Matts Landing Road
Heislerville, NJ
This was originally in a series I did of…
Top things to see in the Philadelphia Area before you die.
When I first visited this place, it was a bit scary for me.
After my tour of Thompson Beach and the East Point Lighthouse, we decided to check it out.
It sits on a wildlife refuge and the road overlooks the towns of Shellpile and Bivalve.
Matt’s Landing Road is a different kind of road and one should check it out. It’s very different than a lot of roads you see in NJ.
It was originally settled by the American Indians as their winter quarters escaping from the East Point Lighthouse and Menantico Areas which were their spring/summer/fall stomping grounds.
The European colonists settled here around the 1700s. It was predominately a fishing and agriculture industry up until the 1960s. Heislerville was known to ship out tons of strawberries which seemed to be their #1 farmed fruit on hundreds of stock cars in a growing season.
Now, it’s mainly a wildlife refuge area with some small unkempt marinas.
Entering Matts Landing
Upon entering the road, the refuge is on your left. There are restroom “facilities” (a port-a-potty) for your bathroom pleasure. Hey, when nature calls! I was taken back on the amount of people that were here crabbing with small children on the side of the road. It was something I never saw before. The amount of people on this partial day was over a hundred folks.
When we approached Matt’s Landing and looked over to our right and it was a scene out of “The Birds” movie. All these birds, singing away on an island. Hundreds of them hanging out on these dead trees. It was a strange site.
The island of the crazy birds
Across the river, sits the town of Shellpile. Hundreds of enormous seagulls gather for any tasty morsel that gets thrown away. Clams are mostly processed here from a seafood factory. There are piles and piles of shells just laying outside these factories and it does create a very smelly fishy odor.
The township has actually shredded these shells up and they have actually used them in making their roadways!
Allegedly, the streets go for miles and miles with grounded up shells.
(some estimate 30-40 miles worth of roadway)
If you continue down the road, there are a few old marinas.
Old marina
It was definitely an odd first experience. If you drive to the end of the road, there is a dike. There is no sign and one can easily drive over it and end up in the water (for folks not familiar with the area.)
Update 2015: I have been back at least a dozen times to Heislerville and three times to Matts Landing Rd. There is an East Point Lighthouse post on the website and were other mentions of Heislerville and its history on the Facebook page. There are some nice lookouts and scenery here. Bring some bug spray during the hot & humid months. Don’t go around crabbing season (as I did). It gets pretty busy and hard to drive through.
There is a road heading to the lighthouse, a dirt road on your right that one must check out. It’s a neat view. I saw a sea turtle here.
South Jersey History & Adventures 
Heislerville definitely has a weird vibe about it. One time we were driving through and most of the houses had yard signs planted by the road with very violent early testament quotes (lots of angels with swords smiting). It had a very M. Night Shyamalan feel, and was not a place I would like to run out of gas in.
I lived in Heislerville for 18 years until I graduated high school and left for the Army. I do not remember “most” of the yards having signs in them. There is a church at the end of Main street, which has a lot of awesome people that attend the services there. So I grant you that there might be a couple of church signs but certainly not “most”. Also, I do not know or care where you are from, but I have never known anyone to be a victim of violent crime or have to worry about drugs or anything “weird”. As a kid I was bored growing up there, but I am proud to say I was from there and I was safe. The people there would give you the shirt of your back. Very friendly and hard working people. If you did run out of gas in Heislerville, one of the “weird” people as you would like to call us, would give you a ride to the Wawa in Dorchester so that you could take you butt right out of town.
Hi Sam,
I wrote this over a year ago and have been back many times since. I am a huge advocate for Heislerville and many other bay towns. You have to put yourself in an outsider’s shoes (on this particular day) especially one who has never seen the road before. The island of the birds would be an odd site as well as the hundred or so crabbers (it was so filled on the road, you could barely see water or the street (it was extremely packed with people).
