Located just a few blocks from the New Jersey Battleship is the historic Walt Whitman House, which contains a collection of writings, photographs, and memorabilia. Unfortunately, the house was closed for a week, so we did not get to visit the inside of the building.
Traveling a few miles down the Delaware River from Camden are the remains of Fort Mercer and the Red Bank Battlefield Park. This is the site where 400 Patriots defeated over 1,500 Hessian Soldiers. Apparently, the Patriots were tipped off that the Hessians were going to attack at dawn, so they repositioned themselves on a hill overlooking the River and insetad of the Hessians surprising the Patriots, the Patriots surprised the Hessians and won the battle. After the main Hessian Army retreated, leaving their dead and wounded behind, the Patriots carried the wounded Hessians to the James & Ann Whitall House and converted it to a hospital. The house is adjacent to the battlefield and open to the public on some weekends.
Continuing down the Delaware River for several miles are the remains of Fort Mott, which was constructed in the late 1800s as part of a costal defense system. During construction of the gun batteries, the military became concerned that the guns would be vulnerable if attacked from the rear (the gun turrets could not pivot 360 degrees), so they paid men $1.25 per day to dig a 20 foot deep mote and build a 20 foot high dirt berm around the back of the gun placements. For their $1.25 day pay, each man was expected to move five tons of dirt per day using only a shovel and wheelbarrow.
Just thinking about all of the work that went into digging the mote and building the dirt berm made me hungry, so we decided to visit the Amish Farmers Market in Mullica Hill. I was really looking forward to an Amish pumpkin roll, but the bakery was closed, so I had to settle for a bowl of home-made beef stew at the Amish restaurant located in the same complex. (However, I did go back a few days later and picked up two pumpkin rolls and some homemade sandwiches.)
While driving some back roads we came upon Ye Olde Centerton Inn, which has been in continuous operation since 1706. We did not stop for dinner, but the Inn advertises that they have "the region's finest steaks and the freshest seafood."
Our GPS took us on a really strange route, but we finally ended up at the old Kirby Mill. (This is one time that using a paper map would have been much faster.) The old Kirby Mill complex was built in 1778, but has now been converted to the Medford Historic Museum. In addition to the waterwheel driven grinding mill, there is also a print shop, blacksmith shop, sawmill, and museum located at the Mill complex.
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