The Roundhouse Museum - Egg Harbor City, NJ
N 39° 32.192 W 074° 38.567
18S E 530697 N 4376379
The site is also known as Dr. Smith's Sanitarium Site & more currently, the Round House, home of the Egg Harbor City Historical Society. Across the street, on bridge railing, is a neatly designed interpretive display which explains the whole story.
Waymark Code: WM8N75
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 04/22/2010
Views: 6
The headquarters for the local historical society is very unusual as it is sixteen-sided and definitely stands out in this area. In the back of the house is a huge park and playground for children to play. The Roundhouse contains memorabilia and items historically significant to Egg Harbor City. Permanent displays include Liberty Glass, C.P. Leek & Sons boats, clothing and wine industries and Dr. Smith's Health Spa. Rotating displays have included local connections to the Civil War, County Fairs, railroads, "Grandma's Kitchen", "Grandpop's Tools", fire and police departments and the U.S. Postal Service. The museum also holds city census records, old city tax records dating to 1862, and the beginning of local genealogies available for study.
Today, the house is a museum which collects and preserves items related to the city's German heritage, from records and newspapers, items manufactured here, photographs and genealogy records, etc. Several permanent exhibits on the wine, boat and clothing industries as well as revolving displays of current interest can also be found here. The Egg Harbor City Historical Society is primarily composed of both local and area residents with an interest in local history. Membership is open to anyone for an annual membership fee of $10.00. Members are encouraged to volunteer their talents for the maintenance of the museum, be it carpentry skills, bookkeepinging and computer skills, housekeeping and baking skills, etc., but mainly their presence at meetings and other functions best serves the society.
The historical marker/interpretive display reads as follows:
Welcome to the site of Dr. Smith's Neutral Water Sanitarium. Before you is the focal point of the sanitarium, the flowing cedar waters in the serpentine creek. The site before and behind you was the destination hundreds of people from the surrounding area of New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
If you were to stand at this sign, you would be facing Peace Pilgrim Park which the serpentine creek is now a part of today.
Mailing Address
535 London Ave.
Egg Harbor Cuty, NJ 08215
Phone: 609-965-4677
Email: vf-6_felix@att.net
Web: www.ehchs.org
Museum Hours
Wednesday & Saturday 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm or by Appointment
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Admission
Free