I’ve been back a few times to this road on off crabbing season as I was only referring to the road in the article and experience on this one day, not all of Heislerville. I have written about my great experiences in Heislerville in other articles in the past. I advocate for Heislerville on facebook, have obtained old pictures and have shown them there and will be writing more articles in the future.
Well said Sammy. God bless and thanks for your service. I grew up in “doc’s garden” I played baseball and football with you and Mike Sheppard
Sorry you were so creeped out by our home town. The run down marinas are as you called them are run down because of ALL the laws that restrict us from up grading . Between the Wet lands, the Pines Lands and of course who could forget the Bird watchers and nature conservatory we are lucky to have the convience of a port a pot for the crabbers. If you had taken the time to actually speak to a local, you would have gotton a warm welcome and a lot more history.
Hi Barb,
I was not creeped out and have been back many times since (there will be more articles in the future). This was my first exploration into new territory for me and one of my first adventure blogs, I ever did (see the date of post).
My mom was creeped out, due to, as she calls it, “the island of the crazy birds.” We also saw what seemed like almost a hundred crabbers on the road, with their kids aimlessly wandering on the street. So it was a bit of a surreal experience for newcomers. Now, it’s like second nature for myself and I
enjoy it (I left mom home the last few visits, lol)
I’ve written about the lighthouse and a few other locations in Heislerville (on the website) and in fact, it is a very beautiful town. Hope you get to see future articles and a follow-up to Matts Landing with the adjoining preserve. I think you will like the results. I’m a huge advocate for the bay towns and I do highlight Heislerville history often on the facebook page.
I bet your “prissy ass” is more suited for city life. Matts Landing and the people of Heislerville are genuine good hard working people Your blog tells nothing of the genuine spirit of this town! Betcha get your crab from a can!
Did I knock the people of Heislerville? No. Did I write about an experience I had on Matts Landing..Yes.
I’ve seen and visited Heislerville on many occasions and have visited Matts Landing thereafter a few times and have yet to write about the newest experience. I can give you creepy in just about any town in South Jersey. Give me a town…I’ll show you a creepy place. You mean to tell me the island with the dead trees and the birds yapping…isn’t just a tad bit creepy? All of my experiences besides Matts Landing have been awesome in Heislerville.
Also, my “prissy ass” lives in Salem County. The last I looked…it’s considered pretty rural and contains a ton of farmland. I work on my land with my bare hands. I’m far from prissy.
Matt’s Landing and the marinas dotting the shore line of the Maurice River will remain a favorable memory in my mind until the end of my time. I recall the first marina that would be encountered upon reaching the end of the long entrance road. I recall there was a fine boat ramp there and always busy. I don’t recall the name of the marina, nor the name of the owner that existed when I first started off in my career as a marine mechanic back in the early 1960’s… but one thing about that marina that always caught my eye was the smooth clear fiberglass counter where I enjoyed many a cup of coffee after correcting a customer’s engine problem and seeing him travel off across the water to catch that prize fish he’s been dreaming about the past four seasons.
There was a bigger marina slightly to the south, seems to me it was bigger anyhow, and I recall it was owned by a Captain Webb. I had the privilege of knowing Captain Webb and also his wife, spoke to them many times, always enjoyed our conversations. I remember Captain Webb having a party boat of which many customers always had a enjoyable time fishing… those were the days. Later, not too many years later, Captain Webb sold the business to John Hayes and his wife of whom I also had the pleasure of knowing. I worked on many an engine for John Hayes also, a good man, a more honest man I don’t think I’ve ever met. I remember the restaurant that John’s wife operated… I seem to remember her name was Bert for some reason, or perhaps something that rhymes with that. My late wife (Louise) and I had breakfast there a few times and it was always outstanding.
