Nestled in the midst of the Pine Barrens is Batsto Village, a historical treasure that preserves village life in the 18th century. The historic grist mills, workers cottages, general store, mansion, general store and other buildings – more than 30 -- depict life before computers and other 21st century luxuries and portray the roots of Pine Barrens culture.

The highlight of a trip to Batsto is a tour of the mansion ...and with 32 rooms, we do mean mansion. Only 14 of the rooms are open to the public but they are more than enough to convey the Village's long and complex history. 

Batsto was founded in 1766 and during the Revolution was an important industrial center whose economy was based on the bog iron used to make cooking utensils and munitions.  Things went along swimmingly and the village thrived with hundreds of people living and working in the community.  As Batsto became busier, it continued to grow. By the mid 19th century the village's focus changed from iron to glassmaking, but eventually the economy shattered.

Batsto survived, in part, because Philadelphia industrialist Joseph Wharton purchased in it 1876 as a gentleman's farm. He experimeted  with unusual crops for the region--beets and peanuts. He also had the idea of buying land in the Pine Barrens and piping water into the cities of Camden and Philadelphia where clean water was desperately needed.  However, the New Jersey legislature would not allow this.  

In his later years, Wharton became aware of the issue of forest conservation.  While much of the pinelands had been stripped for various industries, Wharton began to replant large areas of land.  When Wharton died in 1909, his lands comprised approximately 96,000 acres.  The estate remained intact and forms the core of Wharton State Forest, the largest single tract of land within the New Jersey State Park System.

When you visit, start out at the Visitors Center to get acclimated to the town's history. The grounds are sprawling and you can still see an old ore pile and iron furnaces.  Best of all, Batsto Lake is not only scenic, you can rent canoes at the Annie M. Carter Nature Center and paddle along on guided nature trips to learn about the flora and fauna of the Pine Barrens.