The Deserted Village of Feltville, New Jersey

With some itineraries including the exploration of Ghost Towns in Pennsylvania and Nevada, I am starting a new Urban Exploration category with this first post about an abandoned village in New Jersey: Feltville. The remains of the this village established in 1845 lies within the Watchung Reservation in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, barely an hour outside Brooklyn. At its hey day, the village had 175 inhabitants. But with the retiring of the village’s namesake, David Felt; subsequent failed business ventures; and with more interest in shoreline destinations, the village was deserted by 1916.

Though the decaying structures are lovely, the constant flow of park goers remind you that this is more a tourist attraction than anything else. Some restorations have improved the historic barn, an event space for weddings and conferences, but the wooden homes, built from the lumber cleared when Peter Willcocks established a sawmill in 1736–prior to Felt’s purchase of the land in 1845, were wonderful to capture. Please see them below. With clear warnings on trespassing posted on each structure, they are very much graffiti-free, aged by the elements.

Close encounter with a vulture.

My camera is trespassing

John was the son of Peter Willcocks. There is a small family plot within the grounds.

The area had a few other attractions I”ll be sharing in a bit, making for a rich day of hiking, exploring, and picnicking.