The Weird NJ Project

Hello! My name is Katie and I am the founder of the Weird NJ project! This project is a Photography based Project on all the Weird NJ locations. Pictures and blogs are posted often so check back!

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The Spy House

Port Monmouth, NJ

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We went in search of weird, wonderful, and wacky museums in every state (and D.C.) worth going out of your way to see.

This is the second time I found a "Weird" kind of article that Yahoo! posted on their homepage. To be honest, for New Jersey, there are WAY more weird museums in this state. They should have picked Lucy or Space Farms, something of that nature.

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Thursday Jan. 29th

So on Thursday I went up to the Rockaway Township area for some Weird NJ. I was really hoping this trip would be awesome, but it turned out to be a kind of a dud, picture wise.

The first place on the list was Split Rock Road and the Stone Ball that is located on Split Rock Road. So we get on Split Rock Rd from Rockaway Valley Rd and head up. At first the road was paved, but looked like it had not been re-paved for like ten years, after that, it becomes gravel. So as we are on the road, it splits, one way was a whole different road and the other was to stay on Split Rock but there was a sign "Road Closed, Local Traffic Only" so I said lets just go, you can still drive who is going to say anything? So we keep on driving. I can start to see the split rock reservoir but then a huge fence is in our way in the road and all over the fence says "No trespassing" "Cameras on watch" stuff like that. So we park in this little dirt lot that two cars were already and I said let me walk over the hill and see what I can see. So I walk through the snow and get to on top of the hill. First off I don't know if I can even make it down there and there were cameras set up on the dam that is on the one side of the reservoir to make sure no one is going on it for safety reasons. So I get back to the car and tell my grandpa that we will have to come back in the spring because there is no way I can get over there. So we turn around and get back to the main road. On the way we found the Stone Ball, which is basically a huge ball sculpture made out of stones. It was in someones yard and I thought they were home so I just got a picture from the road. 

Next up on the list was the Water Edge Cafe located on Lake Swannanoa located in Jefferson Township. I did some research on this place and it doesn't give a exact address, it just says 'Located on the shores of Lake Swannanoa so I figured we will ride around the lake and maybe we will find it. I didn't read on the history of the lake or anything. The first thing we found was this huge stone mansion that is owned by the Catholic Church. Then we see these little houses, and I didn't think anything of it because I was so focused on looking for this stupid place that everything else was little importance to me. Well, we didn't find the Water Edge Cafe so we went onto the next place.

On the way to the next place which was right off Route 23 we stopped and got pizza. Found out that Lake Swannanoa was owned by Barnum Bailey and the huge stone mansion was his house and the little houses was where the midgets lived and the place was called Midgetville and is featured in Weird NJ. So now i'm upset because we could have got that and I didn't even know it was there (since there is more than one Midgetville in the state apparently) so I wanted to go back, but we just didn't have time. 

The next place was the Route 23 Mystery Poles where on top of Telephone poles on this highway there are random statues like a Bunny, Mailbox, or a Owl. So we found one, a Bunny and I got out and took a picture when a car pulls off a couple feet in front of me, but I walk back into my car. As soon as I get in the car his lights go on, its a cop. He walks up to my car and asks if we are ok. We said yes and explained I was just taking pictures and the cop was cool about that. He told us that a plane landed just about two miles north on 23, that is where he was coming from so we should watch out on the news. 

The last and final place was Federal Hill. Federal Hill is located right off Hamburg Turnpike right before you get onto 287. It was where General Washington and his troops stayed for a couple nights during the revolution and it was also a place where a Nazi camp was during the second world war. So we found a place to get out and I started walking up the hill. It was pretty steep and I was in uggs since I didn't know I would be walking up this hill so since I couldn't get to the top I just figured once the snow melts, I will come back.

So that was my day, got like two pictures done but, At least I saw these places. On to the next place!

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Roycefield Road, AKA Pig Lady Road

Hillsborough, NJ

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The cemetery where the "Glowing Grave of Readington" is located. Since it was the middle of the day we didn't know which grave was the glowing one. Looks like one day I will have to go to it at night and find it!

Readington Township, NJ

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The Most Ridiculous Landmarks in All 50 States

In the U.S., we hoist gigantic bugs on top of buildings and erect monuments to the bizarre. Here are some of the wackiest monuments, landmarks, headstones, and statues from Alabama to Wyoming.

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Talamini Road

Bridgewater, NJ

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Wow...

Hello to all my followers!

So it has been a VERY long time since I had posted on this blog. I looked and the last time I posted was on September 4 of last year (2014). 

I don't know what happened but, I was so busy with everything in life I did not have time at all to go out and take pictures for anything. I lost my job in the beginning of December so from that moment I had more free time.

I went out to the Bridgewater area in between September and now to take some pictures of Weird NJ sites, but I never uploaded them, or edited them, or posted them. So now that I have more free time I am able to get back to doing this Weird NJ Project. 

So you will be seeing more posts more often. :)

-Katie 

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The Haunted Public School #8

Jersey City, NJ

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St. Joesph's Church- home to the Cat's Eye of Saint Joseph's

Jersey City, NJ

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The Colgate Clock

Jersey City, NJ

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The Haunted Tower at New Jersey City University

Jersey City, NJ

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Galloping Hills Golf Course, home to the Headless Horseman

Kenilworth, NJ

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August 21, 2014

So today I went on another one of my little Weird NJ adventures. This time is was back up to revisit Jersey City. I have been there before for Weird NJ stuff but I still had more to do up there.

Since the Pulaski Skyway is closed, we took route 78 into Jersey City. 

First it was New Jersey City University's haunted tower. We couldn't get up close to it because we couldn't find the entrance into the campus but I got a good picture looking through the fence at the tower. 

Next was the Colgate Clock. If you have followed me for a long time you will remember I tried going to this gigantic clock before but at the time it was taken down for some touching up and they put it back soon after. We parked on the wrong street but still it was a good 2 minute walk along the beautiful waterfront. I got a good pic and was onto the next place.

The next place was St. Joesph's church. We got to the church and there was a lot of construction going on in the street but we managed to get out and take a picture. The cop standing around there must have been thinking "what the hell is this girl doing taking a picture of a church in the middle of this city?" 

The last place was Public School #8 which is said to be haunted. We got out and around the school was so empty it was like a ghost town, some cars were going by but there wasn't much people walking around. So I got out and took a quick pic and got on our way towards home.

The GPS was trying to take us across the Pulaski Skyway again but we went all the way up this one way and got onto the Turnpike. Why did that bridge have to be closed? 

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The Shrine of Singing Sam Stevens

Hillside, NJ

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Kean University's Haunted Theater

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The Union County Courthouse

Elizabeth, NJ