View source for Allaire Village

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox NRHP
| name                           = Allaire Village
| nrhp_type                      = hd
| image                          = Row_Homes.jpg
| caption                        =
| location                       = 3 mi. SE of Farmingdale on [[County Route 524 (New Jersey)|CR 524]], [[Farmingdale, New Jersey]]
| coordinates                    = {{coord|40|9|31|N|74|7|44|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin                       = USA New Jersey Monmouth County#New Jersey#USA
| nocat                          = yes
| built                          = 1750
| architecture                   =
| added                          = January 11, 1974
| area                           = {{convert|330|acre}}
| refnum                         = 74001174<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2009a}}</ref>
| designated_other1_name         = New Jersey Register of Historic Places
| designated_other1_abbr         = NJRHP
| designated_other1_link         = New Jersey Register of Historic Places
| designated_other1_date         =
| designated_other1_number       = <ref name=NJRHP>{{cite web|title=New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Monmouth County |url=http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/lists/monmouth.pdf |publisher=[[New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection]] - Historic Preservation Office |page=10 |date=October 25, 2010 |accessdate=November 28, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202145100/http://www.state.nj.us/dep/hpo/1identify/lists/monmouth.pdf |archivedate=December 2, 2007 }}</ref>
| designated_other1_num_position = bottom
| designated_other1_color        = #ffc94b
}}

'''Allaire Village''' is a [[living history museum]] located within New Jersey's [[Allaire State Park]] in [[Wall Township, New Jersey|Wall Township]], [[Monmouth County, New Jersey|Monmouth County]], [[New Jersey]]. The property was initially an Indian ceremonial ground prior to 1650, by 1750 a sawmill had been established on the property<ref name=Ghost>Honig, Milton; 1958, Ghost Town Opens at a Jersey Park, May 25, 1958, Page 68</ref> by Issac Palmer.<ref>Deserted Village at Allaire Recreates 19th Century Industrial Community, Joe King, The Independent, March 7, 1973, Page 8</ref> The village was later established as a [[bog iron]] furnace originally known as Williamsburg Forge<ref>Freudenheim, Betty, 1990, "Crafts - A Fair that's Full of Style", ''New York Times'', July 8, 1980</ref> 'Monmouth Furnace'<ref name=Silent>Agar, Ruth, March 17, 1960, "Silent Streets of a Deserted Village Return to Life", ''Freehold Transcript'', Page 21</ref> was then renamed the [[Howell Works]] by Benjamin B. Howell. In 1822,<ref name=Returning>"Old Monmouth County Village Returning to Life", ''The New York Times'', June 4, 1966, Page 25</ref> it was then purchased by [[philanthropist]] [[James P. Allaire]], who endeavoured to turn into a self-contained community.<ref>[http://www.allairevillage.org/Bios/bios2.htm James Peter Allaire] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080820111854/http://www.allairevillage.org/Bios/bios2.htm |date=August 20, 2008 }} - official Allaire Village website.</ref> The wood burning furnace business collapsed in 1846 and the village closed. During its height, the town supported about 500 people.<ref>Demonstrations Slated at Allaire, Amy Spiezio, The Independent, July 20, 1994, page 13</ref> Following his death, the property passed through a number of family members before being used by the Boy Scouts who started to restore the buildings for use as a summer camp. Losing the lease, the property then passed to the State of New Jersey. Allaire Village and its existing buildings are now operated by a [[non-profit]] organization - Allaire Village, Inc. [[Heritage interpretation|Historic interpreters]] work using period tools and equipment in the [[blacksmith]], [[tinsmith]], and [[carpentry]] shops, while the old [[bakery]] sells cookies, and general store serves as a museum gift-shop styled store. The church building is frequently used for weddings. The village relies heavily on volunteers to provide historical interpretation and to model historic crafts for the visitors. The site is also host to community events such as community band concerts,<ref>Concert Sunday, The Matawan Journal, August 10, 1972, Page 3</ref> antique sales, weekly flea markets and square dance competitions.<ref>Square Dance Set for Sunday, Matawan Journal, September 14, 1972, Page 7</ref>

==History== 
{{main|Howell Works}} 
Allaire Village  is the history of a particular geological formation and the man who was drawn to it because of his business needs. Throughout the course of his ownership, James Peter Allaire created a thriving community centered around the bog iron industry, with his company known as Howell Works, which was just one of his business concerns. Allaire owned a [[marine steam engine]]ering plant in New York City, the [[Allaire Iron Works]], a steam  packet line and various steamships that, together, gave him the resources to control his business from the raw materials to the finished product. When building up the community, he constructed the largest furnace in the US at the time for the iron ore.<ref name=Silent/> The Historic Allaire Village that remains today reflects the ideals of James P, Allaire and of the industrial era that flourished between the end of the [[War of 1812]] and the years just before the [[American Civil War]].

