Bits Of South Jersey - Carney`s Point

Like many towns in southern New Jersey, Carney’s Point was first settled by the Swedes. They made their way along the Delaware building settlements that soon were overcome with other immigrants from England, Ireland, Scotland and Germany. So was the case with Carney’s Point. In 1725 Thomas Carney and William Summerill emigrated from Ireland. Thomas acquired enough land that he became a household name. He married Hannah Proctor and had seven children, fours sons and three daughters.

Thomas built a tide mill on his plantation and a fine brick mansion. The tide mill was true to its name, changing directions with the tide. Another mill located in Penns Neck called the Brick Mill was built in 1740 and stood for 150 years. It was eventually owned by Thomas Carney Jr. who rented the mill and some of the land. He acquired 110 pounds a year for the mill and 5 pounds from each tenant annually for the land use. Unfortunately, it was demolished in 1907.

The oldest son of Thomas and Hannah was Thomas Jr. who continued the family interests and built a sizable estate. His daughter, Hannah, married Robert Gibbon Johnson and eventually inherited the entire Carney plantation. She lived with her husband in Salem on Market St., which still stands today. Her husband Robert, a noted and trusted gentleman of the day, sought to disprove the belief that tomatoes were poisonous. He arranged an exhibition in front of the Salem County Court House and in the presence of shocked onlookers he ate one of the fine ripened fruits. Imagine if this fallacy had not been disbanded. What would have become of the Jersey tomato?

Taverns were quite popular in colonial times and Carney’s Point had its share. Two taverns serving weary travelers and the hard workingmen of the area were the Helms’ Tavern located in present day Penns Grove. A target during the Revolutionary War, it received damage from cannon fire but continued to operate from many years. Bettle’s Tavern was burned by the British in 1778 and was so damaged that it was left to ruin. A third tavern was built using the same name that would eventually find a more formable foe than the British - the Methodist.

By the 1800s revival meetings had become very popular in many towns in south Jersey. Camp meetings were set up by the Methodist to offer a more spiritual type of entertainment. Along with this renewed vigor for spiritual living came the decreased tolerance toward alcohol. Helms Cove Tavern found its demise in 1839 through the vigilant protest of the Methodist and the eventful destruction of the tavern’s sign by a group of followers. They were careful to remove the post that the sign rested on for fear that if it were chopped down, another may rise in its place.

Much has come and gone in the history of Carney’s Point. Some of which will be visited at a later date.

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Author: Vickie Van Antwerp