Interpretive signage installed in the Timbuctoo cemetery describes the church that established the cemetery, US Colored Troops buried in the cemetery, as well as general Timbuctoo history.
Timbuctoo is an unincorporated community in Westampton Township, Burlington County, New Jersey.[2] Located along the Rancocas Creek, Timbuctoo was settled by formerly enslaved and free Black people, beginning in 1826.[3] It includes present day Church Street, Blue Jay Hill Road, and adjacent areas. At its peak in the mid-nineteenth century, Timbuctoo had more than 125 residents, a school, an AME Zion Church, and a cemetery. The key remaining evidence of this community is the cemetery on Church Street, which was formerly the site of Zion Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal African Church. Some current residents are descendants of early settlers.[4][5][6]
Parcel map depicts early land purchases as well as establishment of school and church.
Timbuctoo was founded by free Blacks and former slaves in 1826, in a region of New Jersey where the influence of Quakers was strong.[7][8] Timbuctoo appeared on Burlington County maps as early 1849,[9] and continues to appear on maps today.[10]
A review of deeds in the Burlington County Clerk’s office found that the first sales of land to Black people in the area that would later be named Timbuctoo occurred in September of 1826, when Wardell Parker,[11] Ezekiel Parker,[12] David Parker[13] and Hezekiah Hall[14] purchased parcels of land from a Quaker farmer named William Hilyard. The parcels ranged from one-half acre to one-and-a-half acres in area, costing between $8.33 to $24.05. In 1829, another Quaker farmer named Samuel Atkinson sold land to Black people, beginning with one acre to John Bruer in 1829 for $30,[15] one-half acre to Major Mitchell in 1830 for $15,[16] and one-and-one-fifth acre to Peter Quire in 1831 for $36.[17] The deed to Major Mitchell was the first to use the name Timbuctoo. By 1845, Timbuctoo consisted of twenty-four lots covering approximately fifteen acres.
In 1834, Peter Quire and his wife Maria subdivided their lot to provide a location for the African Union School.[18] Astle and Weston point out the school’s deed makes a strong statement about the early settlers’ autonomy and intent on self-determination.[19] After describing the buyers and sellers and a legal description of the property, it says:
Whereas, in the Settlement of Tombuctoo . . . and in the vicinity thereof, there are many People of Colour (so called), who seem sensible of the advantages of a suitable school education and are destitute for a house for that purpose. And the said Peter Quire, and Maria, his wife in consideration of the premises, and the affection they bear to the people of Colour, and the desire they have, to promote their true and best interests, are minded to settle, give, grant and convey . . . said premises to the uses and intents hereinafter pointed out and described.
This deed also identifies the school’s trustees and stipulates that future trustees must be “people of colour who live within ten miles of the premises,” plainly indicating the settlers’ intent to be in charge of education in their community. Perhaps more clearly than any other extant documentation on Timbuctoo’s early history, this deed indicates the settlers had the agency to establish institutions on their own terms, and describe rules of operation that preserved Black leadership, with some degree of deference by the White majority. Recording deeds in the county clerk’s office in this era meant a county official would hand-write a second copy for the official record. Therefore, every detail of content would be known to the local government.
The 1854 deed for the Zion Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal African Church[20] also identifies trustees and a governance structure, describing affiliation with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AME Zion) Church, which is a national denomination established in New York City in 1821 that remains in existence today. This deed indicates the premises would also be used for a cemetery: “a place for the burial of the dead of such as are in connection with said church or the descendants thereof, (and such others as the majority of the Trustees for the time being may permit) forever.” From this we conclude that a majority of as many as one hundred fifty unmarked graves identified by ground penetrating radar (GPR) in 2009 are most likely members or affiliates of this church that operated through approximately 1915.[21] The predominance of US Colored Troops (USCT) gravestones in the cemetery today (eight out of eleven), resulted in the cemetery being formally designated as a Civil War cemetery in 2006.[21]However, the number of USCT gravestones can be attributed to the fact that the troops received stone grave markers as a benefit of military service. By contrast, wooden grave markers were common for ordinary citizens during that time period; these would not survive time. Interpretive signage installed in the cemetery in 2018 clarifies the cemetery’s history.
