Batsto Village Wharton State Forest

Did you know Batsto was founded in 1766, when an iron furnace was established at the mouth of the Batsto River? During the American Revolution, the ironworks became an important supplier to the Continental Army manufacturing wartime products such as munitions, camp kettles, iron fastenings and more. In 1784, William Richards purchased the property where he and his family owned and operated Batsto for the next 92 years. The family constructed most of the current buildings, continued the ironworks until 1855 and established a glassmaking center.

After the mansion and village were purchased by Joseph Wharton in 1876, Batsto became his family’s vacation home and personal farm. It was privately owned by the Whartons until 1954 when the land was sold to the State of New Jersey and was established in 1956 as Wharton State Forest!

Today Batsto Village consists of over 30 buildings including a gristmill, the mansion house, a general store & snack stand, blacksmith shop, barn complex, sawmill and worker’s houses. The site also has a historic post office where mail is still hand-cancelled and processed without a zip code. A visitor center features an exhibit gallery, a video on the history of Batsto and a museum store!

Come out and explore Batsto Village this Sunday, October 19 and experience over 100 vendors of all types at the 2025 Batsto Country Living Fair. Be sure to get there early!