Lower Alloways Creek Historical Society 736 Smick Road Salem, NJ 08079

Lower Alloways Creek Historical Society 736 Smick Road Salem, NJ 08079

Lower Alloways Creek Historical Society

736 Smick Road

Hancocks Bridge, NJ. 08079

(856) 935-3666

https://www.facebook.com/LacHistoricalMuseum/

https://www.lowerallowayscreek-nj.gov/about/pages/historic-log-cabin

Open: Sunday 1:00pm-4:00pm (Third Sunday of the Month)/Monday-Saturday Closed-Open Six times a year for special events

Admission: Free but donations are accepted

My review on TripAdvisor:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Profile/R4960NKjustinw/mediabatch/12228970?m=19905

The Historical Society:

Situated in a beautiful rural setting, the Log Cabin is restored in the same manner as the local Quakers lived in the 1700’s. The site houses a barn full of antique farm implements as well as many items used in the local industries of Lower Alloways Creek.

Salem’s County’s maritime history is documented in a unique floating cabin which is complimented with a collection of fishing and trapping memorabilia. The site also features an outhouse, carriage shed and the last canning house that was left in the Township.

The buildings on the grounds and the outhouse

History of the house:

The main house is very unique. The addition to the house was built in the mid 1800’s and is furnished from that time period. This was added to the log cabin that has been reconstructed on the site. The early parts of the log cabin date back to before the Revolutionary War.

The first-floor parlor

The Kitchen in the main house

Washing clothes in the house

How to wash clothes until WWII

The second-floor bedroom

The Bonnet collection

The second floor bedroom

The Attic Room

The toys and playthings of the Attic Room

The house has an extensive collection of antique toys and dolls and furniture.

The dolls

The dolls

The Hat collection at the home.

(Information from the museum website):

Part of the house is an old log cabin with an addition added on later. Although the date of the original construction is unknown, the cabin has been restored and reconstructed in much the same manner as local Quakers would have lived in the 1700’s. Because the air had deteriorated so many of the logs, it was impossible to save the entire original structure.

The log cabin section of the house.

The log cabin and the later addition.

All the wood used in the reconstruction of this cabin came from the woods in Lower Alloways Creek that are owned by the Township. The hand-hewn logs are white oak. The wide floorboards are pine The fireplace and foundation were built from Jersey sandstone that had been donated by John Hassler.

The inside of the log cabin and hearth.

The Hearth during the event

The Historical site also features a log cabin, carriage shed and barn, many antique farm implements, a two-seater “outhouse” and an old fashion hand water pump.

The Outhouse

The hearth of the log cabin

The loft section of the log cabin on the second floor of the home.

There is also an original Can House, with a working line shaft, a floating cabin, both of which were originally built in Lower Alloways Creek.

The historic Can House.

The historic Can House

Some of the interesting programs that the society hosts:

Line Shaft: the historic line shaft in action as it powers a variety of machines.

Outdoor sportsmen: view displays of fishing and trapping, hunting gear, decoys, floating cabins and turkey call demonstrations.

Model Trains: all aboard an exciting display of model trains.

Old time engines: South Jersey Gas Engine Club proudly presents their collection of “Hit or Miss” engines.

The Farm equipment and working engines at the “Old Time Engine Day” in September 2023 was an interesting mix of old farm equipment, household equipment and everyday items run by an engine in the early 1900’s. It was a very interesting display on how we have come in manufacturing and the museum did a nice job on the displays.

The working farm equipment at the Lower Alloways Creek Historical Society

The Farm Engine equipment

The Farm Engine equipment

The Farm Engine equipment

The Farm Engine equipment

Video on the display:

The Farm Engine equipment

Farm Day: Come and see antique tractors and a variety of farm equipment. See the progression of farm equipment throughout the centuries.

Retired farm equipment in the barn

The barn

Farm Equipment in the barn.

Some of the equipment and refreshments in the barn.

The barn equipment during my visit in 2025

Indian Arrowheads on display in the barn

Cabin Cooked Pie Day:

There is nothing better than a freshly baked pie in a fireplace. In November 2025, I returned to the museum for ‘Pie Day’. There were various pies, chestnuts and soup being cooked in the log cabin fire place that afternoon. It was interesting to see cooking procedures from a hundred years ago.

I visited the museum and got to watch the volunteers cook all sorts of goodies in the fire. It is interesting how foods were cooked and tested for doness over a wooden fire. The coordination of cooking times and temperatures.

The Log Cabin goodies that afternoon

Visitors choose from Apple or Pumpkin pies, Roasted Chestnuts, Buttery Popcorn, Chocolate Chip cookies or Stuffed Cabbage Soup, all cooked fresh in the pots on the open fire hearth which also warmed the house on a cool afternoon. The museum was even selling a cookbook, Down Jersey Cookbook on some of the recipes being used in this part of New Jersey.

Cooking pies, soup, chestnuts and popcorn in the fireplace

The pies, Chestnuts and soups being cooked in the Open Hearth

It was interesting how the pies were cooked in the cast iron equipment and then laid out to cool. They came out of the oven steaming hot and sat to cool before being sliced.

The freshly baked Pumpkin pie

Freshly baked Apple pie

Freshly baked Apple pie. Yum!

Stuffed Cabbage Soup in a cast iron pot

The thick Stuffed Pepper Soup

Freshly Roasted Chestnuts from the fireplace

The pots and pans in the fire

It was fun watching the foods being cooked right on the spot they way they would have over a hundred years ago. It was even more fun to eat them. I learned a thing or two about the culinary arts this afternoon and it was so nice to sit in a warm kitchen by the fire on a cool November afternoon.

The delicious Fall goodies cooked in the hearth

Farm supplies kept cool in the barn

It was really a homey event at the museum, with good food and wonderful conversation with residents of the community. All in a room warmed by a fire in a working fireplace. I love it when museums do such great events and using the historical cooking instruments was very unique.

The Museum is in a rural location so the farmland that surrounds the house is really beautiful. The views in the fall were just gorgeous when the leaves were turning colors.

The beautiful farmland that surrounds the historical society.

The view on a late Fall day

The view of the local farm

The fields

The plaque of the “Quinton K. Baker Canhouse, the last one left.

The historic cars and fire trucks on display at the museum that day:

The Model T

The Hancock Bridge’s 1928 Hose truck

The cars on display that day

The front of the museum on my visit in November 2025

The back of museum during my visit in November 2025

The museum is open six times a year for special events. Please check out their website and their Facebook page for details. The Pie event was the last event for the season until the Spring.

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