You Won't Believe This Town Is In New Jersey

Tucked deep within the forests and mountains of Sussex County is one of New Jersey’s most unusual destinations: a ghost village preserved in almost its entirety by the national park system. Once a small farming community, Walpack Center faced decline due to various economic factors and local projects that were destined to physically change the landscape beyond recognition.

Through a number of lucky circumstances, the town managed to remain as it was (minus its permanent inhabitants), with historic buildings, lonely roads, and dense wilderness all around. For travelers seeking quiet, history, and a rare glimpse of rural life in northwestern Jersey, this may be a detour worth checking out.

How Did Walpack Center Become a Ghost Town?

Walpack Center is now part of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Walpack Township, which was established in 1731. Walpack Center, established soon after in the 1800s, remained a small farming community for over two centuries. Its decline began with the uptick in automobile use in the United States in the 20th century. This allowed local farmers to travel to other, more robust towns for much-needed supplies at a lower cost.

By the 1950s, the proposed Tocks Island Dam project led the federal government to acquire thousands of acres in the region, including this community and a handful of others. Though the dam was never actually built, the few remaining residents had already prepared to leave, and the village emptied to the point of being a ghost town.

The town was never formally dissolved, though. Instead, it became a protected historic site within the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, overseen by the National Park Service. Because of this, several of its 19th-century buildings remain, including a post office, church, and schoolhouse. Most of them are still standing in their original condition thanks to ongoing expert preservation efforts. The Walpack Historical Society now overlooks the area and occasionally opens buildings for public tours, making it one of New Jersey's best historic destinations.

Notable Historic Sites

While visiting, you can take a look at these places of interest. Some can only be seen from the road, while others can be explored a bit more intimately. Regardless, each of them will cast light on the fascinating history of this community frozen in time.

Walpack Methodist Episcopal Church

Built in 1872, the Walpack Methodist Episcopal Church remains one of the village’s most recognizable landmarks. It's simple, old-timey architecture reflects the practical style of rural places of congregations in the 1800s. It sits at the heart of the village, surrounded by old-growth trees and a few remaining homesteads. It's a hard landmark to miss, with the church’s modest white exterior and intact interior offering a rare, unaltered look at religious life in a once-thriving Walpack Valley farming community. Though services ceased decades ago, the building has been nicely preserved and occasionally hosts seasonal events.

Walpack Center General Store and Post Office

Dating back to 1850, the Walpack Center General Store and Post Office once served as a vital aspect of life for residents in this remote valley. Though it burned down and was rebuilt in 1915 and officially closed in the 1980s, the structure still stands for passersby to appreciate, with weathered clapboard siding and a hand-painted sign still beckoning back to simpler times.

Also maintained today by the Walpack Historical Society, the building is occasionally opened to visitors during heritage days, offering a link to an era before internet communications and other modern conveniences we now largely take for granted.

Van Campen Inn

Located just a few miles northwest of Walpack Center along Old Mine Road, the Van Campen Inn is one of the oldest surviving structures in the Delaware Water Gap area in general. Built in the early 1740s, it served as a frontier rest stop for travelers and soldiers during the French and Indian War (aka the Seven Years War).

This stone building is a rare example of colonial Dutch architecture in the region, and is accessible via a short trail from the town center, should you want to walk. This trail is one that is often featured on ranger-led history walks and historical reenactments.

Walpack Schoolhouse

The one-room Walpack Schoolhouse was open from 1893 to 1951, serving local children until the town's population began to seriously decline. Located just off Main Street, the structure remains largely intact, although it seems to be permanently closed off to visitors at this time. One of the few privately owned sites in Walpack Center, the property cannot be accessed without permission, although the schoolhouse can still easily be seen from the road.

Make This Community A Part of Your Next Road Trip Through the Area

Not a typical tourist stop, Walpack Center is a remnant of a different time, diminished as a functioning settlement by the emergence of the East Coast's growing cities and shaped by expanding national parks as much as it was by geography. While the village itself always remained small, it now offers you one of the most robust windows into the history of New Jersey and the early days of the United States as a country. It is, at the very least, worth a quick stop if you're visiting the much more popular Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area surrounding it.