By 1860, the population of Timbuctoo had grown to about 125.[22] As illustrated in the adjacent parcel map, this area comprised approximately 15 acres. The US Census identified the "Village of Timbuctoo" as a separate entity within Westampton Township for the first time in 1880,[23] enumerating 108 residents and 29 households.
David Parker, who was one of the original 1826 settlers, emerged as leader of the community, and remained in this position for most of his life. Parker was associated with multiple land transactions and had served as a founder and trustee of the Zion Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal African Church referenced above. He was also a trustee and founder of the Beneficial Society of the United Sons and Daughters of Timbuctoo and Vicinity,[24] which was a benevolent society. Parker was often referred to as King David, both in the local newspaper, the New Jersey Mirror, andin major publications like the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Camden Post.[19] Clearly, it was far more than a casual nickname. His 1877 obituary[25] in the New Jersey Mirror begins as follows:
“The King” Hath Departed.—“David Parker, an aged colored man who for perhaps a half a century has occupied a prominent position with his race in this vicinity, and who has commanded the respect and esteem of a large number of white friends, died at his residence in Timbuctoo on Sunday [June 24, 1877]… ‘King David’, as he had been known in other years, was possessed of more than ordinary intelligence and a determined will, which made him a natural leader among his people…and he was generally at the head of any movement among them…
Original settler Hezekiah Hall also had a substantial obituary[26] in 1851 in the New Jersey Mirror, which says he had been enslaved by Charles Carroll of Carrollton,(a signer of the Declaration of Independence), and that “he was a man of unblemished character and his truly upright walk and Christian deportment commanded the highest respect.” Similarly, Lambert Giles, son-in-law of early settler John Bruer, had a flattering 1875 obituary[27] that says he was “regarded as about perfect in his art” (house painting), and that he would be “more missed than many of our more pretentious citizens.”
In 1860, the Battle of Pine Swamp took place near Timbuctoo, when armed residents fought off an infamous "slave catcher," named George Alberti, who sought to capture Timbuctoo neighbor Perry Simmons and return him to enslavement in Maryland. David Parker led "the Timbuctoo warriors" in their victorious defense of Simmons, according to the New Jersey Mirror’s 1100-word account,[28] which includes numerous humorous anecdotes in criticism of the would be captors. Most notably, it says the “slave catchers” “left the scene of their brilliant achievement as if old Satan was after them.”
During the postbellum period through the early twentieth century, the population of Timbuctoo declined. Beginning in the 1920s, a population influx attributed to the Great Migration increased the population. Today, many Timbuctoo descendants trace their ancestry in the community to the early decades of the twentieth century. There are four known families that descend from settlers that came to Timbuctoo before the Civil War. Three still own property and/or live in Timbuctoo.
Resurgence of Timbuctoo's historic significance
Throughout most of the twentieth century, Timbuctoo was known locally "the Black section of town," without any recognition of any remarkable history, In 2009, officials from Temple University and the National Park Service met with Westampton Township Mayor Sidney Camp to inform him of Timbuctoo’s historic significance and to propose archaeological research. With funding from Westampton Township, and including subsequent leadership of Mayor Carolyn Chang, two field seasons of archaeological research ensued, ultimately identifying more than 15,000 artifacts,[29] some of which are on exhibition at the Burlington County Lyceum of History and Natural Sciences and the Rancocas Nature Center, as of January 2025. Principal Investigator Christopher Barton’s Temple University doctoral dissertation chronicled and interpreted the research findings of the excavations. These were published in a book entitled The Archaeology of Race and Class at Timbuctoo: A Black Community in New Jersey.[29] Using a community archaeology perspective, Barton “explores the intersectionality of life at Timbuctoo and the ways Black residents resisted the marginalizing structures of race and class.”