The rise and fall of Allaire's business enterprises encompasses the period from 1822 to 1855, commonly referred to as the [[Jacksonian Era]], during which began [[industrialization]] and [[mechanization]] on a large scale, and the rise of urban and rural industrial communities, [[reform movements]] such as [[Temperance movement|temperance]], [[abolitionism in the United States|anti-slavery]], [[free churches]] and [[free education|free schools]]. Through Allaire's constant search for financing and capital the difficult economic times can be felt, particularly the [[Panic of 1837]], the first [[economic depression]] to disrupt this nation's economy.

During the War of 1812, an [[embargo]] on British products and goods caused businessmen like Allaire much difficulty in procuring the resources needed for America's fledgling industrial base. For Allaire, the embargo created a scarcity of iron stock necessary for his manufacturing operations and led him to look at acquiring a satisfactory means of assuring a steady, inexpensive supply of raw materials.

What initially interested Allaire in the property now known as Historic Allaire Village was the presence of significant quantities of [[bog iron ore]].  This bog ore, so called because of its formation in [[marsh]]es and [[swamp]]y areas, was a valuable resource in America before the discovery of vast iron ore deposits in the mountains of Northern [[New Jersey]] and [[Pennsylvania]]. Unlike the latter ore, bog ore is easily accessible and requires no [[Shaft mine|deep shaft]] or [[strip mining]] to extract it. He also saw the then virgin forests in the vicinity  would produce excellent fuel for the smelting'of bog iron  ore.<ref>Scenic Tour, Matawan Journal, September 10, 1936, page 13</ref>

Bog ore is a renewable resource when mined and utilized with care. It is produced when rain water leaches out [[humic]] and [[tannic acid]]s and reacts with [[carbon dioxide]], which is produced as a part of the natural life-cycle of microorganisms in the soil. Part of this [[leachate]] consists of iron particles from deeper in the soil. As the water passes through these areas of [[loam]]y soil, also called [[marl]], it deposits a solution of [[iron carbonate]] which rises up to the surface. This iron carbonate then combines with the surface soil and, over time, hardens into a solid mass. This process only takes about 25 to 35 years, making it an ideal, almost perpetual resource for industry but only if treated with respect. If the ore bed is left undeveloped and unpolluted, the beds can be mined indefinitely farther south in New  Jersey. The operators of furnaces were forced to purchase ore from [[Staten Island, New York]], because the ore beds had been over-mined.<ref>Allaire Village, Inc.</ref>

==Restoration==

Deserted in 1846, the property occasionally saw residents.<ref name=Hal>''New York Times'', "Hal Allaire, Village Owner, Is Dead", October 19, 1901, Page 3</ref> Newspaper accounts report that a few of the houses were occupied<ref name=Hal/> and one cottage briefly restored as the "Delisle Inn";<ref>''New York Times'', "Brisbane Buys Deserted Village", March 2, 1907, Page 2</ref> but most buildings sat largely unused. The property passed through family members until 1901 when it was purchased by Arthur Brisbane. Arthur Brisbane used a couple of the buildings for residences until the late 1920s.<ref>Zuckerman, George - A deserted Village, Allaire, Nears Age 150 - June 11, 1972</ref>

Starting about 1900, the village was used as a backdrop for silent movies. Most notable of the films using the backdrop was [[Lilac Time (1928 film)|Lilac Time]].<ref>Sitkus, Hance Morton, 2002, Images of America - Allaire, page 42</ref> in 1929, 800 acres<ref>Asbury Park Press, "Shore Leaders of Scout Campaign", June 2, 1930, Page 3</ref> of the area that had become known as the "Deserted Village" was rented to the [[Monmouth Council|Monmouth County Boy Scouts]] for summer camping.<ref name=Brisbane>''New York Times'', "Brisbane Camp Gift Aids Jersey Scouts", September 5, 1928, Page 25</ref> The camp was called "Camp Burton at Allaire".<ref name=Brisbane/> When the Boy Scouts took over the area, the abandoned buildings were quite dilapidated. The Boy Scouts partnered with other organizations for the initial restoration of many of the structures. For example, the Asbury Park Kiwanis club helped with the general store restoration; the Foreman's cottage was restored by St. James Church in Red Bank (it served as the first aid hut during camping and programs); the Belmar Kiwanis club set up an athletic field. The camp sites were also open to other organizations such as the Girl Scouts, 4-H, Masons, and others.<ref>Frommel, Dorothy, Asbury Park Press, "The Girl Scouts Troop 1"m May 19, 1930, Page 12</ref> During the depression, the area was used as a camp for the [[Civilian Conservation Corps]].<ref name=Silent/> Following the Death of Arthur Brisbane, the council lost the use of the property and the 1940 season was the last season.<ref>Wolverton, David - 2003 - Monmouth Council Boy Scouts, page 25, Arcadia Publishing</ref> A plaque can be found on the side of the General Store giving a salute to the BSA program during this time frame.

