15,000 years ago,
the area we know as Parvin State Park was a barren, ice covered
tundra. As the glaciers, which extended as far south as central
New Jersey, slowly receded, the land became a habitable forest,
supporting wildlife and early native cultures of man whose
artifacts have been discovered along nearby streams. A thousand
years ago, ancestors of the Lenape Indians hunted and fished in
the stream we know today as the Muddy Run, which feeds Parvin
Lake.
The Lenape held these lands
until John Fenwick purchased what is now Salem and Cumberland
Counties in 1676. What is now Parvin Sate Park was included in
2928 acres of land purchased from the Proprietors of West New
Jersey in 1742 by John Estaugh, which he later passed to Captain
Richard Parker who sold the property to Elemuel Parvin in 1796.
Parvin Lake is a manmade
lake. Approximately 1783, a dam was built on the Muddy Run
creating the lake from which water flowed through a sluiceway to
power a saw mill. The land purchased by Elemuel Parvin along
with his son Charles included the land around what is known
today as Parvin Mill Road, including the mill, and west toward
what is known today as Centerton. Much of that tract of land was
known as the Stoneyhill Tract, which probably got its name from
the fact that it was an excellent source of heavy gravel used
for building the first roads in that area, and much later, the
roadways in the park.
The mill at the Parvin
property was one of a number of mills along the Muddy Run in
Pittsgrove Township. Earthen dams were eventually built across
the Muddy Run at six locations creating Elmer Lake, Greenwood
Lake (no longer in existence), Palatine Lake, Centerton Lake,
Parvin Lake and Rainbow Lake. Each dam incorporated a sluiceway
with gates to direct the water to the mills. Historical records
indicate that there was more than one mill at several of those
locations. Probably some of the earlier sawmills were eventually
converted to, or accompanied by, grist mills as the forests were
cleared for farming, and the land gave way to the growing of
grain. Lumber from the mill at Parvin Lake was used to construct
many buildings in that area.
It is theorized that
Elemuel and his son Charles operated the mill on the property
they purchased into the early 1800’s. In 1801, Charles married
Anna Margaret Hires. A year later, Anna gave birth to Lemuel. In
1803, Charles died and the following year Elemuel, Charles’
father, died. Anna then married Hosea Nichols. When Nichols died
in 1810, Anna married Jacob Creamer. As Creamer took over
operation of the mill, it became known as Creamer’s mill. When
Jacob Creamer died in 1835, he left the mill to his 33 year old
stepson, Lemuel Parvin.
In 1847, Lemuel replaced
the old mill with a new one. When Lemuel’s oldest child, Jane,
married in 1849, he turned the mill over to his new son-in-law
Coombs Ackley. The mill subsequently became known as the Coombs
Ackley Mill, and probably carried that identity for the
remainder of its existence into the 1930’s. Coombs Ackley also
built the house at the southeast corner of Almond and Parvin
Mill Road, where he and his family lived. Today, although not
open to the public, the house is the oldest remaining structure
in the park, and provides a visible connection with the Parvin
family, for whom the park was named. In the late 1800’s, Coombs
Ackley sold the property, which later became Parvin State Park,
to a man named Smith.
Smith supposedly was the
first to concentrate on creating recreational facilities in the
area around the lake, which became known as Union Grove Lake. A
beach was created near its present location, and about a mile
and a half upstream was Einstein’s Landing, a picnicking area
and a boat livery in the location known today as Second Landing.
Also on the north side of the lake near the main beach was a
boat livery, concession stand and caretaker’s house. Farther to
the east were bungalows which were rented to vacationers, and a
two story Community House which was rented to organized groups.
At the northeast corner of the park was a small peninsula used
by the Boy Scouts. Heading south on Parvin Mill Road just south
of the dam was a building in which local sportsmen founded the
Isaak Walton League, which today is the oldest nationwide
conservation organization.
