An Abandoned Canal Town Brought Back To Life

You can almost hear the ghosts of the inhabitants while walking through Waterloo Village

Homes like this one - built of stone to last the centuries - can be found throughout Waterloo Village in northwest New Jersey. Dating back to the 1700s, the village was built along a canal and is now operated and maintained by the New Jersey Parks and Forestry Department.

The canal is picturesque of course. But it was also functional as narrow canal boats were used to bring goods along it to the early settlers.

Homes like these in the village make me conclude that it was a lucrative business operation.

While most of the buildings are no longer functional, this one is. The Waterloo United Methodist Church and the surrounding village are popular wedding venues.

The old village store looks quaint and inviting. But sadly, the interior has not been restored. A peek through the window shows it’s only being used for storage. I’d like it and the other buildings to look like they did when they were actually in use. See the small sign on the door’s window? It says photographing the interior is prohibited!

This is what’s left of the lift over which the narrow canal boats were carried to get past the waterfalls on the Morris Canal.

This is the Rutan Cabin, built in 1825 and was part of a farm site adjacent to the village.

If you're going.

All photos copyright Gary Baumgarten

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Bonus hints:

The site is open from dawn to dusk. I arrived shortly after 6 am so I had the entire village to myself throughout my hour-and-a-half stay.

Also, don’t miss the adjacent Winakung Forest, a native Lenape woodland. The Lenape or Delaware Indians were the original occupants of Leniapeholding. Now referred to as New Jersey, southeastern New York state, Staten Island, eastern Pennsylvania and parts of the state of Delaware.