Historic Places

The General Store at Millbrook Village is a nice place to sit on the porch and imagine life in 1880. Click on the photo to learn more about the dedicated volunteers that keep Millbrook Village alive.

NPS/A. Alfonso

Millbrook Village

In 1832, a local farmer built a grist mill along the newly-finished Columbia-Walpack Turnpike where it crossed "Van Campens Mill Brook." By 1875, this one building grew into a small community calling itself 'Millbrook'. One family began the community, but by its peak in 1875, the town had reached a population of 75 people and had about 19 major buildings like houses, barns, and workshops.

This town was like so many all across America that began small and grew from there. A great example is New York City. All those buildings of today cover the ground in layers of history. It's a rich history, that's for sure. How did your town get its start?

Take a walk back in time. Millbrook Village represents what life was like in the mid-1800’s. This small agricultural village depicts the way most Americans lived at that time. On select weekends, volunteers bring the town to life by demonstrating the skills of the day, including woodworking, weaving, spinning, blacksmithing, gardening, and more. Check our calendar of events to learn more.

Millbrook also serves as the trailhead for the Orchard Trail, Coventry Pond Trail, and the Donkey’s Corner Trail. When you finish your hike or need a break from exploring Old Mine Road, there is a picnic area with tables to enjoy a lunch and take in the scenery. The Village is open from dawn to dusk.

Today's Millbrook Village does not replicate the Millbrook of 1832 or 1900. Rather, it evokes the feeling of countryside hamlets where most of the nation's people lived until the end of the 19th century. On summer weekends, several buildings are open to the public and Millbrook Village Society and other volunteers demonstrate the folkways of that era.

Directions to Millbrook Village

 

The fall leaves create a stunning scene outside of the Foster-Armstrong House.

NPS Photo

Foster-Armstrong House & Neldon-Roberts Stonehouse

Built in the late 1700s, the Foster-Armstrong House boasts a beehive oven and a fireplace in every room. Just a few miles away, the Neldon-Roberts Stonehouse was once a school house, and still sports its original wide-wood plank flooring, fireplace, and deep windows.

Volunteers from the Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History (MARCH) staff the two houses on select summer Sundays. Additionally, the Foster-Armstrong house displays items of historical interest from the 1700's up to the early 1900's.

Directions to Foster-Armstrong House | Directions to Neldon-Roberts House

 

A snowy day at the Van Campen Inn.

NPS Photo

Walpack Center & Van Campen Inn

Walpack Center was once a bustling community. Today, the Walpack Historical Society maintains a small museum in one of the oldest town buildings, the Rosenkrans House. The Van Campen Inn is located on the other side of the Walpack Ridge. Originally built as a farm house, the Van Campen Inn was designated a "Yaugh" house during Colonial times when it became common practice to offer homes as shelter for travelers. Volunteers from the Walpack Historical Society staff the Van Campen Inn along Old Mine Road and the Rosenkrans House in historic Walpack Center on summer Sundays, as volunteer schedules permit. Instead of driving between the two areas, consider hiking the one-mile Military Road Trail that connects Van Campen Inn and Walpack Center.

To learn more about Walpack Center, visit Walpack Center - Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov).

Directions to Van Campen Inn | Directions to Rosenkrans House

 

A mosaic sculpture rises from the lawn in front of the Greek Revival House.

NPS Photo

Village of Bevans

The once charming farm village of Bevans has been adapted as the Peters Valley School of Craft. This art campus houses a variety of media studios, such as blacksmithing, ceramics, woodworking, painting, and more.

Self-guided tours of the historic grounds and studios are available during the summer on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.

Directions to the Village of Bevans

 

Old Mine Road is one of the oldest routes in the country.

NPS/J. Cammerota

Old Mine Road

Constructed in the mid-1700s, Old Mine Road connected the Hudson River and Philadelphia to the Pahaquarry Mines and provided an important conduit for New Jersey farmers taking crops to area markets, making it one of the oldest commercial roads in the country. Today, Old Mine Road stitches together sections of several roads into the park's main passage in New Jersey and still retains much of the scenery of 100 years ago, making it a popular driving and biking route.

More information about Old Mine Road