New Jersey’s Former Iron Empire Lives On in This Beautifully Preserved 1700s Village

Batsto Village, New Jersey

Before factories moved to cities, America’s iron came from places like Batsto Village. Once, it was a booming iron and glass making center that helped build early America.

The town died out decades ago but you can still visit what’s left of this New Jersey institution. Here’s the story of this remarkable place.

An Iron Business Gets Built

In 1766, lawyer Charles Read saw a way to make money in the Pine Barrens.

He built Batsto Iron Works next to the Batsto River because this spot had three things he needed: bog iron in the swamps, wood for making charcoal, and river water for running machines.

Workers used flat boats called shallops to collect bog iron from stream banks. Philadelphia businessman John Cox became part owner in 1770, then bought everything by 1773.

The iron works made everyday things like cooking pots and kettles for families.

Batsto Helped Win The Revolution

During the Revolutionary War, Batsto became important to Washington’s army. The iron works made cannons, bullets, camp kettles, and iron parts for wagons and ships.

The British knew this made Batsto dangerous. In 1778, they attacked nearby Chestnut Neck, planning to march over and destroy the iron works. Local fighters stopped the British before they got to Batsto.

The Richards Family Takes Over

Joseph Ball ran the iron works, then bought it in 1779. His uncle William Richards had worked at Pennsylvania iron places and knew the business well. He took control in 1784, starting his family’s 92-year ownership of Batsto.

Jesse Richards Grows The Village

Jesse Richards started running daily work in 1807 while his father William still owned everything. When William died in 1823, the $55,200 estate went to Thomas S. Richards, then to Jesse in 1829.

Jesse rebuilt the main iron furnace in 1829 and ran the village for 45 years until he died in 1854. When the War of 1812 started, Batsto again made military supplies. Workers made cannonballs and other weapons for American soldiers fighting the British again.

From Iron To Glass Making

Pennsylvania found a better type of coal in the 1840s, which killed Batsto’s iron business.

This coal melted iron much better than charcoal. As a result, the iron furnace closed for good in 1848 after running for 82 years.

Jesse Richards wouldn’t give up though. He opened a glass-making factory in 1846 and gave Batsto a new life.

Fire Burns Down The Village

On February 23, 1874, a big fire hit Batsto. Flames burned down the old iron works and seventeen homes in the oldest part of town. Thomas H. Richards, Jesse’s son, couldn’t pay his bills as both the iron and glass businesses failed.

The family had to sell 55,000 acres of their 80,000-acre property to pay their debts. A sheriff’s sale ended the Richards family’s 92-year control of Batsto.

Joseph Wharton’s Big Plan

Philadelphia businessman Joseph Wharton bought Batsto at auction in 1876 for just $14,000, getting 100 square miles of Pine Barrens land.

He spent over $40,000 turning the worn-down village into an elegant estate. Unlike past owners who lived there all the time, Wharton used Batsto as his vacation home.

Cranberries Replace Iron And Glass

Wharton cleared huge areas of land to grow cranberries because the Pine Barrens’ sour soil was perfect for this crop.

The businessman even planned to pump South Jersey water to Philadelphia and Camden, though this idea never worked out. By 1900, Batsto had completely changed from making iron and glass to being Wharton’s farm.

The End Of Private Ownership

Joseph Wharton died in 1909, leaving Batsto’s future uncertain. His family offered to sell the whole place to New Jersey for $1 million, but voters said no in 1915. The Girard Trust Company eventually took over managing the property until 1954.

By the 1930s, mostly woodcutters and other forest workers lived in the old village houses. The U.S. Air Force almost turned Batsto into a weapons storage area and airport in the 1950s, with Congress ready to spend $73,523,000 before picking Long Branch instead.

New Jersey Saves Batsto

New Jersey finally bought the Wharton properties in 1954 for $2 million, saving Batsto from developers. The state started fixing up the old buildings in 1955, starting with the mansion, post office-store, and sawmill.

Workers built a new visitor center in 1959, made to look like an early 1800s building. That same year, more people visited Batsto than any other historic site in New Jersey.

Visiting Batsto Village

Batsto Village welcomes visitors at 31 Batsto Road, Hammonton, NJ 08037 inside the Wharton State Forest.

From Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, entrance fees apply per vehicle. Mansion tours cost $3 for adults, $1 for children ages 6-11, and remain free for children under 5.

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