CNJ+ December 2023

What’s strange about the present sight of the witch's well is that it is sealed off with a fence and barbed wire around it. There is an iron gate on the building cov ering the witch's well. There are infrared se curity cameras and a re corded message stating not to take pictures and to leave or you will be prosecuted. Though the site has been subjected to much vandalism, the gate to the well is pad locked with a few locks and is still secure. Interestingly, the Mount also has, I be lieve two, geodetic sur vey reference mark ers monitored by the US Coast Guard. One marker reads 1837 on it. These markers are placed at various places all over the state to mea sure topographic chang es in the earth's crustal motion, tides, and polar motion. Whether you be lieve Mount Holly was named after the Mount and the inscription on the altar reading the word Holy three times, or the fact that the Mount had many native holly bushes on it, one can’t dismiss the fact that sometimes folklore begins with a truth. Mount Holly is rich in history. Its historic dis trict is a good weekend ride for those looking to explore, with old reg istered buildings, good restaurants, and many historic sites to see. It’s just a short journey down Route 537, head ing toward Chesterfield.

Every first weekend in October, the town hosts the Witches Ball, com plete with vendors and opened retail shops. The event draws over 5,000 people to the historic part of town. Be a part of it and wear your Hal loween costume there. You can access infor mation on the town site. https://twp.mountholly. nj.us/# The Mount Holly His toric District is a 260 acre (110 ha) historic district encompassing downtown Mount Holly. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 20, 1973, for its significance in ar chitecture, education, landscape architecture, politics/government, and transportation. The district includes 39 contributing buildings. The individually listed Old Schoolhouse, also known as the Brain erd School, was built in 1759 and contributes to the district. The Burl ington County Prison is also listed individ ually and was listed as a National Histor ic Landmark in 1986. The prison is said to be haunted and is open some nights as part of a ghost walk. There is also an old cabin that was preserved after it was found buried in mud when the courthouse was built. The Burling ton County Courthouse was designed by archi tect Samuel Lewis and constructed by Michael Rush in 1796. Happy Hauntings!

Holy Holy Holy Altar

Witches Well Encloses in Stone Structure

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