Written by NJ Historian
Merely three miles from the stately Victorian homes
of Cape May is a historical village that transports visitors to an earlier
period, a period without gingerbread trim, turrets, and an abundance of leisure
time. Historic Cold Spring Village serves as a gateway to the past, where
modern-day visitors can be immersed in and appreciate the hard work involved in
many of the tasks and chores we take for granted today.
 |
| The Historic Cold Spring Village Welcome Center, originally constructed in 1894. |
 |
| The Dennisville Inn at its original location before being moved to Historic Cold Spring Village. |
In the mid-twentieth century, Cape May County was
suffering from new development, tear-downs, and neglect. With few remnants of early American life existing in southern New Jersey, something had to be done to preserve the remaining structures. Dr. Joseph Salvatore
and his wife Patricia Anne had always been interested in history. Inspired by
the work of Dr. Joseph Kler in central New Jersey, moving and preserving early
buildings related to that area’s history, Dr. Salvatore took it upon himself to
begin preserving the history of Cape May County. His first purchase was the
former Cold Spring Village Grange Hall in 1973. Between 1973 and 1981, he
assembled a collection of eighteenth and nineteenth century buildings from Cape
May and Cumberland Counties on a twenty-two acre property near the original
cold spring. Some buildings were lifted off their foundations and moved, while
some of the larger buildings were cut into pieces and then transported or fully
taken apart and reassembled on the site. At the time of acquisition, the
buildings were in various states of repair, use, and preservation. It was the
task of Dr. Salvatore and numerous volunteers during that time-frame to begin
restoration and preservation of these early American homes, shops, and public
buildings to tell the story of how early settlers in southern New Jersey
communities, including Cold Spring, may have lived and the duties they
performed in daily life. In May of 1981, Historic Cold Spring Village finally
opened to the public.
 |
| Moving the circa 1855 Tuckahoe Shop, now the bookbindery at Historic Cold Spring Village. |
The goal of the Village is to demonstrate early
crafts and artisans, farming, daily life, and the simple vernacular architecture
of southern New Jersey in the period after the American Revolution but before
the Civil War.
Today, the Village has grown to include twenty-six buildings,
which can be loosely grouped under five different categories: Civic, residential,
commercial, industrial, and agricultural.
The
Marshallville School – Civic
The small, one-room schoolhouse was built circa
1850 in Upper Township. Architecturally, its form resembles the Gothic Revival
style, which was popular between 1820 and 1860 in the United States. It is
fairly typical of one-room schoolhouses built across New Jersey, being rather
plain, having no major embellishments and a simple floor plan. The school did
not have a cupola or bell tower, which appeared on some schools during this
time period. The school served students from both Upper Township and Maurice
River Township in Cumberland County. Schoolhouses of this size normally taught
students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Any higher education was seldom
sought after or expected, as the students were needed to assist the family with
their farm or business. A single wood-burning stove would have provided the
necessary heat during the winter months. The building was acquired by Historic
Cold Spring Village in 1987.
Rev. David
Gandy House – Residential
The Reverend David Gandy House was built about
1830. The Reverend lived in this simple, one-room house with his wife Maria and
their six children, four of which lived to maturity. The first floor room would
have contained a cooking fireplace and functioned as a bedroom, kitchen, and
gathering room for the family. The second floor loft would have provided
sleeping quarters, accessible by a winder staircase. The Reverend was a
Methodist Episcopal preacher, but was also listed in census records as a
weaver, laborer, and farmer. The home is structurally intact with the exception
of its original fireplace and chimney. The Gandy House serves as an excellent
example of the simple, one-room homes that dotted Cape May County in the early
nineteenth century. The Gandy House was moved to Historic Cold Spring Village
in 1995.
Dennisville
Inn – Commercial
The Dennisville Inn, constructed in the Federal
style, was erected in 1836 for use as a tavern and inn. The inn was
strategically placed for travelers going between Philadelphia and Cape May. In
addition to being a place where weary travelers could rest and enjoy fare,
taverns were the focal point of the town, serving as a town meeting place, social
hall, and post office stop. The building was used as a tavern until 1870 when
its owner became a Baptist. After 1870 it was then for church gatherings and
meetings. A cage bar has been reconstructed to demonstrate what typical tavern
bars in dining rooms may have looked like. Accommodations were found on the
second floor and accessed by a door in the center hallway. A second door from
the exterior leads directly into the bar room. This is typical of New Jersey
taverns. The inn was acquired by Historic Cold Spring Village in 1975.
J. Finley
Blacksmith Shop - Industrial
A New Jersey town was not complete without at one,
if not a handful of blacksmith shops to serve its residents. The J. Finley
Blacksmith Shop was built circa 1886 and located in Middle Township. The
blacksmith shop is typical among blacksmith shops that once dotted the
landscape of New Jersey. It is one story in height, features double front doors,
and an open, unfinished interior. The large pieces of equipment, workbenches,
and forges were placed along the walls in order to leave the center open for
carriages, horses, and other projects in progress. Across the United States, blacksmiths produced
nails, strap hinges for doors, latches, window hardware, swinging cranes for
hearths, cooking grates, fire pokers, shovels, wall sconces, and coat hooks. As
mechanization and mass production reached New Jersey in the late nineteenth
century, the blacksmith and his role began to decline and by the 1930s, only a
handful of blacksmiths still operated. The shop was moved to Historic Cold
Spring Village in 1974.
The Lewis
Corson Gandy Barn - Agricultural
The Village has a number of farm outbuildings. The Lewis
Corson Gandy Barn is the largest and was constructed circa 1880. This
particular barn was pre-fabricated at a Camden lumber yard, then shipped as a
kit and erected for Captain Lewis Corson Gandy in Dennis Township. The interior
of the barn features space for a wagon or carriage and two farm animals. The
second story was used for storage. It was acquired by Historic Cold Spring
Village in 1994.
In addition to each building’s unique history and
architecture, Historic Cold Spring Village demonstrates the crafts and arts of
the early American period. Most of the buildings are interpreted with a craft
or trade. Examples include a print shop, spinning, dyeing, weaving, a tin shop,
blacksmith shop, bookbinding, pottery, basket making, woodworking, broom
making, and domestic arts. A few of the buildings operate as stores, such as
the country store which sells wares made by the on-site artisans, a bakery, restaurant,
and ice cream parlor. Historic Cold Spring Village brings to life the arts of a
time gone by, enticing visitors to become engaged, ask questions, and hear the
stories of what life may have been like for early settlers in rural Cape May
County.
A Cold Spring in a Saltwater Marsh Podcast (right click and choose "save target/link as" to save to your hard drive)
Additional photos of my trip to Historic Cold Spring Village on Pinterest
Audio
For More Information:
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for the comments!