Feltville Historic District - Deserted Village

© 2023 Arlequin Photographie

By 1850, about 175 people lived in Feltville, often four families in each of the larger houses and two in each of the smaller. Also in that year, a nondenominational "Union Church" with a resident pastor was active. After fifteen years, "King David" Felt sold the property, and after several successor businesses failed, the place became known as "the deserted village". In 1882, it was bought by Warren Ackerman, who transformed it to a summer resort called Glenside Park. Interest soon dwindled as more people chose to summer on the shore of New Jersey instead. After the place was again deserted, the Union Country Park Commission bought it and included it in the Watchung Reservation, renting the houses to families. The houses were stabilized recently. In September 2011 Masker's Barn, the carriage house built by Warren Ackerman, was restored. The hall served as a cafeteria and lecture hall from 1966 to 1984.

Since many of the main structures are no longer standing, an ongoing preservation effort aims to show visitors how the inhabitants of Feltville-Glenside Park once lived. The main missing buildings are the mill, the Felt Mansion, the dormitories, and the school. The foundation of the mill is still visible next to Blue Brook, which runs farther downhill of the buildings that still stand.

Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feltville_Historic_District