Batsto Village, New Jersey
Encyclopedia
Batsto Village is a New Jersey
Historic site located in Wharton State Forest
in the south central Pine Barrens
, and a part of the Pinelands National Reserve. It is listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places
, and is administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
's Division of Parks & Forestry. The name is derived from the Swedish
bastu, bathing place (also the Swedish word for Finnish
sauna
); the first bathers were probably the Lenni-Lenape Indians
. Batsto Village is located on County Route 542
in Washington Township
, Burlington County, New Jersey
.
In 1766, Charles Read, a well-known [ironmaster], built the Batsto Iron Works along the Batsto River
on the site of the future village. The area had an abundance of bog ore
which could be mined from the area's streams and rivers, and wood from the area's forests was harvested for charcoal
for smelting
the ore.The rivers, despite their modest drop, were also harnessed for iron
making.
In 1773, John Coxe bought the Iron Works, which produced cooking pots, kettles, and other household items. Batsto manufactured supplies for the Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
.
In 1779, the Iron Works manager, Joseph Ball, bought the works and in 1784, his uncle, William Richards, bought a controlling interest. Over the next 91 years, the Richards family built most of the structures in the village. Richards was ironmaster until he retired in 1809. He was succeeded by his son, Jesse Richards, who ran the operation until his death in 1854 and was followed in turn by his son Thomas H. Richards. In the mid-19th century, demand for iron declined and Batsto turned to glassmaking, though without lasting success. Soon Batsto was in bankruptcy.
In 1876, Philadelphia businessman Joseph Wharton
purchased Batsto along with a substantial number of other properties in the area. He improved many of the village buildings and was involved in a number of forestry
and agricultural
projects, including cranberry
farming and a sawmill. After his death in 1909, his properties in the Pine Barrens were managed by the Girard Trust Company in Philadelphia.
The state of New Jersey purchased the Wharton properties in the late 1950s and began planning the use and development of the property, allowing the few people still living in the Village to remain; in 1989 the last house was vacated.
Today there are more than forty sites and structures, including the Batsto mansion, a sawmill, a 19th century ore boat, a charcoal kiln, ice and milk houses, a carriage house and stable, a blacksmith
and wheelwright
shop, a gristmill
and a general store. The Post Office is still in operation, and collectors have stamps hand-cancelled, with no zip code. The Batsto-Pleasant Mills Methodist Episcopal Church
is also still active.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Historic site located in Wharton State Forest
Wharton State Forest
Wharton State Forest is a state park in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The largest single tract of land in the state park system of New Jersey, it encompasses approximately of the Pinelands northwest of Hammonton, in Burlington, Camden, and Atlantic counties. The entire park is located within ...
in the south central Pine Barrens
Pine Barrens (New Jersey)
The Pine Barrens, also known as the Pinelands, is a heavily forested area of coastal plain stretching across southern New Jersey. The name "pine barrens" refers to the area's sandy, acidic, nutrient-poor soil, to which the crops originally imported by European settlers didn't take well...
, and a part of the Pinelands National Reserve. It is listed on the New Jersey and National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, and is administered by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is a government agency in the U.S. state of New Jersey that is responsible for managing the state's natural resources and addressing issues related to pollution...
's Division of Parks & Forestry. The name is derived from the Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
bastu, bathing place (also the Swedish word for Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
); the first bathers were probably the Lenni-Lenape Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
. Batsto Village is located on County Route 542
County Route 542 (New Jersey)
County Route 542, abbreviated CR 542, is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends from Route 54 in Hammonton to U.S. Route 9 in Bass River Township.-Atlantic County:...
in Washington Township
Washington Township, Burlington County, New Jersey
Washington Township is a Township in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the township population was 621....
, Burlington County, New Jersey
Burlington County, New Jersey
There were 154,371 households out of which 34.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.90% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.70% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.50% had...
.
In 1766, Charles Read, a well-known [ironmaster], built the Batsto Iron Works along the Batsto River
Batsto River
The Batsto River is a tributary of the Mullica River in the southern New Jersey Pine Barrens in the United States. Originating in Tabernacle Township, the Batsto River is joined by Skit Branch, Deep Run, Springer's Brook, Penn Swamp Branch and Goodwater Run before reaching Batsto Village where a...
on the site of the future village. The area had an abundance of bog ore
Bog iron
Bog iron refers to impure iron deposits that develop in bogs or swamps by the chemical or biochemical oxidation of iron carried in the solutions. In general, bog ores consist primarily of iron oxyhydroxides, commonly goethite...
which could be mined from the area's streams and rivers, and wood from the area's forests was harvested for charcoal
Charcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
for smelting
Smelting
Smelting is a form of extractive metallurgy; its main use is to produce a metal from its ore. This includes iron extraction from iron ore, and copper extraction and other base metals from their ores...
the ore.The rivers, despite their modest drop, were also harnessed for iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
making.
In 1773, John Coxe bought the Iron Works, which produced cooking pots, kettles, and other household items. Batsto manufactured supplies for the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
In 1779, the Iron Works manager, Joseph Ball, bought the works and in 1784, his uncle, William Richards, bought a controlling interest. Over the next 91 years, the Richards family built most of the structures in the village. Richards was ironmaster until he retired in 1809. He was succeeded by his son, Jesse Richards, who ran the operation until his death in 1854 and was followed in turn by his son Thomas H. Richards. In the mid-19th century, demand for iron declined and Batsto turned to glassmaking, though without lasting success. Soon Batsto was in bankruptcy.
In 1876, Philadelphia businessman Joseph Wharton
Joseph Wharton
Joseph Wharton was a prominent Philadelphia merchant, industrialist and philanthropist, who was involved in mining, manufacturing and education...
purchased Batsto along with a substantial number of other properties in the area. He improved many of the village buildings and was involved in a number of forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
and agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
projects, including cranberry
Cranberry
Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...
farming and a sawmill. After his death in 1909, his properties in the Pine Barrens were managed by the Girard Trust Company in Philadelphia.
The state of New Jersey purchased the Wharton properties in the late 1950s and began planning the use and development of the property, allowing the few people still living in the Village to remain; in 1989 the last house was vacated.
Today there are more than forty sites and structures, including the Batsto mansion, a sawmill, a 19th century ore boat, a charcoal kiln, ice and milk houses, a carriage house and stable, a blacksmith
Blacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
and wheelwright
Wheelwright
A wheelwright is a person who builds or repairs wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the archaic word "wright", which comes from the Old English word "wryhta", meaning a worker or maker...
shop, a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and a general store. The Post Office is still in operation, and collectors have stamps hand-cancelled, with no zip code. The Batsto-Pleasant Mills Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
is also still active.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Burlington County, New Jersey
- List of museums in New Jersey