The ‘Other’ Smithville

Exploring New Jersey’s Industrial Past

by Marilyn Loeser

Smithville in Burlington County, NJ — not to be confused with Smithville in Atlantic County — represents a remarkable time in the state’s history when a major industrial plant, employing hundreds of workers, was built.

What’s left of the complex helps paint a picture of Hezekiah B. Smith and his industrial village. Over a span of more than 60 years — the 1860s to the 1920s — Smithville grew from a small mill operation on the Rancocas Creek to a major industrial plant employing hundreds in its shops.

Colonial Days

Early colonists set up saw and grist mills during the 17th and 18th centuries, harnessing the Rancocas Creek's natural power to help them harvest crops and hardwood forests to use locally and sell. The mills employed a limited group of tradesmen and laborers supporting the owner of the mill.

In the 1830s, the Shreve Brothers, Jonathan L. and Samuel, purchased the lands to set up a textile manufacturing facility. Shreveville, as it was then known, prospered into the 1850s, growing into a village with a population of more than 400. The Shreves built a Greek Revival mansion and soon Shreveville was a prospering community in the midst of Burlington County farm country.

The Shreves' successful business dissolved in the 1850s along with the textile depression. It was their town’s structure that Smith builds upon for his own successful operation. Smithville begins

In 1865 Hezekiah and his wife Agnes arrived in Burlington County and found Shreveville to be the ideal set-up for producing Smith's patent woodworking machinery — a rural site with abundant natural resources. It was located near Philadelphia, with New York to the north and Washington to the south. For $20,000, the Smiths purchased 45 acres and a village full of buildings.

Smith spent several years upgrading the factories and rebuilding village housing. He created a public park at the center of the village, built a dormitory for unmarried factory mechanics, built an opera house for cultural and artistic events and constructed a schoolhouse for village children just north of his mansion — all paid for by Smith.

Unlike some industrialists, Smith build a model industrial village which combined worker well-being with productivity: a shorter workday; a fresh, affordable supply of food at Smithville's village farm; and a wide range of intellectual, artistic and recreational events held in the village throughout the year. And, women and children were not a significant part of the workforce. Records show the factories were unusually safe.

His success and concern for his employees resulted in his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1878 and the New Jersey Senate in 1882. He remained a major political figure statewide until his death in 1887 at the age of 71.

Visiting Smithville Today

Smithville is listed on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places and is in the process of a long-term restoration effort including significant buildings and streetscapes.

A tour through the Smith Mansion is a great way to start your exploration. Not only will knowledgeable guides explain village history, but you will be able to meander through this beautiful 19th century gem.

Built by the Shreve Brothers, the mansion reflects more of the Smiths’ taste especially the gardens. A six-foot wall surrounds the home and gardens where Hezekiah and Agnes could escape from the bustle of the village.

The Smiths’ also changed the interior of their home by adding rooms and connecting nearby buildings to form one large, interconnected structure. Their home included a billiard room, bowling alley, poker room and bar.

After Agnes' death in 1881, Hezekiah began to collect exotic plants and animals within the garden walls and in a greenhouse that was attached to the gardener's cottage.

Between the mansion and the factory complex are the streetscapes of Smithville created during the 1860s and 1870s. Unlike overcrowded, polluted mill towns and cities that typified America’s industrial age, Smithville was developed to maximize the site’s natural resources for both business and enjoyment — which today makes the park such a popular destination.

Just south of Park Avenue was the village green with an open lawn and bandstand. Just beyond the park, the Rancocas Creek and the Smithville Lake were used for swimming, boating and fishing.

Hezekiah was a successful businessman, politician, and inventor and mechanic. His talents attracted a highly skilled workforce; to not only build his machinery, but to participate in the process of refining machines and inventing new ones.

Smith also partnered with other inventors, manufacturing George Pressey's Star high-wheeled bicycle and Arthur Hotchkiss' Smithville-Mt. Holly bicycle railroad. It was Smith's woodworking machinery, though, which carried the company and town from its beginnings in 1865 for more than 100 years.

Natural Splendor

Smithville Park also is known for its system of trails and water access.

Residents and visitors alike can walk through dense woods and along waterways to enjoy New Jersey’s natural beauty.

In addition to its intriguing past, this 280-acre park features a diverse collection of habitats and terrain. With upland forests and meadows, freshwater streams and wetlands, creek shoreline and the 22-acre Smithville Lake, visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing and picnicking in an idyllic, natural setting.

The park offers beautiful river vistas and wildlife observation opportunities including white-tailed deer, wild turkey, red fox, beaver, cottontail rabbits, red-tailed hawks, great blue herons and a wide variety of waterfowl.

If you go:

Historic Smithville Park offers 4.4 miles of marked trails. Most of the trails are designed to be shared by hikers and all-terrain bikers. The Ravine Nature Trail is for hikers only. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are also popular when trails are snow-covered.

Equestrian use is permitted on the Yellow Trail only. Trailer parking is available at the Smith’s Woods Area access.

Historic Smithville Park is open to the public 8 a.m. to dusk. The mansion grounds are open weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mansion tours are also available on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Directions:

From the New Jersey Turnpike, take Turnpike Exit 5 – Route 541 – Burlington/Mount Holly. Turn right onto Route 541 at traffic light. Turn left onto Woodlane Road at traffic light. Turn Right onto Smithville Road at traffic light. Park will be on your right. Turn right before the mansion after the Smithville Park sign for parking.

From Interstate 295, take exit 47 – Mount Holly/Burlington – Route 541. Take ramp towards Mount Holly – Route 541 east. Turn left onto Woodlane Road at traffic light. Turn right onto Smithville Road at traffic light. Park will be on your right
Turn right before the Mansion after the Smithville Park sign for parking.

For more information:

Check the website at http://www.co.burlington.nj.us/tourism/history/attractions.htm; click on Smithville.

There is no admission fee to visit the park; a nominal fee is charged to tour the mansion.