Waterloo Village General Store

Waterloo Village General Store by Regina Geoghan. A scenic view of the back of Smith's General Store reflected in the Morris Canal at Historic... more

by Regina Geoghan

Title

Waterloo Village General Store

Artist

Regina Geoghan

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

Waterloo Village General Store by Regina Geoghan. A scenic view of the back of Smith's General Store reflected in the Morris Canal at Historic Waterloo Village in Sussex County N.J. with other village buildings in the background. Waterloo Village, part of the Allamuchy State Park, features more than 20 of the original buildings of the 19th century canal town. Just as the village has suffered through boom and bust cycles during its time as a functioning community, efforts in past years to restore the buildings and make the village a viable open-air museum and tourist attraction have also undergone times of great support and times of little support. Currently, work is underway once again to repair and bring back to good condition the buildings of the village, which include an inn, grist mill, general store, blacksmith shop, farms and other structures that were integral to the live of the village.
Waterloo Village reached its peak as a result of its accessibility for those traveling along the 102-mile journey of the Morris Canal. The canal connected Phillipsburg PA to Jersey City N.J and the N.Y. Harbor and was a major route to transport coal from PA to Jersey City. Traffic reached a peak in 1866, when the canal carried 889,220 tons of freight, equivalent to nearly 13,000 boat loads. The village was located at a half-way point along the two-day trip along the canal and canal workers would stop at the village to stay overnight or for other services that the shops and craftspeople of the town provided. After the end of the Civil War, when railroads began to expand, the canal was used less and less for transport and soon both the canal and the village went into decline. The canal was rarely used after 1900, causing the village operations to fail as well. By the time of the Great Depression, the village had become abandoned. Effects were begun to restore the buildings in the 1960s. Volunteers raised funds and worked to accomplish this enormous task. The Waterloo Foundation for the Arts was established to help raise funds and to expand the operation of the village. It became a popular venue for performing artists, antique shows and other events. Unfortunately, after a few years, state aid and other funding was greatly reduced and the village was shut down. Now, as of last year, Waterloo Village has reopened and is scheduling events once again to a limited extent. Work has been renewed to do the repairs and necessary to make this charming historic site a true living museum and venue for the arts, education and other activities.

Uploaded

September 26th, 2015