Substantial publicity resulted from the archaeological investigations, including front page coverage in the Philadelphia Inquirer, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. The During this period, the Timbuctoo Advisory Committee, formed by Westampton Township’s governing body, conducted outreach and educational events, as well as installing signage to identify the community and educate area residents about the historical significance of Timbuctoo.
In 2019, Guy Weston, a fifth great grandchild of 1829 Timbuctoo settler John Bruer, established the Timbuctoo Historical Society to coordinate Timbuctoo preservation educational efforts.[30] The society obtained ownership of the Timbuctoo cemetery in 2021. The society receives state and county funding for various preservation and educational initiatives, including a curriculum project in partnership with the Rancocas Valley High School district and the Westampton district, as well as a children’s book about Timbuctoo.
In 2024, the society successfullyprepared applications to have Timbuctoo listed on the New Jersey Black Heritage Trail and the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. As of January 2025, Weston has written or co-written fourteen scholarly or feature articles on Timbuctoo and related topics.[31] Weston says Timbuctoo and other antebellum free Black communities represent an underappreciated perspective in American history. “Free Black people were only 12% of the US Black population at the onset of the Civil War, but we were the vast majority in Northern states. We certainly had our struggles, but we also owned land, established institutions, and forged our own path. That needs to be part of the story too.”
Burlington County is a county in the South Jersey region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The county is the largest by land area in New Jersey and ranks second behind neighboring Ocean County in total area. Its county seat is Mount Holly. As of the 2020 census, the county was the state's 11th-most-populous county, with a population of 461,860, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 13,126 (+2.9%) from the 448,734 recorded at the 2010 census, which in turn had reflected an increase of 25,340 (6.0%) from the 423,394 enumerated at the 2000 census. The most populous place in the county was Evesham Township with 46,826 residents as of the 2020 census. Washington Township covered 102.71 square miles (266.0 km2), the largest area of any municipality in the county.
Eastampton Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 6,191, an increase of 122 (+2.0%) from the 2010 census count of 6,069, which in turn reflected a decline of 133 (−2.1%) from the 6,202 counted in the 2000 census. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.
Lumberton is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 12,803, an increase of 244 (+1.9%) from the 2010 census count of 12,559, which in turn reflected an increase of 2,098 (+20.1%) from the 10,461 counted in the 2000 census.
Mount Holly is a township that is the county seat of Burlington County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is an eastern suburb of Philadelphia, the nation's sixth largest city as of 2020. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 9,981, an increase of 445 (+4.7%) from the 2010 census count of 9,536, which in turn reflected a decline of 1,192 (-11.1%) from the 10,728 counted in the 2000 census. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.
Westampton is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 9,121, an increase of 308 (+3.5%) from the 2010 census count of 8,813, which in turn reflected an increase of 1,596 (+22.1%) from the 7,217 counted in the 2000 census. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.
Hainesport Township is a township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 6,035, a decline of 75 (-1.2%) from the 2010 census enumeration of 6,110, in turn reflecting an increase of 1,984 (+48.1%) from the 4,126 counted in the 2000 census. The township, and all of Burlington County, is a part of the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.
Rancocas Creek is a tributary of the Delaware River in southwestern New Jersey in the United States. The creek's main stem is 8.3 miles (13.4 km) long, with a North Branch of 28.3 miles (45.5 km) and a South Branch flowing 21.7 miles (34.9 km). The creek system drains a rural agricultural and forested area on the western edge of the Pinelands north and northeast of Camden and the New Jersey suburbs of Philadelphia.
Rancocas may refer to the following in the U.S. state of New Jersey:
Rancocas Valley Regional High School is a regional high school and public school district serving students in ninth through twelfth grades from five communities in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The district encompasses approximately 40 square miles (100 km2) and comprises the communities of Eastampton Township, Hainesport Township, Lumberton, Mount Holly and Westampton Township. The school is located in Mount Holly. The school has been accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools since 1938; the school's current accreditation extends until January 2028. The high school is the only facility of the Rancocas Valley Regional High School District.
