Southampton Township and Vincentown Village are special places. Our historic buildings and landscapes that have developed over the past 300 years remain to a great extent intact, serving to remind us of our past and where we have come from as well as to define who we are today. How we used our resources in the past has shaped who we are as a community today, how we use our resources today will shape what our community will become in the future. In order to preserve the quality of life we know and hold dear in Southampton Township, the preservation of our historic resources are a key to our future.

Preservation New Jersey named New Jersey’s rural villages to be at the top of its 2001 endangered places.  Southampton is in a unique position that many areas in New Jersey and the region have lost forever. The village itself is rich in Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian styles dating from the 1700’s through the early 1900’s, with relatively few buildings having been lost altogether.  We still have the opportunity to preserve many historic buildings, farms, and open spaces and uniquely, Vincentown Village in its historic agricultural setting.

How can this be done?  It takes work on many levels.

The importance of the village was recognized by its placement on the National and New Jersey Registers of Historic Places. Recently, State funding was used to place local farms in the Farmland Preservation plan, to help keep the open space around the village.

In 1992 the Township Committee, seeking to preserve the historic resources of the Township, created the Preservation Commission of Historic Southampton. It is the objective of the Preservation Commission to preserve, protect, promote and enhance the historic resources for current and future generations to enjoy.   The Commission also can provide assistance by offering recommendations, alternatives and information on the techniques used in historic preservation. 

On the most basic level, however, the success of the historic preservation depends upon private stewardship of historic buildings. Homeowners can take pride in knowing that by properly maintaining or restoring their historic homes, they are not only increasing their property values, but also helping to assure that Southampton’s past is part of its future. 

Todd Ditzman
Chairman, PCHS