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- Pinelands Municipalities
  - Hammonton

Hammonton

Settled comfortably between two major cities, Atlantic City and Philadelphia, is Hammonton, the Blueberry Capital of the world. Close enough to catch a glimpse of the city action, yet far enough to immerse oneself completely in the wilderness of the Pine Barrens; Hammonton truly is the Hub of South Jersey.

[+ ZOOM] Downtown Hammonton's walkable streetscape includes shops and restaurants. ©PPA

During the war of 1812, William Coffin, in agreement with John Coates, built a sawmill along what later became known as Hammonton Lake. Mr. Coffin went into partnership with Jonathan Haines and started a glass factory. When Coffin died, his two sons, John Hammond Coffin and Edward Winslow Coffin, inherited the factory. The settlement also became known as "Hammondton". As one can see, the "d" was later dropped from the town's name. (The "Winslow" Coffin moved a bit further west and founded the Winslow Township community of Winslow.)

Hammonton was now growing and became a business community as the saw mill, glass factory, and agriculture began to flourish. Every two weeks, church services were held by a traveling minister who conducted services in the community school house.

Transportation for the area consisted of a stagecoach that ran from Camden to Leeds Point (home of the famous Jersey Devil).

[+ ZOOM] Hammonton Train Station ©PPA

Hammonton was incorporated in 1866 and the community now had many of the buildings one would expect to find in a small town--a store, a post office, a school, a church, and a town center. When the railroad came to Hammonton, the town's population began to grow.

During the 1860's, Hammonton began to see Italian immigrants moving into the community along with their culture and customs.

Resources:

Pinelands Municipal Fact Book

City of Hammonton

Hammonton Chamber of Commerce

Main Street Hammonton

Hammonton Gazette (this local newspaper is a source of information about local planning issues and a platform for concerned citizens to express their opinions via letters to the editor)

Hammonton Planning - PPA is monitoring:

Hammonton Downtown Code

Hammonton Downtown Area Plan