batsto again received some life and beauty. Wharton ultimately passed away in 1909, and the land was left alone for about 50 years before the New Jersey decided to purchase the land for three million dollars.

After the state of New Jersey purchased the land, restoration on the village began. Today, there are over 30 structures remaining on the property. These buildings include a gristmill, mansion house, general store, blacksmith shop, barn, sawmill, and worker’s houses. Visitor’s can walk into a majority of these building, and witness interpreters display village life. Although there is more than just history to do at Batsto, many visitors come out to hike or take a leisurely stroll with their dog. The trails that surround the village can be exciting for many hikers, and if you go by the river, you may see people kayaking in the river! Batsto brings a mix of history alongside serenity and outdoor adventure to interested visitors.

Resources

“Batsto Village.” Batsto A Journey into the Past. Accessed January 1, 2024. https://batstovillage.org/batsto-village/

“Batsto Village Historic Site Overview.” New Jersey State Park Service. Department of Environmental Protection. Accessed January 1, 2024. https://www.nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/historic/batstovillage.html

Lurie, Maine N. and Marc Mapen, eds. Encyclopedia of New Jersey. Rutgers University Press, 2004. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Encyclopedia_of_New_Jersey/_r9Ni6_u0JEC?hl=en&gbpv=0

Scheller, Kay and Bill Scheller. Discover Your Fun New Jersey Off the Beach. Essex, CT: Globe Pequot, 2023.