Of Batsto and Bog Iron

36 pp. Illustrated with photographs by the author. A brief look at the background and history of Batsto Village, a nationally recognized historic site, located in the Pine Barrens of Southern New Jersey. This ancient, venerable area, where time has marched so casually, was once the realm of the Jersey Iron Barons…men such as Charles Read, Colonel John Cox, Joseph Ball, William and Jesse Richards and Charles Pettit. And it was the setting for Jersey's bog-iron industry and furnaces such as Aetna, Atsion, Hampton, Martha, Gloucester, Weymouth and…Batsto. The village came to a tragic end in 1874 when a devastating fire swept through the town destroying nearly half the workers' houses. Batsto, the iron village that had helped mold American history, was now history itself. This booklet touches on preservation and restoration efforts at Batsto, as well as the walking tours provided. Illustrated with photographs and a map of the village layout.