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The Village That Moved: Preserving Central Jersey at East Jersey Olde Towne

If you drive along River Road in Piscataway, shielded by a thicket of trees within Johnson Park, you will find a place that seems to defy the laws of time.

This is East Jersey Olde Towne Village. To the casual observer, it looks like a colonial hamlet that has stood for centuries. In reality, it is a “preservation zoo”—a collection of endangered historic buildings from across Middlesex and Somerset Counties that were picked up, moved, and reassembled here to save them from the wrecking ball.

The Doctor Who Saved History

In the 1950s and 60s, “urban renewal” was reshaping New Jersey. Historic structures were being razed at an alarming rate to make way for highways and office parks.

Enter Dr. Joseph Kler. A prominent eye and ear specialist at Rutgers University, Dr. Kler was a preservationist with a vision. In 1971, when he learned that the historic Indian Queen Tavern was slated for demolition to widen Route 18, he sprang into action.

He negotiated to buy the tavern for $1.00, provided he move it. He secured 12 acres in Johnson Park, dismantled the tavern, and established a sanctuary for unwanted buildings.

A Community Effort

Since that first move, the village has grown to include over a dozen structures, including homes, a schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, and a church. While some are replicas, most are the real deal, painstakingly restored to show us how early New Jerseyans lived.

A Note on Demographics: While the buildings bear the names of the wealthy European landowners (English, Dutch, and Scottish), it is vital to remember the diverse workforce that built and maintained them.

• Enslaved Population: New Jersey had a significant enslaved population compared to other northern colonies. In 1790, Middlesex County recorded 1,318 enslaved African Americans and 245 free Black persons.
• The Workforce: These individuals, comprising roughly 8% to 10% of the county’s population at the time, would have been the primary labor force in the kitchens, fields, and stables associated with these very buildings.

The Building Highlights

1. The Indian Queen Tavern

Originally located on Albany Street in New Brunswick (c. 1720), this building was the center of social life.

• The Famous Guests: In 1776, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin shared a small room here while traveling to negotiate with the British. (Adams famously insisted on keeping the window open, annoying Franklin).
• The Architecture: The building was reassembled minus its third floor. Its centerpiece is a curved spiral staircase built without a single nail.

2. The Farley Blacksmith Shop

This simple wooden structure has the distinction of being moved twice.

• Original Site: Built c. 1850 on what is now Route 18 in New Brunswick.
• The Moves: It was moved to Johnson Park in 1961 to save it from urban renewal, and then moved again in 1976 to join the village.
• The Trade: It operated commercially until 1960. Today, it features a working forge where visitors can see the tools of the trade.

3. Church of the Three Mile Run

This is one of the village’s few replicas, built in 1978. It recreates a 1703 Dutch Reformed church that once stood near How Lane.

• The Controversy: Its most famous minister, Theodorus Jacobus Frelinghuysen, was a firebrand who helped spark the “Great Awakening.” He was so radical that his own congregation locked him out of the church, forcing him to preach in the fields.

4. The Fitzrandolph House

Originally located in Piscataway (c. 1743), this home represents the domestic life of the early settlers.

• The Architecture: It features a blend of English and Dutch styles. The “keeping room” is dominated by a massive cooking fireplace with a beehive oven.
• The Evolution: When the house was donated, it had modern additions. The museum made the choice to strip those away and restore the original 18th-century footprint, preserving original floorboards and plaster.

If You Visit

Today, East Jersey Olde Towne Village is a fully immersive open-air museum managed by the Middlesex County Office of Arts and History.

• Location: 1050 River Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854.
• Admission: Free.
• Accessibility: Most buildings have been retrofitted with ramps for ADA accessibility.
• Events: The village comes alive during the “Hellfire & Brimstone” Halloween events and various Revolutionary War reenactments throughout the year.

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For More Information

Middlesex County Culture & Heritage Commission (www.middlesexcountynj.gov)