Yes, we’re dorks. While driving back from our latest Sandy Hook trip, Annie yelled, “Quick Stop! Quick Stop!” If you have no idea what the big deal is, this is the convenience store where the movie Clerks was filmed. The video store, where Randall worked in the movie, is right next door. We heard some kids in front of the store talking about how the video store has been closed for 3 months because it was robbed. There were still tapes just lying on the ground inside the store.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Tags: Ghost Town, Historical, Ocean County, Pine Barrens, Restored Historical Town

Not much to say about this one. I came here originally to get some better pics of the Crabbe Cemetery, but I figured since Allaire, Batsto, and Whitesbog are on the site, I might as well include another restored ghost town.

Not much to say about this one; Double Trouble was a company town in the late 1800’s that farmed & packed cranberries. Of all the restored ghost towns I’ve been to so far, this one has the fewest buildings. It makes up for this by having many scenic trails though. This one’s more for hiking and nature watching.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Tags: Ghost Town, Historical, Monmouth County, Restored Historical Town, Ruins

Allaire was the home of Howell Ironworks from the early to mid 1800’s. Once it was realized coal from Pennsylvania was more practical than bog iron, Allaire, along with other bog iron towns in central & southern NJ, eventually became a ghost town.

Most of the buildings still stand, and some are used for reenacting the townlife as it was in the 1800’s. There’s a blacksmith shop and a general store, among other things.

Rowhouses of the former workers are now a visitor’s center.

The bit of wall behind the sign is all that’s left of the former charcoal depot. Some of the structures have signs by them that showed how they looked back in the 1800’s.

Remains of the slaughterhouse

The blacksmith shop

The blast furnace, from the charcoal depot and up front

The church. This one’s unusual because the belltower is in the back instead of the front. The front of the building couldn’t support the weight.

I never noticed Allaire has a train station. We walked around there a bit and saw they had many defunct trains & parts scattered about. Some looked like they were being fixed up.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Tags: Burlington County, Ghost Town, Historical, Pine Barrens, Restored Historical Town, Ruins

Whitesbog was founded around 1870 and produced a blueberries & cranberries well into the 20th century. The town is surprisingly well-preserved. The general store even has an old soda machine in front of it.
We did manage to find some remains of a building in the woods. And for whatever reason, there was also some kind of hut or shelter by itself on the edge of the town.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Tags: Burlington County, Ghost Town, Historical, Pine Barrens, Restored Historical Town

In Wharton State Forest is another restored town, Batsto. Batsto was a bog iron & glassmaking town from the 1760’s to the 1860’s. There are 33 buildings total, many of which you’re allowed to enter.

And yes, parts of that craptacular movie The Thirteenth Child were filmed here.

Down the road a bit from the town is the church & cemetery. Nothing spectacular, but there were a few stones that stood out.

I liked this one because it just said “Our Mother”…..had no name on it.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Tags: Cumberland County, Historical, Ruins

For those of you who don’t already know what the Palace Depression is, Roadside America has some nice writeups.

I heard about the reconstruction of the Palace a few years ago. I was a bit disappointed to see not much has been done yet. Looks like they just started.

A few of the piles of rubble around the site of the Palace.

The gatehouse is the only part of the original Palace that’s left. Inside was a notebook with newspaper and magazine clippings of the Palace and Mr. Daynor.

Popularity: 3% [?]