Canal Society is undeterred by closed historic village

Byram — The closing of Waterloo Village has not stopped the Canal Society of New Jersey from planning the 12th annual Canal Day for Saturday, June 30, between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. The historic canal town at 525 Waterloo Road will open its gates for the day to educate the public about the heritage which gave birth to the village and promoted its growth. The village was closed last winter after the state Department of Environmental Protection revoked the lease of the Waterloo Foundation for the Arts. The foundation had managed the village for many years, but was running up deficits. The DEP’s Division of Parks and Forestry owns the village and is funding repairs and maintenance on some of the historic buildings, according to Brian Morrell of the Canal Society. Morrell said work is being done on the general store and apothecary shop. He said deferred maintenance of both the exteriors and interiors of the buildings was reaching a critical stage. The Division is co-sponsoring Canal Day with the society. The event is free. Morrell said the society was pleased to be able to bring back its mule and canal boat for rides along the section of the canal still open at the village. Much of the Morris Canal, which ran from Phillipsburg to Jersey City, has been covered over since it was decommissioned in 1924. Both ends of the canal, at the Delaware River in Phillipsburg and at Paulus Hook in Jersey City are visible as are a number of short sections, especially in the western part of the state. The Canal Society is working toward further preservation of the Morris Canal Greenway. A number of sections of the towpath are available for hiking. Morrell said the Ledgewood Canal Park is an excellent example of how the canal boats were pulled over inclined planes. He also said the borough of Wharton is working to preserve its section of the canal, which still holds water and is the site of annual festivals. The highest point of the canal is at Lake Hopatcong, and the Hopatcong Historical Society Museum there has a wealth of canal lore, as does the museum at Bread Lock Park in Franklin Township, Warren County. Waterloo is not just a canal town, Morrell explained. It was originally Andover Forge, the site of a furnace for iron mined in Andover. A special exhibit at Canal Day will commemorate the Sussex Mine Railroad and the Sussex Branch Railroad, which has not been emphasized in the stories of the village, Morrell said. In the mid-19th century, mules pulled iron ore-filled cars from the productive Andover Mine to the banks of the canal at Waterloo. Canal Society guides will take visitors on tours of the museum and the village to explain the influence of the canal on the growth of the village and the area. Captain John Hummel, a canal boat captain from the 1870s will come to life as portrayed by historian Richard Pawling in period clothing, spinning his yarns of the past. Visitors to the village will also enjoy period music performed by Pawling and his associate. A Canal Society display and sales table will offer books on canal history and other items for purchase by the public. Other organizations will join with the society. The 1895 Waterloo United Methodist Church will also be open. The church, under its pastor, Rev. David Jones, remains open for regular worship services and special events. Church members will sell refreshments all day as a fundraiser. The annual Canal Photo Contest will also be featured throughout the day. Any amateur photographer is eligible to enter. Refreshments will be sold throughout the day, provided by the Waterloo United Methodist Church as a fundraiser. This will be a rain-or-shine event.