Historical Sites in Shamong Recognized by the Township and Pinelands Commission

Excerpted from the Master Plan for Shamong, NJ.

The Pinelands Commission or Shamong Township may designate a historic district, archaeological or cultural resources in furtherance of public purposes as included within the Pinelands CMP. In Shamong Township, the Joint Land Use Board also serves as the Township’s Historic Preservation Board. In this capacity, the Board is responsible for evaluating the potential impact of development on historic, archaeological and cultural resources.

The Pinelands Model Historical Presevation Ordinance can be read here.

Standards used to assess the value of historic sites are:

1. Sites associated with significant events in local, state, or national history
2. Sites associated with significant persons in local, state, or national history
3. Sites associated with significant architectural merit
4. Sites associated with important historical information

The following Historic Sites have been officially identified in Shamong Township ( Please help fill in the information for #2, #10, #22, #25-#29, #31 and #32):

1. Flyatt Tavern – Site of Half Moon & Seven Stars Tavern erected circa 1600 by John King, later called Filaturn Hotel and operated by M. Peck. Burned in late 1660’s

2. Charter School

3. Smalls Hotel Tavern -Erected by Israel Small as a Tavern & Hotel in 1830. Town meetings and elections held here for many years. Later known as Baker’s Hotel.

4. Still Burial Ground – Located off of Stokes Road near Rutland Court

5. Still Homestead – Pioneer log homestead of Levin & Charity Still stood here. Parents of learned Black Doctor of the Pines, James Still.

6. Wilkins Red Brick House – Erected by Clayton Wilkins in 1809 on land left to him by his father, Amos Wilkins. John Sorden purchased the homestead in 1841 and lived here for many years.

7. William R. Braddock & Sons Cranberry Farm (Braddocks Folly) – Site of the first successful attempt to raise cultivated cranberries in 1850 by William R. Braddock in Sorden’s meadow.

8. Pipers Tavern (Sign of the Buck) – Site of tavern operated by John Piper in 1793. The Indian Reservation lands were sold at public sale in 1802. Josiah Smith ran the tavern until 1853.

9. Dellett Hotel – Site of hotel erected by Manassas Dellett in 1800. Town meetings and social affairs were held here. Later known as Patterson’s Hotel. Demolished in 1975.

10. Willow Grove Farm –

11. Hagerthey General Store – George W. Hagerthey operated a General Store at the intersection of Indian Mills and Old School House Roads for over 25 years during the late nineteenth century.

12. Free Soil School House – Site of Free Soil School erected in mid-1800’s and used until 1922. It was then converted to a private dwelling. Torn down in 1972. Also known as Baker School.

13. Old Indian Mills School – (Hartford School) One-room frame schoolhouse erected by Upper Evesham Preparative Meetings in 1805. Demolished in 1906. Old Indian Mills School erected near the same site and later burned in 1923.

14. Centennial Baptist Church/Red Man’s Hall – This structure was originally a Baptist church in the last quarter of the 19th century from 1876 to 1881, before other uses were found for the structure.

15. Brotherton – (Indian Reservation) – Founded in 1758 by the New Jersey Provincial Legislation on The Edgepillock or Brotherton Tract, now Indian Mills. Under the Guidance of the Reverend John Brainerd, a self-supporting community was established here. In 1801, the Indians accepted the invitation of the Oneidas in New York to “Come and Eat Out of Our Dish.”

16. Bedford Mills -Site of grist and sawmill complex erected by Thomas Bedford in 1807. Once was the site of the original gristmill which burned in 1762.

17. Edward Thompson Home – Edward T. Thompson, former State Assemblyman (1871-73) and Township Official, resided here. The home was built in 1807 by Thomas Bedford. Also a store and Post Office.

18. Methodist Church – The Indian Mills United Methodist Church was built in 1879.

19. General Store – (Country Store) A general store was maintained continuously at this location since Civil War Days. A Post Office was also located here in the late 1800’s.

20. Sawmill – Site of sawmill in operation for more than two centuries. Has been site of original Indian sawmill. Operation ceased in early 1900’s.

21. John Branerd Home – Dwelling Place of Reverend John Brainerd, who was missionary to the Reservation Indians from 1759-1777 located near this spot.

22. Indian Burial Ground Meeting House –

23. Congressman Gardner Home – John J. Gardner, former U.S. Congressman (1893- 1913) made his home here. He was also a former Mayor of Atlantic City, a State Senator, and a Civil War Veteran.

24. Indian Ann Homestead – Celebrated Ann Roberts, last of the Delawares in this State, resided here until her death in 1894. She has become a legend in the Pines.

25. Little Mill Saw Mill

26. Cline’s Tavern

27. William

28. Gate Tavern

29. Hampton (Forge) Furnace

30. Atsion Church & Cemetery – Deeded by Samuel Richards to Church Trustees: Jesse Richards, Thomas S. Richards, John Richards, Samuel B. Finch, Thomas Sordan, Samuel Bareford and Henry Brown on June 13, 1826.

31. Catholic Burial Ground & Ice House

32. Nailors Corner (Oriental)

33. Pic-a-lilli Inn – On land originally owner by Osie Gaskill, Thomas A. Snider purchased the property. Snider was Justice of the Peace, and held court upstairs. The Pic-a-lilli Inn, as we know it today, has been owned and operated by four (4) generations of the Pickett Russell family.

34. Indian Mills Elementary School – Erected in 1921 to provide a central location for all Shamong Township students.

35. Indian Mills Volunteer Fire Station – Erected in 1942, this was the Township’s first fire station.