Waterloo Village
Encyclopedia
Waterloo Village is a restored 19th Century canal town in Byram Township
, Sussex County
(west of Stanhope
) in northwestern New Jersey
and was approximately the half-way point in the roughly 102-mile (165 km) trip along the Morris Canal
, which ran from Jersey City
(across the Hudson River
from Manhattan
, New York
) to Phillipsburg, New Jersey
(across the Delaware River
from Easton, Pennsylvania
). Waterloo possessed all the accommodations necessary to service the needs of a canal operation, including an inn, a general store
, a church, a blacksmith
shop (to service the mule
s on the canal
) and a watermill
. For canal workers, Waterloo's geographic location would have been conducive to being an overnight stopover point on the two-day trip between Phillipsburg and Jersey City, New Jersey.
It is currently an open air museum in Allamuchy Mountain State Park
, Stanhope, New Jersey
. Due to budget and management issues, it is only open on a limited basis.
's traffic volume, which was primarily anthracite coal
from Pennsylvania
, peaked during the late 1860s, shortly after end of the American Civil War
. Up until that time, the local railroads — the Lackawanna Railroad
's Sussex Branch and Morris and Essex Railroad
— had only supplemented the canal's operation, rather than actually competing with it. Both the Sussex Branch and the Morris & Essex Railroad ran within a short distance of the village. After the War, however, the canal's traffic began to quickly shift over to the much faster and more reliable railroad. It was expected that during most winters the canal would be frozen solid, and thus impassable during the time when its chief commodity was in greatest demand.
As a result, the canal underwent a steady decline, and so did Waterloo Village. Although the canal was not officially abandoned until 1924, rarely did more than one boat a year (to fulfill the conditions of the canal's charter) run through the canal after 1900. By the time of the Great Depression
, Waterloo Village had been abandoned by its original owners.
near Waterloo, slowing freight trains to a crawl as they labored up the hill to Netcong
), made it easy for hobo
s to jump on and off boxcar
s.
The hobos, as it turned out, had "discovered" Waterloo and had adopted it as a stopping off point in their cross-country journey towards New York. This new purpose for the village wasn't all that different from its original purpose a century earlier. The hobos protected Waterloo Village by occupying it throughout the 1930s and '40s. The original Waterloo railroad station was moved from the station site during the 1940s and became a private residence on U.S. Route 206
in Mount Olive Township, New Jersey
.
, starting during the 1960s. Over time, and with volunteer help, the village was slowly restored. (The village would eventually become part of New Jersey's Allamuchy Mountain State Park
.)
The Waterloo Foundation for the Arts, a not-for-profit corporation, was established and enabled Leach and Gualandi to raise the funds necessary to not only restore the village, but also to expand its operation to include classical and pop concerts that brought in additional revenue.
By the mid 1980s, Waterloo had become a regular stop for performing artists and was envisioned as the New Jersey
equivalent of Tanglewood
, with a proposal that an amphitheater would open and would become the summer home of New York's Metropolitan Opera
.
corporation to build a large corporate headquarters on land that had once been part of Allamuchy Mountain State Park
. The swap, which was expedited by then New Jersey
Governor
Thomas Kean
, a Leach family friend who had worked as a volunteer at Waterloo during the nascent stages of the village's rebirth in the 1960s, was to pave the way for the aforementioned amphitheater complex, a project that never got past the initial planning stages.
The BASF issue, which had aroused considerable opposition, ushered in a period of uncertainty for Waterloo Village and to some degree contributed to Leach's eventual ouster from his key position with the foundation. The Waterloo board of directors
subsequently brought in a new management team and throughout the mid- to late-1990s tried to rebuild trust in the running of the village. Over this time, the foundation slowly downsized the concerts that were held in association with the village, as some of the earlier rock concert
s had drawn nearly 20,000 spectators and had completely overwhelmed the area's limited access roads and had caused considerable friction with the surrounding towns.
In the period from 2003–2006, the Waterloo Foundation for the Arts had received $900,000 from the State of New Jersey for general expenses, along with more than $300,000 since 2000 to cover repairs. As the state showed increasing displeasure with the village's operation, the $250,000 the group had expected to receive, which would have been used towards the $2 million operating budget for the site, was cut from the 2007 state budget. Waterloo Village was shut down in December 2006, except for the privately-owned Waterloo United Methodist Church, which has a small but dedicated congregation and continues to operate as it has for over 150 years while the fate of the village itself is uncertain. Since 2006, the Village has been open intermittently. For example, in late September, 2008, the concert stage was temporarily opened for the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival
.
Silent was done in November and December 2006 at various locations in the village.
Byram Township, New Jersey
Byram Township — "The Township of Lakes" — is a Township in Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 8,350...
, Sussex County
Sussex County, New Jersey
The County of Sussex is the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey. It is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 Federal decennial census, 149,265 persons resided in Sussex County...
