Ghost Towns: And Other Quirky Places in the New Jersey Pine Barrens

by Barbara Solem-Stull

The Pine Barrens of New Jersey contain more ghost towns, some say, than the entire American west. In Ghost Towns and Other Quirky Places in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, author Barbara Solem-Stull tells the story of the towns that rose up around the iron furnaces, glass factories, paper mills, cranberry farms, and brick making establishments of the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.

A popular Pinelands speaker and tour guide, Solem-Stull has written much more than an armchair guide to the area's ghost towns: Loaded with easy-to-use maps and over 100 photographs and illustrations, the book provides driving directions and self-guided walking tours of many of the Pine Barrens most intriguing historic sites and ruins. This unique field guide is an essential resource for anyone interested in the history of Pinelands' ghost towns and in exploring these long-ago communities firsthand.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

350 pages, Paperback

First published September 15, 2005

Reviews

[Mark NP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Id like to say I’ve been an honorary Piney for a number of years now based on the time I spend driving through, exploring, camping and canoeing in the New Jersey Pine Barrens, but the truth is if I can call myself one at all it’s because I happened to marry a woman from Forked River.

This book is a thorough and well researched field guide and history about the lost industrial villages that dot the Pine Barrens, the vast sandy forests that constitute the closest thing to wilderness you can find in New Jersey.

I love the rhythm of the book. Solem-Stull first gives directions and an overview of what you should expect to see when you travel to one of the ghost towns she describes, plus the historical significance of the site. The hand drawn maps are particularly useful diagrams for orienting—I was able to imagine places I’d never actually been based on a landmark in the map I was familiar with.

The book as a travel guide alone would be excellent, but the author then dives into her research to give each village “a deeper look.” Here she shines, telling the ancient stories of the industrial pasts of so many towns that they start to blend together in the readers’ minds: bog iron blast furnaces, glass factories, stage line taverns, saw mills, cranberries and more seem to appear in every chapter. The differences between the sites are the former owners and their family genealogies, whose stories Solem-Stull takes the time and care to make personal and meaningful.

On merit of the research and writing alone, this book deserves 5 stars. Alas, a rating is a shared construct between the author and the reader, and I happen to find genealogy and lineages of ghosts from the past to be less interesting than other readers may appreciate. However, I will keep this book in my car for the times I find myself in the Pine Barrens looking for a nearby adventure. I’m sure it will come in handy.

[Zinny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m glad this book exists to document significant historical sites in the Pinelands. I learned more about where my family resides (Shamong), got some good exploration tips, and also learned about some great spots that I may not have known about otherwise so I loved that! However, the historical facts got dull as it went over who married who, how much money a tract of land cost, and the same industries were talked about over and over as each town generally dabbled in iron and paper. It’s worth a read if you want to know more about the Pinelands, are curious to explore new places in the region, or are looking for a historical resource for your own research. It’s well-researched and has done great archival photos throughout.

This book is difficult to procure but locals can try reaching out to the Pinelands Store, Pinelands Preservation Alliance, or the General stores at the parks in the Pinelands (Whitesbog, Atsion, Batsto). I got a digital copy from Amazon for Kindle.

[Pat McMullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-researched history of abandoned sites in the Pine Barrens. If you have any interest in this topic, you'll enjoy this book. Most of the stories are the same; a company is formed, it prospers, then declines, closes, burns down, and is sold to the state. But I suppose this is more a criticism of the history of the industry of the region rather than the book. There is also a really interesting portion about piracy during the American Revolution. 4.5 stars.

[Janet Steffen · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for off the beaten path stories and facts about the NJ Pine Lands , this is the book for you. Filled with maps and pictures to help you in your exploration.