After overseeing the
recreation park for some 20 years, Smith left the property to
his son in the 1920’s. Unfortunately, the younger Smith decided
to borrow $35,000 against the Park property to invest in the
stock market. When the market crashed, he was left owing the
bank all the money he had borrowed. In order to get the bank
loan paid off, local legislators prompted the State to purchase
the land for a park. In 1930, the State purchased 918 acres of
land and a 108 acre lake. On September 12, 1931 the property was
dedicated as Parvin State Park.
The new Park continued to
be a popular recreation area, adding camping to its list of
activities. Water festivals with swimming races were held each
summer during the early years of the Park. Joe Truncer was
appointed as the first Park Superintendent and Bob Seymour, who
had been the caretaker under the previous owner, became a Park
employee. Between 1932 and 1933 Almond Road was moved about 50
yards north of its earlier location in order to enlarge the
beach area.
This was at the height of
the depression and President Franklin Roosevelt created the
Civilian Conservation Corps to employ young men between the ages
of 16 and 21 from needy families. On October 30, 1933 Company
1225 was formed and assigned to SP-4, the Parvin State Park
Project. Company 1225 was moved into a camp, built by the
CCC of Belleplain State Park, located about three-fourths of a
mile west of the main beach at Parvin State Park. The camp,
which included barracks, a mess hall, and a recreation hall, was
run by the Army in a Quasi-military fashion. The young men were
provided food, clothing and lodging and were paid $30 per month,
$25 of which they were required to send home to their family.
Company 1225 remained at
Parvin State Park until 1937 during which time they cleared
portions of the forest for campsites, created trails and
roadways, and constructed gates, campsite markers, tent
platforms, and pavilions. These pavilions survive at Jagger’s
Point, Island Point and at Second Landing. Company 1225 also
built the main beach complex including an enlarged beach, the
brick buildings at the beach entrance, and the parking lot
across the road. They built several bridges across the Muddy Run
and dug the southern branch to the lake transforming the
peninsula at the northeast corner of the lake into an island,
which they then connected to the mainland by constructing a
bridge. The island is now known as Flag Island for the American
Flag the Scouts displayed there. One of Company 1225’s biggest
and most difficult tasks was the removal of fallen trees and
digging out of the muck in the swamp which would become
Thundergust Lake.
In October 1937, Company
1225 was transferred to Fallon, Nevada and the newly formed
Company 2227V, comprised of World War I veterans, was
established at the Park. These skilled workers put the finishing
touches on Thundergust Lake, building the adjoining picnic area
and completing the landscaping throughout the Park. They
constructed all the rental cabins and the caretaker’s cabin,
most of which are still in use. They also replaced the southerly
bridge to Flag Island with what is known today as White Bridge.
During the flood of
September 1st 1940, Company 2227V labored
unsuccessfully to save the dam, and later built the new concrete
dam. Completion of the new dam coincided with the disbanding of
the Civilian Conservation Corps as the U.S. entered WWII. This
allowed all able-bodied men to join the armed services. The CCC
Camp at Parvin State Park was officially closed on May 15, 1942.
Through an agreement
between the State of New Jersey and Seabrook Farms, the barracks
became the temporary home of workers from Tennessee and later a
place for displaced Japanese-Americans awaiting housing while
working at the Farms. In 1944 German prisoners of war were kept
in the barracks, and in 1952 several groups of Kalmyk, Mongolian
descendants, who were refugees from Russia were housed there. By
the late 1950’s the long abandoned and deteriorated camp was
overtaken by the forest. Today only the fireplace foundation
from the recreation hall remains as a reminder of an era of
amazing accomplishments that resulted in the building of Parvin
State Park.
The first superintendent,
Joseph Truncer, remained at the Park from 1932 till 1947. He was
succeeded by J. Ira Kolb, who was at the Park until 1957. Next
was John Broshkevitch, who was succeeded by J. William Bailey in
1961. In 1971 Joe R. Reed took over and remained until 1998,
when he was succeeded by W. Scott Mauger, who remained until
2003. The present superintendent is Dean Cramer.
Today, Parvin State Park
is known throughout New Jersey and many other states as an
exceptional recreation and natural area, and is enjoyed by
people from many parts of the Country.
Compiled by Herbert G.
Wegner, Parvin State Park Appreciation Committee – August 2006
