Chatsworth, NJ

Date: Saturday, February 7th, 2009

Time: 1:00pm to 9:00pm

The Result/Findings:

The town of Chatsworth was once known as the "Capital of the Pine Barrens," or at least used to be. The boundaries of the town contain many places to visit.

Chatsworth's Cemetery

The town's cemetery is known to be haunted. Graves as old as 1788 have been found. There have been orbs spotted on film, however, they can be attributed to many things in nature (dust, bugs, rain). Who knows for sure? Be considerate and mindful of not walking on the graves and damaging the tombstones.

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Buzby's General Store

If you visit Chatsworth, make it a point to stop by Buzby's General Store. Marilyn, the lady who runs the store (a former cafe), authored many books pertaining to the Pine Barrens. I suggest you take a look into buying one. She is very knowledgeable about the vast forest and its forgotten towns, churches, and graveyards. You can also buy books about the Jersey Devil and other folklore.

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Apple Pie Hill

On the outskirts of Chatsworth is Apple Pie Hill. It is the tallest point in the Pine Barrens, measuring over 200 feet above sea level. On top of the hill is a fire tower. At night, the cities of Philadelphia, Vineland, and Atlantic City can be seen from afar atop the fire tower. It is only in use during extremely dry conditions. The cabin on top is locked unless park rangers are inside. It is still well worth the climb (if you're not afraid of heights). Awesome photo opportunity. It is also apparent that every visitor who makes the trip to Apple Pie Hill etches their name in the surrounding wooden guardrails. Please note that as you climb higher in the tower, the climb becomes more narrow and it's made out of metal, which means you can see all the way down.

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Chatsworth's Railroad

Chatsworth used to have a railroad that was the center of commerce for the town. It ran down to Tuckerton, other Pine Barren towns, and all the way to Philadelphia. It was also the home to the crash of the Blue Comet, a train that had derailed during a flood, killing many people. We found the railroad, however, the exact place of the crash was hard to pinpoint. We did a lot of walking in both directions from where we started and found nothing suspicious. It is incredibly overgrown. We did get a scenic and peaceful walk out of it though.