Whether it's a Revolutionary War battlefield, a lighthouse, a village reminiscent of times long past, or the home of a president, poet or industrial pioneer, there is something for everyone to experience and enjoy at New Jersey's State Historic Sites. Come and explore these fascinating and significant historic resources that span the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries. Discover New Jersey’s storied places and learn why New Jersey’s history is America’s history.
New Jersey's state
historic sites are open year round,
Wednesday through Sunday from 10 a.m.
to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.,
although times may vary. Sites are
closed Wednesdays following Monday
holidays. For specific hours, please
call the historic site you wish to
visit. Sites open to the public are
listed below.
For more information
on New Jersey's State historic sites
or parks, call (800) 843-6420 or (609)
984-0370. Text telephone users: call
NJ Relay Services at (800) 852-7899.
Allaire Village, Allaire State Park
P.O. Box 220, Farmingdale NJ 07727
(732) 938-2371
Allaire State Park is best known
for Allaire Village, a well-preserved
early 19th-century ironmaking town
with a general store, blacksmith shop,
carpenter's shop, owner's house, foreman's
house, church, and museum.
Barnegat Lighthouse, Barnegat
Lighthouse State Park
P.O. Box 167, Barnegat Light NJ 08006
(609) 494-2016
The site of Barnegat Lighthouse
on the northern tip of Long Beach Island
in Ocean County was regarded as one
of the most crucial "change of
course" points for coastal vessels.
A panoramic view of Island Beach, Barnegat
Bay and Long Beach Island awaits visitors
to the top of the lighthouse.
Batsto Village, Wharton
State Forest
Batsto, RD. #9, Hammonton NJ 08037
(609) 561-0024
This Pine Barrens village is composed
of thirty-three historic buildings
and structures including the Batsto
Mansion, gristmill, sawmill, general
store, workers' homes and post office.
Batsto Village was a former bog iron
and glassmaking industrial center from
1766 to 1867 and currently reflects
the agricultural and commercial enterprises
that existed here during the late 19th
century.
Boxwood Hall
1073 East Jersey Street, Elizabeth NJ 07201
(908) 282-7617
Built about 1750, Boxwood Hall
became the residence of Elias Boudinot,
president of the Continental Congress
that ratified the Peace Treaty with
Great Britain. George Washington visited
his friend Boudinot in 1789 on his
way to New York for his first inauguration.
Cape May Lighthouse, Cape
May Point State Park
Box 107, Cape May Point NJ 08212
(609) 884-2159
The 157-foot high lighthouse is
still an aid to navigation. Visitors
who climb to the top of the lighthouse
can view the constantly changing Cape
May peninsula shoreline. The first
known lighthouse at Cape May was built
in 1823, but had to be moved. The present
lighthouse was built in 1859.
Central Railroad
of New Jersey Terminal, Liberty
State Park
Morris Pesin Drive, Jersey City NJ 07305
(201) 915-3400
From 1892 through 1954, the CRRNJ
Terminal stood with the Statue of Liberty
and Ellis Island to unfold one of this
nation's most dramatic stories: the
immigration of northern, southern and
eastern Europeans, among others, into
the United States. After being greeted
by the Statue of Liberty and processed
at Ellis Island, these immigrants purchased
tickets and boarded trains at the Terminal
to their new homes.
Clarke House, Princeton
Battlefield State Park
500 Mercer Road, Princeton NJ 08540
(609) 921-0074
Built by Thomas Clarke in 1772,
the house is located on Princeton Battlefield
and was the scene of heavy fighting
during the Battle of Princeton. General
Hugh Mercer was mortally wounded nearby
and was carried to the Clarke House,
where he died nine days after the battle.
Craig House, Monmouth
Battlefield State Park
347 Freehold-Englishtown Road, Manalapan NJ 07726
(732) 462-9616
During the Battle of Monmouth,
this 18th-century farmhouse was the
home of John and Ann Craig and their
three children and was used as a hospital
by the British forces in June of 1778.
Delaware & Raritan
Canal State Park - Blackwells
Mills Canal House,
Mule Tenders Barracks, Port Mercer Canal House, Prallsville Mills
625 Canal Road, Somerset NJ 08873
(732) 873-3050
Most of the old canal system remains
intact today and is a reminder of the
days when the delivery of freight depended
upon a team of mules or steam tugboats.
Nearly 36 miles of the main canal and
22 miles of the feeder canal still
exist, with many historic structures
along the canal.
