Department of Environmental Protection

New Jersey State Park Service

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Batsto Village Historic Site Overview

The bustling industrial and agricultural complex that this site once was can still be imagined in this well-preserved 19th-century company town situated amidst the Jersey Pines.

Batsto was founded in 1766, by Charles Read who built an ironworks at the mouth of the Batsto River. During the American Revolution, the ironworks became an important supplier to the Continental Army manufacturing such wartime products as munitions, camp kettles, iron fastenings and fittings for artillery caissons. In 1784, William Richards purchased the property. He and his descendants owned and operated Batsto for the next 92 years. The family constructed most of the current buildings, continued the ironworks until 1855 and established a glassmaking center.

In 1876, Joseph Wharton, a Philadelphia industrialist, acquired Batsto as a third home and investment property. He made considerable changes to the property including the building of the sawmill and underground silo. He also enlarged the mansion and cleared vast areas of land to cultivate cranberries and other crops. By the end of the 19th century, Batsto had become Wharton's "gentleman's farm".

Batsto today consists of over 30 buildings including a gristmill, the mansion house, a general store, blacksmith shop, barn complex, sawmill and worker's houses. The site also has a historic post office where mail is still hand-cancelled and processed without a zip code. A visitor center features an exhibit gallery, a video on the history of Batsto and a museum store.

For more details and program information, visit the Official Friend’s Group website Batsto Village.

State Forest website Wharton State Forest

Facilities for People with Disabilities
We encourage people with disabilities who require special considerations to contact the historic site / park at the phone number listed in the general information on the home page of the historic site / park. The staff will assist with arrangements. Text telephone (TT) users, please call the NJ Relay Services at (800) 852-7899.

For the Comfort and Enjoyment of All
This historic site / park is part of the NJ State Park system and your cooperation with the following will help ensure the survival of the museum collections, historic structures & features and surrounding property for the enjoyment and education of future generations!

  • Keep your historic site / park and surrounding property clean and green! Protect this site by taking your trash with you. Whatever you carry into the site, plan on carrying it out too. Bring a bag or two for trash, recycling and cleaning up after your pet. There are no trash receptacles at this site. Thank you!
  • No Smoking on NJ State Park Service Property. Pursuant to N.J.P.L.2005, c.383 (C.26:3D-56)
  • Alcoholic beverages are not permitted at state historic sites [ N.J.A.C. 7:2-2.6]
  • The collection or removal of any object from State Park property is prohibited without written permission from the Superintendent.
  • Use of metal detecting devices on or unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) on or over the property is not permitted without a special use permit (SUP) from the State historic site / park.
  • Commercial photography is not permitted on the property without a special use permit (SUP) from the historic site / park.
  • Interior photography, videotaping or audio taping are not permitted in the historic structure / visitor center / museum, except by prior written permission and for educational purposes only.
  • Non-commercial photography is permitted on the property (outside), but please help preserve the historic site / park and any surrounding property by not attaching anything to, climbing or sitting on historic structures and features or disturbing any plants, wild or cultivated. Photography may not interfere with other visitors to the historic site / park or impede site operations.
  • Food and beverages; pets/animals, except for service animals, are not permitted in the historic structure / visitor center / museum.
  • Please refrain from touching objects/furnishings in and building components of historic structures and museums, except where invited to do so by staff.

Please contact this historic site / park with specific inquiries about any of these restrictions, as there may be some variations at this specific historic site / park.

Related Links

Wharton State Forest
Batsto Village Friend's Group

General

Phone Number
609-561-0024

Address
31 Batsto Road Hammonton, NJ 08037

Historic Site Hours

Grounds Hours open dawn to dusk
Tour Hours Please call site for hours of operation.

Historic Site Fees
Batso Village Entrance Fees

N/A

N/A

weekdays

New Jersey Resident $5.00

Non-Resident $7.00

weekends

N/A

N/A

walk-in/bicycle

Batsto Village: Entrance fees are charged per vehicle from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day.

Mansion Tours Fees
$3 for adults
$1 Children (6-12)
Children 5 and under free.
Additional programming & event fees may apply.

Map / Directions

GPS Coordinates
39.643357, -74.647962