Waterloo Village, New Jersey facts for kids
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Waterloo Village
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Canal Museum, Canal Society of New Jersey, 2018
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 Waterloo Village
Location in Sussex County, New Jersey
Waterloo Village
Location in New Jersey
Waterloo Village
Location in the United States
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| Location | Byram Township, New Jersey |
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| Area | 70 acres (28 ha) |
| Built | 1820 |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000909 (original) 15000176 (increase) |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 13, 1977 |
| Boundary increase | April 28, 2015 |
Waterloo Village is a special place in Byram Township, Sussex County, New Jersey. It's a town from the 1800s that has been brought back to life. This village was about halfway along the Morris Canal, a long waterway that stretched for about 102 miles. The canal connected Jersey City (near New York City) to Phillipsburg, New Jersey.
Waterloo Village had everything a canal town needed. There was an inn, a general store, a church, and a blacksmith shop. Canal workers and their mules could stop here overnight. Today, Waterloo Village is an open-air museum. It's part of Allamuchy Mountain State Park and is open to everyone. The village was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 13, 1977.
Contents
History of Waterloo: Canal and Railroad Eras
The Morris Canal opened in 1831. It was mainly used to transport anthracite coal from Pennsylvania. The canal was busiest in the late 1860s, right after the American Civil War. Local railroads, like the Lackawanna Railroad, helped the canal at first.
However, after the war, people started using railroads more. Trains were much faster and could run all year. The canal often froze in winter, making it hard to move goods when they were needed most. Because of this, the canal slowly lost its importance. Waterloo Village also became less active. Even though the canal officially closed in 1924, it was rarely used after 1900. By the time of the Great Depression, Waterloo Village was empty.
Unexpected Help: How Hobos Saved the Village
Waterloo Village was close to the Lackawanna Railroad tracks. Freight trains often slowed down near Waterloo because of a steep hill. This made it easy for hobos to hop on and off the train cars.
These hobos discovered Waterloo Village. They started using it as a stopping point on their journeys across the country to New York. This new use was actually similar to the village's original purpose: a place for travelers to rest. The hobos stayed in Waterloo Village throughout the 1930s and 1940s. By living there, they helped protect the old buildings from falling apart.
Waterloo's Rebirth: A New Beginning
In 1967, a man named Percival 'Percy' Leach started a group called the Waterloo Foundation for the Arts. This group helped pay for the village to be fixed up. Percy Leach and his partner, Lou Gualandi, turned Waterloo into a living history attraction. Here, visitors could see people dressed in old clothes showing how things were made. There were working blacksmiths, potters, and weavers.
Eventually, Waterloo Village became part of New Jersey's Allamuchy Mountain State Park. To help pay for the village's upkeep, the partners opened an outdoor concert area in 1977.
Many famous musicians have performed at Waterloo. These include Johnny Cash, the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, and Ray Charles. Waterloo has also hosted craft shows, festivals, and poetry events.
Waterloo Today: Reopening and New Activities
After a period of closure, different groups worked to restore parts of the village. The Friends of Waterloo and the Canal Society focused on the "Canal Town" area. Another group, Winakung at Waterloo Inc., worked on the Lenape Indian Village.
Since 2014, you can book group tours and programs at the village. Winakung at Waterloo Inc. offers educational programs for schools, scout groups, and summer camps. They also visit schools and libraries to teach about the village.
In 2014, a company called Jeffrey Miller Catering (JAM Catering) became the main caterer for Waterloo Village. They have fixed up the Meeting House and Pavilion. Also, the SMS Italian Festival, a yearly event that helps St. Michael School, started being held at the village in May 2014. In 2017, the old concert stage was taken down to make room for new festivals and a new stage.
United Methodist Church
The cornerstone for the Waterloo Village United Methodist Church was placed on August 9, 1859. The church was officially opened on February 9, 1860. General John Smith was the first person buried in the churchyard cemetery.
Gallery
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Peter D. Smith House
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Smith Homestead House
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Smith's General Store, by the Morris Canal
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A small aqueduct crosses the old canal lock
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Blacksmith Shop
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Ruins of the towpath bridge from the Morris Canal, Inclined Plane 4 West
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Historic view of the inclined plane
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United Methodist Church
See also