(west of Stanhope
Stanhope, New Jersey
-Transportation:Route 183 is the main access road that serves the borough. U.S. Route 206 also passes through in the western section and is partially a limited access road which connects to I-80 in neighboring Mount Olive.-Demographics:...
) in northwestern New Jersey
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...
and was approximately the half-way point in the roughly 102-mile (165 km) trip along the Morris Canal
Morris Canal
The Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....
, which ran from Jersey City
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
(across the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
from Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) to Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, New Jersey
Phillipsburg, known locally as P'burg, is a town in Warren County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 14,950....
(across the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
from Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton, Pennsylvania
Easton is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 26,800 as of the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Northampton County....
). Waterloo possessed all the accommodations necessary to service the needs of a canal operation, including an inn, a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
, a church, 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...
shop (to service the mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s on the canal
Canal
Canals are man-made channels for water. There are two types of canal:#Waterways: navigable transportation canals used for carrying ships and boats shipping goods and conveying people, further subdivided into two kinds:...
) and a watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
. For canal workers, Waterloo's geographic location would have been conducive to being an overnight stopover point on the two-day trip between Phillipsburg and Jersey City, New Jersey.
It is currently an open air museum in Allamuchy Mountain State Park
Allamuchy Mountain State Park
Allamuchy Mountain State Park is located in Byram Township, New Jersey, United States. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. There are more than of unmarked trails in the northern section of Allamuchy, and of marked multi-use trails.The park is in...
, Stanhope, New Jersey
Stanhope, New Jersey
-Transportation:Route 183 is the main access road that serves the borough. U.S. Route 206 also passes through in the western section and is partially a limited access road which connects to I-80 in neighboring Mount Olive.-Demographics:...
. Due to budget and management issues, it is only open on a limited basis.
Canal and railroad eras
Although opened in 1831, the Morris CanalMorris Canal
The Morris Canal was an anthracite-carrying canal that incorporated a series of water-driven inclined planes in its course across northern New Jersey in the United States. It was in use for about a century — from the late 1820s to the 1920s....
's traffic volume, which was primarily anthracite coal
Anthracite coal
Anthracite is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster...
from Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, peaked during the late 1860s, shortly after end of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Up until that time, the local railroads — the Lackawanna Railroad
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad
The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company was a railroad connecting Pennsylvania's Lackawanna Valley, rich in anthracite coal, to Hoboken, New Jersey, , Buffalo and Oswego, New York...
's Sussex Branch and Morris and Essex Railroad
Morris and Essex Railroad
The Morris and Essex Railroad was a railroad across northern New Jersey, later part of the main line of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad.-History:...
— had only supplemented the canal's operation, rather than actually competing with it. Both the Sussex Branch and the Morris & Essex Railroad ran within a short distance of the village. After the War, however, the canal's traffic began to quickly shift over to the much faster and more reliable railroad. It was expected that during most winters the canal would be frozen solid, and thus impassable during the time when its chief commodity was in greatest demand.
As a result, the canal underwent a steady decline, and so did Waterloo Village. Although the canal was not officially abandoned until 1924, rarely did more than one boat a year (to fulfill the conditions of the canal's charter) run through the canal after 1900. By the time of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, Waterloo Village had been abandoned by its original owners.
Unheralded saviors
This might have been the end of the story for Waterloo, particularly if the hamlet had really been abandoned, as local vandals might have burned the town to the ground if it had become completely unoccupied. But the village's location, within a short distance of the Lackawanna Railroad (which had to overcome a steep eastbound grade towards New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
near Waterloo, slowing freight trains to a crawl as they labored up the hill to Netcong
Netcong, New Jersey
Netcong is a Borough in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 2,580. Its estimated population in 2006 was 3,292...
), made it easy for hobo
Hobo
A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...
s to jump on and off boxcar
Boxcar
A boxcar is a railroad car that is enclosed and generally used to carry general freight. The boxcar, while not the simplest freight car design, is probably the most versatile, since it can carry most loads...
s.
The hobos, as it turned out, had "discovered" Waterloo and had adopted it as a stopping off point in their cross-country journey towards New York. This new purpose for the village wasn't all that different from its original purpose a century earlier. The hobos protected Waterloo Village by occupying it throughout the 1930s and '40s. The original Waterloo railroad station was moved from the station site during the 1940s and became a private residence on U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206
U.S. Route 206 is a long north–south United States highway in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, United States. Only about a half a mile of its length is in Pennsylvania; the Milford-Montague Toll Bridge carries it over the Delaware River into New Jersey, where it is the remainder of the route...
in Mount Olive Township, New Jersey
Mount Olive Township, New Jersey
-Transportation:The major roads that pass through include U.S. Route 46 through the center, U.S. Route 206 in the east and northeast part and Interstate 80 in the north .-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 24,193 people, 9,068 households, and 6,374 families residing in the...
