Things to do / Travel Guide
Visitors to the Jersey Shore will find plenty of attractions that facilitate a foray into the past. Historic villages along the coast offer quaint and interactive learning experiences while the Jersey Shore's military historic sites are guaranteed to get you fired up!
Historic Villages in the Jersey Shore
- Whether you are a city slicker or a small-towner, you will feel at home at Holmdel Park's Longstreet Farm near exit 114 of the Garden State Parkway.
Billed as a three-century-old “living-history” farm, costumed interpreters give an introduction to farm life during the late-1800s as they perform typical farm duties, take care of the animals, and give guided tours of a restored Victorian farmhouse.
For a place with an authentic air of what once was, try Allaire Village in Allaire State Park. Allaire Village, an iron-ore-working community that was extremely profitable during the 1800s, has been restored. Today visitors can see a carpenter's shop, bakery, general store, foreman's cottage, chapel, and blacksmith's shop, all of which date back to the 1820s and 1830s. During the summer, costumed interpreters liven up these buildings by engaging in a flurry of 19th-century-era activities, from weaving and quilting to wood working and baking.
Tuckerton Seaport, in Tuckerton, is a 40-acre authentic seaport village with more than 16 different historic locations, such as Tucker's Lighthouse, Parson's Clam House, and Joe Dayton's Sawmill, that represent and demonstrate the trades and crafts that once characterized the Barnegat Bay region.
Designed to recreate a 1700s-era crossroads town, Towne of Historic Smithville in Smithville encompasses 32 restored and reconstructed buildings as well as stores selling colonial handicrafts along quaint pebble stone walkways and cobblestone paths.
Cold Spring Village in Cold Spring is a 22-acre reconstructed small farm village in southern New Jersey including a bakery, shops, and restaurants from the 19th-century. With the help of interpretive programs, performances, and displays, visitors to Cold Spring Village become immersed in the sights, sounds, and tastes of time immemorial.
For a rare experience in an intact, 19th-century rural industrial settlement, be sure to stop by Batsto Village, adjacent to Wharton State Forest, in Hammonton. Batsto Village displays provide an introduction to the history of glass and iron industries in the region. You'll see a large sawmill, a small (still functioning) post office, a reproduction kiln, and clapboard workers' houses, among countless other artifacts, exhibits, and displays.
Historic Homes and Buildings in Jersey Shore
- Here's a little-known secret: The author of famous novel The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane, was raised in Asbury Park. His childhood home, on Fourth Avenue is the author's only former residence still in existence. Stephen Crane House was saved from the wrecking ball in 1995 and is undergoing a long, arduous process of restoration slated to take many years. Nonetheless, the home is occasionally open to the public.
- A fascinating relic of 18th-century history, Covenhoven House in Freehold is interesting for its dual history. The magnificent mansion once belonged to a wealthy Dutch farmer, William Covenhoven, and was a prime example of the opulence of the time. In addition, British general Henry Clinton and his troops occupied the house just before the Battle of Monmouth. Many consider Covenhoven House to have been Clinton's Headquarters. Covenhoven has been beautifully restored with period furnishings, and a guide will take you through.
- Stop off at St. James Episcopal Church on Ocean Avenue in Long Branch, the site where seven former U.S. presidents prayed. Built in 1879, this symbol of Long Branch's elegant past has been renamed Church of the Presidents, to honor Presidents Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Harrison, McKinley, and Wilson.
- What do Stephen Crane, Richard Nixon, Will Rogers, W.E.B. DuBois, Billy Graham, and William Jennings Bryan have in common? They have all lectured, sung, preached, or sat in the audience of Ocean Grove's Great Auditorium. Ocean Grove was founded in 1870, when Methodists gathered there for the first Methodist Camp Meeting. Believers stayed outdoors and in tents until the huge, 7,000-seat Victorian building was finished. The building continues to host concerts, revival meetings, and other events.
- Cape May County Historical Society Museum (John Holmes House) is a late-18th-century home built by Irish farmer John Holmes. The building houses an assortment of historical artifacts including clothing, musical instruments, toys, and 18th-century furnishings.
- Beautifully restored with period furnishings, Emlen Physick Estate in Cape May is a splendid 1878 Victorian mansion. Impressive interiors include a square staircase and geometric mantelpiece. The estate is open to the public daily.
Military Historical Attractions in the Jersey Shore
On the cutting-edge of military advancements from 1895-1974, Fort Hancock and Sandy Hook Proving Ground Historic District near Sandy Hook was a critically strategic site for defense and navigation. One of the earliest life-saving stations was built at Fort Hancock, radar and advanced weaponry were developed and tested there, and today the district contains 110 significant historic buildings from the 19th and 20th centuries, several of which are preserved and open to the public. Once a month, in the spring, winter, and fall, the Gateway National Recreation Area Sandy Hook Unit offers a two-hour “Going Bunkers” narrated walk through the gun batteries and bunkers. It is best to call ahead to confirm times and reserve a spot on the tour.
The largest and last land artillery battle of the American Revolution was a dramatic showdown: the Continental Army, under the leadership of Generals George Washington and Charles Lee, defeated the British Army in a dramatic June 28, 1778 battle. The site and elaborate exhibits explaining the Battle of Monmouth are open to the public at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in Manalapan. Visitors can walk the trails that crisscross the battlefield and stop off at the 1751 Old Tennant Presbyterian Church that served as a hospital during the battle. British and American fallen soldiers are buried in the churchyard. Monmouth Battlefield State Park is open year-round, but if you visit the site in June you'll see a rip-roaring raucous recreation of the Battle of Monmouth complete with cannon-shooting and musket-firing costumed interpreters.
Uniforms, patches, scaled aircraft models, and authentic naval artifacts are on display at the Lakehurst Naval Engineering Station's information center, in Lakehurst. The grounds are also the site of the Historic Hangar Number One aircraft storage building, the tragic 1937 Hindenburg crash, as well as the first U.S. intercontinental airport. Because of strict security protocol and irregular hours, it is best to call the station in advance to verify schedules.
Lighthouses in the Jersey Shore
Shed light on the Jersey Shore's maritime history with a visit to one of the 11 Jersey Shore lighthouses open to the public. Several of these beautiful and well-maintained lighthouses worth a visit:
- Built in 1764, the Fort Hancock/Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the United States.
- The Twin Lights Lighthouse of Navesink, near Sandy Hook, was the first twin lighthouse ever built. The structure, built in 1828, used the first Fresnel lens in the U.S. and was the first seacoast light in the U.S. to use electricity.
- “Old Barney,” the Barnegat Light, welcomes seafarers into Barnegat Inlet. Civil War general George Meade designed the lighthouse in 1835, and it operated for nearly 80 years.
- Absecon Lighthouse, built in 1857 and located near Atlantic City's boardwalk, bears a striking resemblance to Barnegat Light, as George Meade was its designer as well. The tallest lighthouse in New Jersey, a climb up the 200+ steps of the 171-foot-high tower affords beautiful views of the Jersey Shore.
- Standing like a white beacon at the tip of the Cape May Peninsula, Cape May Lighthouse is a beautifully-restored 1859 structure and one of the oldest continually operating lighthouses in the U.S. General Meade designed this one, too.
Historical Sites in Atlantic City, Wildwood, Cape May, New Jersey Shore
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