In 1941, Mrs. Phoebe C. Brisbane (Arthur Brisbane's Widow) deeded the property to the state for development into a recreational park as a memorial to her husband.<ref name=Ghost/> The state of New Jersey allowed the war department to build a mock "German Town" on the property during World War II for training of troops at Fort Monmouth.<ref name=Silent/> Due to lack of restoration funds, the state of New Jersey made a 25-year lease to a non-profit called the "Deserted Village of Allaire" to allow them to start restoration in the mid 1950s.<ref>''The New York Times'', "Ghost Town Opens at a Jersey Park", May 25, 1958, Page 68</ref> The initial 11-member board of trustees consisted of one member who was actually a descendant of James Allaire; Edwin B. Allaire was a member of the board in 1957.<ref name=Returning/>

Attempts to raise funds for restoration stated about 1952.<ref>State Aid Asked to Restore Allaire, The Matawan Journal, May 29, 1952, Page 8</ref> The buildings and property sat idle till restoration funds became available in 1957.<ref>Sitkus, Hance Morton - 2002 - Allaire - page 79 - Arcadia Publishing</ref> At that point, the property had again become overrun with vegetation and buildings were in dis-repair. The Blacksmith shop and the General Store were the initial focus of the restoration. Following that, the stables and bakery were restored. The Stables were restored with the focus to become a riding academy. The Allaire Village was Dedicated as a State Park in June 1957<ref>"Dedicate 1277 Acre Allaire Tract as State Park", ''Freehold Transcript'', June 6, 1957, Page 20</ref> and officially reopened by Governor [[Robert B. Meyner]] on May 24, 1958.<ref>"Jersey Will Open Deserted Village", ''New York Times'', May 4, 1958, Page 28</ref> The museum was established through the efforts of the New Jersey State Federation of Woman's Clubs in 1958.<ref>The Deserted Village, Asbury Park Press, June 5, 1958, Page 4</ref> Although the restoration of the Village is not yet complete, the buildings that remain, the interpretive programs based on a multitude of available primary records, and even the landscape make Allaire Village a rare resource. Through them, visitors are able to experience and better understand the forces that shaped New Jersey's industrial power in the early 19th century.

== See also ==
{{portal|New Jersey}}
*[[Howell Living History Farm]]
*[[Monmouth Battlefield State Park]]
*[[Feltville Historic District]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website}}
*{{HABS |survey=NJ-28 |id=nj0598 |title=The Deserted Village, Allaire|photos= |dwgs=3 |data=7 |supp=}}
*{{HABS |survey=NJ-28-E |id=nj0599 |title=The Deserted Village, Bakery|photos=1 |dwgs=4 |data= |supp= |link=no}}
*{{HABS |survey=NJ-28-J |id=nj0600 |title=The Deserted Village, Blacksmith Shop|photos= |dwgs=2 |data= |supp= |link=no}}
*{{HABS |survey=NJ-28-A |id=nj0601 |title=The Deserted Village, Blast Furnace|photos=3 |dwgs=1 |data= |supp= |link=no}}
*{{HABS |survey=NJ-28-H |id=nj0602 |title=The Deserted Village, Carpenter Shop|photos= |dwgs=3 |data= |supp= |link=no}}
*{{HABS |survey=NJ-28-B |id=nj0603 |title=The Deserted Village, Church|photos=1 |dwgs=3 |data= |supp= |link=no}}
*{{HABS |survey=NJ-28-C |id=nj0604 |title=The Deserted Village, Double House|photos=1 |dwgs=2 |data= |supp= |link=no}}
*{{HABS |survey=NJ-28-F |id=nj0605 |title=The Deserted Village, Enameling House|photos=1 |dwgs=2 |data= |supp= |link=no}}

{{New Jersey Historic Sites}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey}}
{{NRHP in Monmouth County, New Jersey}}

[[Category:History of science and technology in the United States]]
[[Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Museums in Monmouth County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Living museums in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Industry museums in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Wall Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in Monmouth County, New Jersey]]
[[Category:Pre-statehood history of New Jersey]]
[[Category:1750 establishments in New Jersey]]
[[Category:New Jersey Register of Historic Places]]
[[Category:Historic American Buildings Survey in New Jersey]]
[[Category:Open-air museums in New Jersey]]