Double Trouble
Village, Double
Trouble State Park
Administered by Island Beach State Park
Seaside Park NJ 08752
(732) 793-0506
Fourteen original historic structures
dating from the late 19th century through
the early 20th century include a general
store, a schoolhouse and cottages.
The sawmill was restored in 1995, and
the cranberry sorting and packing house
was completed in 1996.
Fort Mott, Fort
Mott State Park
454 Fort Mott Road
Pennsville, NJ 08070
(856) 935-3218
Fort Mott was part of a coastal
defense system designed for the Delaware
River in the late 1800's. The fortifications
seen today at Fort Mott were erected
in 1896 in anticipation of the Spanish-American
War.
Grover Cleveland
Birthplace
207 Bloomfield Avenue, Caldwell NJ 07006
(973)226-0001
In 1837, Grover Cleveland was born
in this house while his father, the
Reverend Richard Falley Cleveland,
was the minister to the First Presbyterian
Church of Caldwell. Most of the first
floor rooms portray the house as it
was in 1837.
Hancock House
3 Front Street, Hancock's Bridge NJ 08038
(856) 935-4373
Judge William Hancock built this
brick house in 1734. A notable feature
is the decorative patterned brickwork
on the end wall of the house.
NJN invites visitors to experience New Jersey's colonial history first-hand. View their short film spot about the Hancock House.
The
Hermitage
335 North Franklin Turnpike, Ho-Ho-Kus NJ 07423
(201)445-8311
The original section of the Hermitage
House was built in the mid-18th century
and visited by George Washington and
his staff during the Revolutionary
War. In 1845, the house was transformed
by architect William Ranlett into one
of the finest examples of Gothic Revival
architecture in North America.
View a virtual tour of The Hermitage.
High Point Monument, High
Point State Park
1480 State Route 23, Sussex NJ 07461
(973) 875-4800
Built in 1930 with donations from
the Kuser family of Trenton, the monument
was built on the highest point in New
Jersey and was erected in honor of
the American servicemen who served
in World War I.
Indian
King Tavern
233 Kings Highway, Haddonfield NJ 08033
(856) 429-6792
On March 10, 1777, the New Jersey
Assembly met at the Indian King Tavern
and approved the adoption of the Great
Seal of New Jersey. Six months later,
the Assembly met again at the tavern
and enacted a law substituting the
word "state" for "colony" in
all commissions, writs and indictments.
Johnson Ferry House, Washington
Crossing State Park
355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville NJ 08560
(609) 737-2515
This early 18th-century gambrel roof farmhouse and
tavern near the Delaware River was owned by Garret Johnson,
who operated a 490-acre colonial plantation and a ferry
service across the river in the 1700s.
Long Pond Ironworks Historic
District,
Mailing Address c/o Ringwood
State Park
1304 Sloatsburg Rd., Ringwood, NJ 07456-1799
(973) 962-7031
Long Pond Ironworks was founded in 1766 and
operated continually until 1882, making iron for a wide
range of purposes. Today, the ruins of three furnaces and
other unique structures remain in a beautiful setting within Long
Pond Ironworks State Park near the New York border
in West Milford, NJ.
Monmouth Battlefield, Monmouth
Battlefield State Park
347 Freehold-Englishtown Road, Manalapan NJ 07726
(732) 462-9616
One of the largest battles of the American Revolution
took place in the fields and forests that now make up
Monmouth Battlefield State Park. A reenactment of the
June 1778 battle is held every year with authentically
dressed troops camped out in the park and situated in
the fields for fighting.
Old Dutch Parsonage
71 Somerset Street, Somerville NJ 08876
(908) 725-1015
The parsonage was built in 1751
and first occupied by Reverend John
Frelinghuysen, who came from Amsterdam
to serve three congregations of the
Dutch Reform church in the upper Raritan
Valley. The second occupant of the
Parsonage, the Reverend Jacob Hardenbergh,
founded Queens College in 1766 while
residing in the house.
Princeton Battlefield, Princeton
Battlefield State Park
500 Mercer Road, Princeton NJ 08540
(609) 921-0074
On January 3, 1777, the peaceful
winter fields and woods of Princeton
Battlefield were transformed into the
site of what is considered to be the
fiercest fight of its size during the
American Revolution. During this desperate
battle, American troops under General
George Washington surprised and defeated
a force of British Regulars.
Ringwood Manor, Ringwood
State Park
Box 1304, Ringwood NJ 07456
(973) 962-7031
For nearly 200 years, this graceful
country manor house was the home of
a succession of important ironmasters,
including the Ryersons, Coopers and
Hewitts. The house contains an excellent
collection of paintings and period
furniture, all of which are associated
with the families who lived in the
manor.
