Built some 25 years before H.B. Smith's arrival in Burlington County , the Greek Revival mansion symbolizes in its buildings and gardens the complexity of its most famous owner.
Historic Smithville Park is the centerpiece of the Burlington County Parks System. As the Smithville Historic District, the village is listed on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places. Smithville grew from a typical, small mill operation on the Rancocas Creek to a major industrial plant employing hundreds of workers in its shops and yards from the 1860s to the 1920s. Known for its high-quality woodworking machinery, the Smithville-Mt. Holly Bicycle Railroad, and the Star high-wheeled bicycle, Smithville was also well ahead of its time in town planning, sustainability, and workers’ rights and welfare. Within its borders, it offered its residents and workers a variety of recreational, artistic and educational opportunities. Smithville was, in just about every way, a model industrial town.
In addition to its intriguing past, this 280-acre park features a diverse collection of habitats and terrain. With upland forests and meadows, freshwater streams and wetlands, creek shoreline and the 22-acre Smithville Lake, visitors can enjoy hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing and picnicking in an idyllic, natural setting.
The park offers beautiful river vistas and wildlife observation opportunities. Overlook and observation areas are sited to capture stunning viewsheds of the waterways and habitats throughout the park. While hiking the trails, visitors might see white-tailed deer, wild turkey, red fox, beaver, cottontail rabbits, red-tailed hawks, great blue herons, and a wide variety of waterfowl to name a few.
