Author Archives: Wes Hughes

Here are confirmed dates that South Jersey Carriage Company will be providing carriage rides at Batsto:

November 21st

December 5th   - Winter at Batsto event 

December 19th

With two carriages on site,rides will start from the Horse Barn near the Blacksmiths Shop,travel around the Mansion,proceed down the road and over the bridge through the lower village and back to the Horse Barn.

There is a charge of $10.00/ person.

There are no advance ticket sales.

Rides are from 11AM - 3PM.

Rides are purchased the day of the rides at the Horse Barn.

These are fun rides reminiscent of days gone by at Batsto Village!

Come and enjoy!

The Batsto Citizens Committee, Inc. once again is pleased to present its annual fall Antique, Glass, and Bottle Show

This year’s annual event will be held on Sunday, September 19th at historic Batsto Village.

The popular Antique, Glass, and Bottle Show; held both in the spring and fall, will welcome shoppers
beginning at 9AM and continue on until 3 PM. Bottles, glass items, antiques and collectibles will be
available from a variety of vendors. Food and beverages will be available throughout day. Parking close
to vendor displays will be plentiful.

There is no admission charge to enter the park for the day’s event brought to you by the Batsto Citizens
Committee, Inc.; the officially recognized friends organization of Batsto Village.

“We are happy to be to bring this show back for 2021. It is always a popular event. I imagine this year people may be even more eager to get out and enjoy some time at Batsto and we can’t wait to see everyone,” said event Chairperson Jim Hammell.

The historic Batsto mansion; home to the Richards family for nearly 100 years and later owned by
Philadelphia Industrialist Joseph Wharton will be open from 11AM until 3PM for guided tours. There is a
$3.00 / person charge to tour the mansion.

The famous Batsto Post Office (one of only four in entire United States authorized to cancel mail without
a zip code) will also be open to visitors.

South Jersey Carriage Company will be at Batsto this Sunday, September 12th from 11AM until 3PM.

With two carriages on site,rides will start from the Horse Barn near the Blacksmiths Shop,travel around the Mansion,proceed down the road and over the bridge through the lower village and back to the Horse Barn.

There is a charge of $10.00/ person. Children six and under ride for no charge.

There are no advance ticket sales. Rides are purchased the day of the rides at the Horse Barn.

The weather is predicted to be nice,the horses,carriages and drivers are the best…and the scenery is pure Batsto.

Come and enjoy.

For your listening pleasure, singer,songwriter and multi-instrumentalist

Gabe Coia will be on the porch of the Batsto General Store on Sunday August 15th

from 11AM - 2PM.

With deep roots in Southern New Jersey, Gabe's songs about the Pines are informed not only by his study of local history and folklore, but also by his passion for exploring the region he writes about.

Gabe's 2016 album, " The Pines of my Past" is both a tribute to the New Jersey Pine Barrens and a sentimental reflection on what the area means to him.

Come listen for awhile!

The Atsion Mansion is open for tours every Saturday at 1 & 2 PM.

The home of iron master Samuel Richards, the building has never been plumbed or electrified.

It looks as it did when constructed in 1826!

The house if full of interesting stories...some even a little "quirky"...told by volunteers eager to share them with you.

Across from the Atsion Lake on Route 206, it is easily accessible and has plenty of free parking.

You won't be disappointed!

Call the park office at (609) 268-0444 for additional information.

Tours of the Batsto Mansion will resume on Sunday June 6th, 2021

•       Tours are conducted Wednesday through Sunday 
  
•       Tours are dependent upon availability of docents
•       Tours begin at 11AM, 1PM, 2PM & 3PM
•       Masks / face coverings are required during the tour for all persons
•       Tours are limited to 10 ( ten ) persons / tour
•       Tickets must be purchased at the Batsto Visitor Center the day of the tour
•       Ticket cost is $3.00 / $1.00 children 6-11/ 5 & under free
•       Tours fill very quickly

      It is recommended to call the Visitor Center at ( 609 ) 561-0024

before coming to the site to ensure tours are being conducted and are not sold out

Welcome back!

Hope to see you on the porch!

Good news!

The Atsion Mansion on Route 206; part of Wharton State Forest, will be open for tours on Saturday beginning June 5th.

Call the Atsion Rangers office at 609-268-0444 for information about tour times and how to book.

Tours of the Batsto Mansion are coming very soon also....stay tuned for more info!

Intro

Budd I

Budd 2

Salem County (New Jersey) College Glass Education Center and the Batsto Citizens Committee, Inc.

The manufacturing of glass is an important part of Batsto’s history.

When it was clear the production of Bog Iron would no longer be sustainable, the Richards family turned to glass as a way to keep their family business alive.

The blowing of glass, using the cylinder method to produce window glass and “ Batsto Lights” (small panes used in the construction of gas street lights used in several large east coast cities) began in the late 1840’s.  It did keep Batsto going for several years but ultimately could not save the Richards family empire from falling into receivership.

An interesting piece of history related to the Glass Works at Batsto involves Joseph Fralinger.  Amongst Fralinger’s accomplishments later in life was the creation of Fralingers Salt Water Taffy. The gooey, sweet treat enjoyed by visitors to the south Jersey shore…even to this day.

Joseph Fralinger was born at Batsto and as a young boy was employed as a laborer at the Glass Works.

Many years later, descendants of Joseph donated funds to the Batsto Citizens Committee in his honor as a way of recognizing his time at Batsto and the importance of glass at the site.

In 2007, the Committee endowed an annual scholarship to a student at the Salem County (New Jersey) College Samuel & Jean Jones Glass Education Center as a way to honor Fralinger’s time at Batsto.

Tucked away in the lower South East corner of the state, the Salem County College Glass Education program is world renowned for the work it does educating students in the art and science of producing glass products.

An award ceremony is held annually to recognize the recipient of this award; the Stella Grote Scholarship award, along with students involved in other programs at the college.

There was no ceremony in 2020 due to the pandemic.

In lieu of the ceremony, the Batsto Citizens Committee arranged to meet ..via Zoom… the 2020 recipient Robin DeGroof of Arizona.  We wanted an opportunity to congratulate Robin and learn a little about him.

At the end of February 2021, two members the Batsto Citizen Committee met with Robin and Kristin Deady; the glass program administrator at the college.

We have included a link to this interview along with links to the Colleges Glass program website and a virtual tour of the glass program facility.

The Batsto Citizens Committee couldn’t be prouder to partner with Salem County College in this important work.

Enjoy!

Ps…as technology goes, there are some times glitches. The video interview with Robin does some strange things near the beginning, but corrects itself after a short period. This is raw / unedited video and you see it as it was recorded. Robin is in the lower right box on the screen and Kristen appears in the upper right box.

Link to the Salem County College Glass Center Website

Virtual tour of the Salem County College Glass Center

Get through a rainy day thinking about the fun you will

have at Batsto Village on a

beautiful spring day just like this one!

Thank you Craig Castelein for sharing.