County Route 541 is a county highway in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The highway extends 23.8 miles (38.3 km) from US 206 in Shamong to US 130/CR 543 in Burlington.
Timbuktu is a city in Mali.
The Mount Holly Township Public Schools are a comprehensive community public school district, that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Mount Holly, in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
The Eastampton Township School District is a comprehensive community public school district that serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade from Eastampton Township, in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
The Lumberton Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade in Lumberton, in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
The Westampton Township Schools are a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Westampton, in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
The Hainesport Township School District is a community public school district that serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade from Hainesport Township, in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church and Mount Zion Cemetery is a historic church and cemetery located at 172 Garwin Road in Woolwich Township, New Jersey, United States. The church was a stop on the Greenwich Line of the Underground Railroad through South Jersey operated by Harriet Tubman for 10 years. The church provided supplies and shelter to runaway slaves on their way to Canada from the South. The church and cemetery were part of the early 19th-century free negro settlement sponsored by Quakers known as Small Gloucester.
The Shinn Curtis Log House lies in the heart of a historic section of Mount Holly, New Jersey, United States. The early settler's home of hand-hewn logs originally built in 1712 was encased in a house and was uncovered in 1967 when the surrounding house was demolished. It was in the possession of the Curtis family for 147 years, since 1802, and is now owned by the Mount Holly Historical Society. The building was relocated from what had been Water Street and renamed Rancocas Road.
Rancocas Woods is an unincorporated community located within Mount Laurel Township in Burlington County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
Rancocas is an unincorporated community located within Westampton Township in Burlington County, New Jersey. The name derives from the Native American word Rankokous, which was used in the name of the Powhatan Lenape Nation Indian Reservation located in Westampton Township. The name was also known as a sub-tribe of the Ancocus. The Reservation was a popular tourist destination for visitors from the Philadelphia area, New York, and local residents, before the Reservation became Rancocas State Park.
↑ Lyght, Ernest (1978). Path of Freedom: The Black Presence in New Jersey's Burlington County, 1659-1900. Cherry Hill, NJ: E and E Publishing. pp.38, 39, 40, 68.
↑ Lyght, Ernest (1978). Path of Freedom: The Black Presence in New Jersey's Burlington, County 1659-1900. Cherry Hill, New Jersey: E and E Publishing House. pp.22–23.
↑ Burlington County, New Jersey, Deeds, A:77, Zion Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal African Church 23 December 1854; Burlington County Clerk’s Office, Mount Holly.
↑ Lyght, Ernest (1978). Path to Freedom: The Black Presence in New Jersey’s Burlington County, 1659-1900. Cherry Hill: E&E Publishing House. p.36.
↑ 1880 US Census; Timbuctoo, Burlington, New Jersey; Roll: 772; Family History Film: 1254772; Page: 296-298B; Enumeration District: 022; Image: 0596, Ancestry.com, <http://www.ancestry.com> (accessed 15 December 2024).
↑ Burlington County, New Jersey, Deeds, A:85, Beneficial Society of the Sons and Daughters of Timbuctoo 15 March 1856; Burlington County Clerk’s Office, Mount Holly. (Corporation certificates were kept in deed books)
↑ Obituaries. “The New Jersey Mirror” 28 June 1877. Transcribed from Microfilm on 21 September 2017
↑ Obituaries, “The New Jersey Mirror,” 27 February 1851, p.3, col. 2; Indexed Transcription from the Burlington County Library
↑ Obituaries. “The New Jersey Mirror, April 22, 1875. Page 3, column 1. Indexed transcription from the Burlington County Library
↑ Excitement at Timbuctoo, the Battle of Pine Swamp: Invaders forced to Retreat. “The New Jersey Mirror,” 6 December 1860. Transcribed from microfilm on 21 March 2017
1 2 Barton, Christopher (March 29, 2022). The Archaeology of Race and Class at Timbuctoo: A Black Community in New Jersey. University Press of Florida. ISBN978-0813069272.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link)
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