Shreveville

[johnnyb]

Springfield Township Historical Society presents:



“Before Smithville: Shreveville” a PowerPoint presentation by Barb Johns of Mt. Holly exploring this textile company town from brothers Jonathan Lippincott Shreve and Samuel Shreve’s lives before Shreveville to the success of the company town, its decline, and employee Samuel Semple’s move to Mount Holly with part of the business.

Barb Johns is a spinner, dyer and weaver, having earned her Certificate of Spinning from the Ontario Handweavers and Spinners guild, a 6-year course. Barb is a part-time employee with Burlington County and her work at Smithville and her textile expertise inspired her to want to learn more about Shreveville. Her research lead her to the Smithsonian Institute of American History archives, the American Textile Museum, and Boott Cotton Mills Museum in Lowell, MA.

Antique spool thread from Barb Johns’ collection. It is argued that spool thread was first manufactured in the U.S. at Shreveville.


Antique 19th and 20th century shuttles and bobbins from the textile industry from Barb Johns’ collection. At Shreveville Manufactory, they spun and wove cotton fabrics by machines powered by the Rancocas Creek.



February 17th, a Wednesday night 7:30 PM at the Municipal Building 2159 Jacksonville-Jobstown Rd. Jobstown, NJ 08041. Call Dick Toone 609-261-3415 with questions bout this free presentation. Light refreshments.

 

[bobpbx]

Where was the town Johnny?

 

[johnnyb]

Bob, I believe the derelict brick building at the creek was originally part of the Shreve's water powered cotton mill in the 1840's, but the question probably could more positively be answered at the presentation. Jerseyman a lot better person to query. I do know that the mansion was built by the Shreve's, and the property later expanded by Hezekiah Smith. Ro and I were married in the gentleman's building at the rear - we wanted to get married in 1840's style clothes in the mansion first floor parlor (really a showplace) but the County would have no part of it. Still had a great ceremony and it must have worked since we're in our 31st year together...

 

[bobpbx]

- we wanted to get married in 1840's style clothes in the mansion first floor parlor.

Shouldn't be too hard, you still have some of those duds hanging around when you were a teen, right?

 

[johnnyb]

Ouch!
... though I admit I feel that way sometimes.

 

[Laurajm]

Would anyone be able to help with some directions in Mt Holly? I will be in the area in Nov 2025 to see if i can find my grandparents summer home in a valley near the old Pikes farm. Plz and Ty

 

[Teegate]

Would anyone be able to help with some directions in Mt Holly? I will be in the area in Nov 2025 to see if i can find my grandparents summer home in a valley near the old Pikes farm. Plz and Ty

I just checked the NJ Mirror newspaper and I don't see anything that may help. Is there anything more you can add?

 

[Boyd]

Welcome to the site! The only "Pikes Farm" I could find with a Google search was in Maine. I'm a little confused about your location "in a valley". The "mount" in "Mount Holly" is a hill about 180 feet high and it's very flat around there. Maybe along the river somewhere?

 

[Laurajm]

I just checked the NJ Mirror newspaper and I don't see anything that may help. Is there anything more you can add?

I was told the farm sat at the intersection of Powell Rd and Smithtown Rd there was a field on both sides of Powell Rd i believe where it ended where you could turn only right or left down a one way gravel road we had to blow our horn to let any vehicles know we were coming down and they would wait. Homes in the valley were old and had a creek that ran behind the homes i believe the other side of the creek was Philadelphia.

 

[Laurajm]

I was told the farm sat at the intersection of Powell Rd and Smithtown Rd there was a field on both sides of Powell Rd i believe where it ended where you could turn only right or left down a one way gravel road we had to blow our horn to let any vehicles know we were coming down and they would wait. Homes in the valley were old and had a creek that ran behind the homes i believe the other side of the creek was Philadelphia.

Yes it was on the water

 

[Laurajm]

Yes it was on the water

This was late 60s and early 70s i was just a kid

 

[M1 Abrams]

@Laurajm
Found a listing for a Charles W. Pike, who lived in Mount Holly and farmed with several members of his family, but I have no idea whether or not his family farm is the old "Pikes Farm" that you mentioned. Even if it is, by itself this will not provide the address of the farm and a clue to find your grandparents' summer home. At least you have some time to work on this before November rolls around. Good luck! (Just saw your updates. They should help!)

Charles W. Pike (1933-2015)

 

[Jerseyman]

Yes it was on the water

You need to travel out Powell Road and make a right turn on Mill Creek Road. Take it to the end and you be overlooking the Rancocas Creek from an elevation of at least 30 feet above the waterway. You will need to make a left or a right to avoid dropping into the creek. I hope you find what you are seeking.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[Boyd]

I think you meant Smithville Road, not Smithtown. That is the current County Rt 684 and Powell Road is County Rt 621, so this is the intesection. Just guessing, one of the homes along the creek here? You can see property info, but owner names are redacted

https://boydsmaps.com/pines/#16/39.986230/-74.754805/darkstreets/0/0/

Also, I think some homes in that area have been destroyed in a flood? When I was working on my topo, I noted these as "empty" outlines of where they used to be.

https://boydsmaps.com/pines/#17/39.985096/-74.756886/pines2023/0/0/

 

[Boyd]

You need to travel out Powell Road and make a right turn on Mill Creek Road.

We posted at the same time! But that appears to be the same general area shown on my maps above.

 

[Laurajm]

You need to travel out Powell Road and make a right turn on Mill Creek Road. Take it to the end and you be overlooking the Rancocas Creek from an elevation of at least 30 feet above the waterway. You will need to make a left or a right to avoid dropping into the creek. I hope you find what you are seeking.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

Ty

 

[Laurajm]

We posted at the same time! But that appears to be the same general area shown on my maps above.

Ty

Ty

We posted at the same time! But that appears to be the same general area shown on my maps above.

Ty

 

[Laurajm]

I think you meant Smithville Road, not Smithtown. That is the current County Rt 684 and Powell Road is County Rt 621, so this is the intesection. Just guessing, one of the homes along the creek here? You can see property info, but owner names are redacted

https://boydsmaps.com/pines/#16/39.986230/-74.754805/darkstreets/0/0/

View attachment 24326

Also, I think some homes in that area have been destroyed in a flood? When I was working on my topo, I noted these as "empty" outlines of where they used to be.

https://boydsmaps.com/pines/#17/39.985096/-74.756886/pines2023/0/0/

View attachment 24327

Ty very much

 

[Laurajm]

@Laurajm
Found a listing for a Charles W. Pike, who lived in Mount Holly and farmed with several members of his family, but I have no idea whether or not his family farm is the old "Pikes Farm" that you mentioned. Even if it is, by itself this will not provide the address of the farm and a clue to find your grandparents' summer home. At least you have some time to work on this before November rolls around. Good luck! (Just saw your updates. They should help!)

Charles W. Pike (1933-2015)

I cant thank all of you enough. Sounds like the pl. Does anyone know if you can still get down there? Are there any homes left?

 

[Laurajm]

You need to travel out Powell Road and make a right turn on Mill Creek Road. Take it to the end and you be overlooking the Rancocas Creek from an elevation of at least 30 feet above the waterway. You will need to make a left or a right to avoid dropping into the creek. I hope you find what you are seeking.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

Ty so much. Are there still homes left down there do you know? Will i b able to get down there?