Waterloo Village Canal Heritage Days Give Morristown Residents a Look at Life in the 19th Century

This Saturday, visitors at the Waterloo Village will have various opportunities to experience 19th century port life at the Waterloo Village Heritage Days in Sussex County from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Canal Society of New Jersey and the New Jersey DEP will host a Waterloo heritage day every other Saturday from Aug. 6 to Oct. 22. The activities offered will be slightly different depending on the day. There are around 200 guests who attend each heritage day, said Joe Macasek, the President of the Canal Society of New Jersey.

Visitors will participate in hands-on history programs and embark on a narrated boat ride down the Morris Canal, according to the Morris County press release.

The Village is rich in culture and history. During the 19th Century, Waterloo Village was a popular inland port on the trip from the Delaware River to the Hudson River via the Morris Canal.

“It’s a real town, it isn’t a made up place like so many other historic village," said Mascasek. "We have a real street where real people live, so you get a perspective of the way the world was only 100 years ago.”

The Morris Canal is 90 miles long and was used to ship iron ore, coal, farm produce, and other commercial goods in the early to mid-1800s. Mules pulled canal boats across northern New Jersey, to Phillpsburg and then to Jersey City, from 1831 to 1924. The Village was the half-way point between Phillpsburg and Jersey City.

For about 40 years, the Waterloo Arts Foundation leased the Village from the state before it went bankrupt.

In 2007, DEP’s Division of Parks and Forestry took over the Village, located in the Allamuchy Mountain State Park. DEP has worked with The Canal Society of New Jersey, Friends of Waterloo, and Winakung at Waterloo to help the Village.

Additionally, DEP has devoted $600,000 to restore the Village under its Sustainable Park Plan. This plan is dedicated to keep historic sites and state parks open and accessible to the public.

This Saturday, Richard and Richard Brusco, metallurgists and blacksmiths from Mendham, will hammer red-hot metal in the Waterloo blacksmith’s shop. Sharon Kuechelmann will use a vintage treadle sewing machine to create authentic garments in a 19th century seamstress shop.

Other highlights of the day include Bill Pegg and Rolf Warncke, who set up a carpentry shop in the Peter D. Smith Carriage House. Additionally, John Holochwost will showcase his tinsmith skills. Visitors can also enjoy traditional music by the Long Hill String Band.

Admission to the Village is free, but donations are greatly appreciated.

To get to Waterloo Village, take Exit 25 on Interstate 80. The Village is located on Waterloo Road, Stanhope, N.J.