.
Rebirth
If one person deserves credit for saving Waterloo Village in the modern era, it's Percival H.E. Leach. Percy Leach, as he is known, with his friend Lou Gualandi, spearheaded an effort to preserve the villageVillage
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
, starting during the 1960s. Over time, and with volunteer help, the village was slowly restored. (The village would eventually become part of New Jersey's Allamuchy Mountain State Park
Allamuchy Mountain State Park
Allamuchy Mountain State Park is located in Byram Township, New Jersey, United States. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. There are more than of unmarked trails in the northern section of Allamuchy, and of marked multi-use trails.The park is in...
.)
The Waterloo Foundation for the Arts, a not-for-profit corporation, was established and enabled Leach and Gualandi to raise the funds necessary to not only restore the village, but also to expand its operation to include classical and pop concerts that brought in additional revenue.
By the mid 1980s, Waterloo had become a regular stop for performing artists and was envisioned as the New Jersey
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...
equivalent of Tanglewood
Tanglewood
Tanglewood is an estate and music venue in Lenox and Stockbridge, Massachusetts. It is the home of the annual summer Tanglewood Music Festival and the Tanglewood Jazz Festival, and has been the Boston Symphony Orchestra's summer home since 1937. It was the venue of the Berkshire Festival.- History...
, with a proposal that an amphitheater would open and would become the summer home of New York's Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
.
Controversy, downfall and closure
With the death of Lou Gualandi in 1988, however, Percy Leach lost his most trusted advisor, and the one who had been the voice of moderation in their relationship. Following Gualandi's death, Leach became involved in several controversial projects that brought greater scrutiny upon the Waterloo Foundation for the Arts. The most controversial was the so-called "land swap" that allowed BASFBASF
BASF SE is the largest chemical company in the world and is headquartered in Germany. BASF originally stood for Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik . Today, the four letters are a registered trademark and the company is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, London Stock Exchange, and Zurich Stock...
corporation to build a large corporate headquarters on land that had once been part of Allamuchy Mountain State Park
Allamuchy Mountain State Park
Allamuchy Mountain State Park is located in Byram Township, New Jersey, United States. The park is operated and maintained by the New Jersey Division of Parks and Forestry. There are more than of unmarked trails in the northern section of Allamuchy, and of marked multi-use trails.The park is in...
. The swap, which was expedited by then New Jersey
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...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Thomas Kean
Thomas Kean
Thomas Howard Kean is an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 48th Governor of New Jersey from 1982 to 1990. Kean is best known globally, however, for his 2002 appointment as Chairman of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, widely known as the...
, a Leach family friend who had worked as a volunteer at Waterloo during the nascent stages of the village's rebirth in the 1960s, was to pave the way for the aforementioned amphitheater complex, a project that never got past the initial planning stages.
The BASF issue, which had aroused considerable opposition, ushered in a period of uncertainty for Waterloo Village and to some degree contributed to Leach's eventual ouster from his key position with the foundation. The Waterloo board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
subsequently brought in a new management team and throughout the mid- to late-1990s tried to rebuild trust in the running of the village. Over this time, the foundation slowly downsized the concerts that were held in association with the village, as some of the earlier rock concert
Rock concert
The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,...
s had drawn nearly 20,000 spectators and had completely overwhelmed the area's limited access roads and had caused considerable friction with the surrounding towns.
In the period from 2003–2006, the Waterloo Foundation for the Arts had received $900,000 from the State of New Jersey for general expenses, along with more than $300,000 since 2000 to cover repairs. As the state showed increasing displeasure with the village's operation, the $250,000 the group had expected to receive, which would have been used towards the $2 million operating budget for the site, was cut from the 2007 state budget. Waterloo Village was shut down in December 2006, except for the privately-owned Waterloo United Methodist Church, which has a small but dedicated congregation and continues to operate as it has for over 150 years while the fate of the village itself is uncertain. Since 2006, the Village has been open intermittently. For example, in late September, 2008, the concert stage was temporarily opened for the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival
Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival
The biennial Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Festival is the largest poetry event in North America.-Background:The four-day celebrations of poetry have been called “poetry heaven” by the 1995–1997 US Poet Laureate Robert Hass, “a new Woodstock” by the Christian Science Monitor, and “Wordstock” by The...
.
2011 Season
Through a concession agreement with the NJDEP Division of Parks and Forestry, group tours and programs are available at Waterloo Village, Allamuchy Mountain State Park, by reservation with Winakung at Waterloo Inc.Movie set
Much of the principal photography for writer/director Michael Pleckaitis' silent filmSilent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
Silent was done in November and December 2006 at various locations in the village.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Sussex County, New Jersey
- List of museums in New Jersey