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Batsto Village-

Batsto village is located in south-central Wharton state forest. This small village was built on the site of a lake which was formed by the creation of the dam in the late 1700's. Batsto river was used by boats to transport timber from the pines to the furnace at the village which produced bog iron mainly for the purpose of munitions for the patriots in the battles against the british. Batsto was also the site of glass production for some time. New Jersey is known for its production of aqua blue glass due to the minerals that the soil is rich with.

The state purchased the land inside of Batsto's borders in the 1950's, and the current residents were allowed to stay as long as they wished. The last house was vacated in 1989, and now the village remains a historical site. It is free of charge to all visitors with the exception of mansion tours. The site sits adjacent to a forested park and nature center. The village normally closes at 4pm, but people commonly walk its grounds until dusk and sometimes even late into the night.

Batsto village is located within the park and has had a number of sightings associated with it. There may be some relationship between Batsto and the Jersey Devil, making it a “hot-spot” as some would say. The most logical reason may be that due to the creature's supposed connection with fire, it is drawn to the place. Records show that the town once burned to the ground in 1874. At that time, the population had recently dwindled and there were not enough residents on hand to extinguish the flames of all the newly abandoned buildings.

[Video is available for this vicinity under Land of the Devil exclusive videos.]