Rockingham
PO Box 496, Kingston NJ 08528
(609) 683-7132
In 1783, while the Continental Congress was meeting
at Nassau Hall in nearby Princeton, Congress rented
the house from the widow of Judge John Berrien for use
by General George Washington from August 23 to November
10, 1783. Martha Washington joined him at Rockingham.
Rockingham was reopened to the public in July of 2004
after an extensive restoration.
NJN invites visitors
to experience New Jersey's colonial history first-hand.
View their short film spot about Rockingham.
Skylands Manor & State
Botanical Garden, Ringwood
State Park
Box 1304, Ringwood NJ 07456
(973) 962-7031
Skylands Manor, with its English
Jacobean architecture common in the
English countryside 400 years ago,
was designed by John Russell Pope for
Clarence McKenzie Lewis, a stockbroker
and civil engineer. Built in the 1920's,
it is constructed of native stone and
half-timbers and has 44 rooms. The
garden is a culmination of two eras
of landscape architecture under the
direction of Francis Lynde Stetson,
owner of Skylands from 1891 to 1922.
Somers Mansion
1000 Shore Road, Somers Point NJ 08244
(609) 927-2212
Somers Mansion was built about
1725 by Richard Somers and is the oldest
existing house in Atlantic County.
Somers operated the first ferry across
Great Egg Harbor Bay.
Steuben House at Historic New Bridge Landing
1209 Main Street, River Edge NJ 07661
(201) 487-1739
In 1783, the Steuben House was
presented to Baron Von Steuben in gratitude
for his assistance to the colonies
during the Revolutionary War.
NJN invites visitors to experience New Jersey's colonial history first-hand. View their short film spot about the Steuben House .
Trenton Battle
Monument
Administered by Washington Crossing State
Park
348 North Warren Street, Trenton NJ 08638
(609) 737-0623
The monument marks the site of
the American artillery emplacement
that commanded the streets of Trenton
during the battle that led to the defeat
of the three Hessian Regiments by the
American Army at the Battle of Trenton,
December 26, 1776. The monument was
designed by John H. Duncan, architect
of Grant's tomb.
Twin
Lights
Lighthouse Road, Highlands NJ 07732
(732) 872-1886
The current brownstone structure
was built in 1862 and served as the
primary seacoast light marking the
entrance to New York Harbor. The towers
are not identical twins; the south
tower is square and the north is octagonal.
This 1862 structure replaced an earlier
twin tower lighthouse. Visit
the Twin Lights virtual tour.
Wallace House
71 Somerset Street, Somerville NJ 08876
(908) 725-1015
The Wallace House was completed
in 1776 as Hope Farm for John Wallace,
a successful Philadelphia merchant.
General Washington leased the house
for use as his headquarters during
the Middlebrook Winter Encampment,
December 11, 1778, to June 3, 1779.
The house is one of the best and most
original examples of Georgian architecture
in New Jersey.
NJN invites visitors to experience New Jersey's colonial history first-hand. View there short film spot about the Wallace House.
Walt
Whitman House
330 Mickle Boulevard, Camden NJ 08103
(856) 964-5383
The renowned poet lived in this
house from 1884 until his death in
1892, and received many visitors during
that time including the painter Thomas
Eakins, naturalist John Burroughs and
writers Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker.
The house is furnished with a number
of pieces owned and used by Whitman.
Washington Crossing, Washington
Crossing State Park Visitor
Center/Museum
355 Washington Crossing-Pennington Road, Titusville NJ 08560
(609) 737-9303
After crossing the icy waters of
the Delaware River on December 25,
1776, General George Washington and
the Continental Army landed at Johnson's
Ferry, at the site now knows as Washington
Crossing State Park.
Waterloo Village, Allamuchy
Mountain State Park
Waterloo Road, Stanhope NJ 07874
(973) 398-7010 (c/o Hopatcong State Park)
This early 19th-century restored village contains a working mill complex with gristmills and sawmills, a general store, blacksmith shop and several historic houses. The village is located on the banks of the Morris Canal.
Whitesbog Village
Administered by Brendan T. Byrne State Forest (formerly
Lebanon)
P.O. Box 215, New Lisbon NJ 08064
(609) 726-1191
Whitesbog was an active 19th- and 20th-century cranberry and blueberry
producing community, founded in the 1870's by Joseph J. White. The commercial
high-bush blueberry was developed here by Elizabeth White. The site is undergoing
restoration and is leased to the Whitesbog Preservation Trust.
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