“explore the varied history”
About 1736, Peter Willcocks built a sawmill along the Blue Brook to produce lumber, which would be needed by farmers as they settled this frontier area. The sawmill operation cleared hundreds of acres of forest. In 1845, David Felt bought 760 acres of land and built a printing factory along the brook. He built an entire town on the bluff above the brook to support the mill operation, and by 1850, 175 people were living in Feltville. After Felt retired in 1860, other business ventures were tried but failed, and the town became deserted for a short time. But in 1882, Warren Ackerman bought the property and converted the former mill town into a summer resort, called Glenside Park. When the popularity of mountain resorts was displaced by the advent of the Jersey Shore, Glenside Park closed in 1916. Soon after the Union County Park System was formed in 1921, this area was incorporated into the Watchung Reservation, one of America’s first county parks. The grounds of the Deserted Village are open every day, dawn to dusk. A Visitor Center in the restored Church/Store Building, which explains the history of the site through artifacts, photographs, maps and paintings, is open.
Great place to take a small hike
Be the first to add a review to the The Deserted Village of Feltville/Glenside Park.
The Deserted Village of Feltville/Glenside Park
Hours
Problem with this listing? Let us know.
Has RV parking changed? Let us know.
-
Parking
-
Pets Allowed
-
Restrooms
-
Wifi
-
Wheelchair Accessible
-
Credit Cards Accepted
Parking
Nearby Hotels
Related Trip Guides
The top things to do on an I-95 road trip
- 50 Places
- 41:46
- 1,983 mi
The top things to do on an East Coast road trip
- 32 Places
- 48:54
- 2,584 mi
The top things to do on an I-80 road trip
- 35 Places
- 53:41
- 3,194 mi