I moved to the central west Florida area in 1977, continuing my mechanical marine trade up until 1991 when I retired. However, I have returned to South Jersey and have visited Matt’s Landing in those past 37 years from time to time, and on each visit I would find myself leaning on a wood fence rail of some marina, looking out over the waters of Maurice River and towards the bay daydreaming of days gone by. It seems to always be a case of… Those were the days… but we just aren’t capable of realizing it until they’re gone, and once gone, they’re gone forever, but fortunately… the memories remain.
I haven’t been back to Matt’s Landing for one reason or another since 1993 and at the present time I am 82 years of age although I feel like I”m 38. Next year, during the Summer months, I will make a strong effort to drive back, to lean on those wood fence rails one more time, to think of the friends I knew back then, Captain Webb John Hayes, Calvin Grier, Jack Tharp, just to name a few. Good times, good people.
Late to the game here, but I love that area of NJ. Every year I lead a group bike ride from Port Elizabeth out to East Point Lighthouse to view horseshoe crabs. We then ride up Matts Landing Rd. to the path that takes you to Dorchester. We eventually head to Fortescue and then come back through Mauricetown. Love that “bird island.” Nothing creepy about it at all. In fact, it’s quite beautiful.The entire area has a sense of authenticity about it. Can’t wait to visit the area again this year.
BTW Yummygal, you wrote “This place gave me the creeps.”
So I have tried to get in touch with you several times privately, with no reply, so this seems to be the best way.
I will start with a little background for you to bring you up to speed. I live on Matts Landing road, and my family owns two of the “small run down marinas” as you put it. This post first came to light a year or so back while doing some research in the area. At first I was offended by what you wrote, but now your smugness and shameless self promoting while portraying others in a negative light has gotten the best of me.
While you claim to know your history better than any one, your lack of research in the present truly shines. With that being said, I thought I would fill you in.
The one thing that makes Matts landing unique, and diffrent than many other places, is the balance that we have been able to maintain over many decades. All along the water front up and down the coast, man has destroyed the habitat of so many animals. The Maurice River has been declared a wild and scenic river because of it’it’s lack of development, A status handed out to only a few places. This small glimpse of nature draws in thousands of tourists every year, starting with the shore bird migration and carrying through for the purple martin festival at the end of summer.
The “crazy bird island” that freaked you and your mother out so bad is actually a cormorant rookery, or nesting ground for diving ducks. If you have never seen one before it’s understandable, as they have very specific requirments, and with man’s development, the amount of space they find every year gets smaller and smaller. But how a island in the middle of a pond that you can not get to freaked you guys out so bad is beyond me.
As far as the Wild life management area itself, or “refuge” as you called it, you seemed disappointed that there was nothing there. I am unsure what you were hoping to find, maybe a bar or night club like down sea isle perhaps. But our wma is for wildlife, so that’s all you will find there. Oh, and the port a potty – With the lack of public sewers, and the thousands of tourists, bird watchers, and scientist that come here every year, if you can think of a better way of keeping people from using nature as a bathroom, we would love to hear it. In fact, we had to fight with the state to even provide that.
Now the “run down marinas”. I am pretty sure you missed the “state marinas” sign as you turned onto the road. Since most people do not have a clue what that means, I thought I would explain it. The state of New Jersey owns the land that the marinas sit on, in turn, the marina has to lease it from the state every year. The marina owner owns the building, but in essence rents the land. So what exactly does this mean? Well every year the state has the option to not renew the lease, in turn the building owner would have to remove the building, and loose the buisness. It is not like a photography studio where you can put everything in a box, and move across town if need be. This also poses a major problem when trying to get a loan or make repairs on the buildings. No bank in any circumstances would give a loan for a building on land that is owned by somone else. If you want to see it yourself, walk to the bank and ask for a loan for 200k so you can build a house on your neighbors land. Now throw on top of that all the repairs that are needed after major storms. Incase you were left out of the loop, fema funding was not avaliable for Cumberland county… so the 70k needed in repairs had to be paid out of pocket. Things like that really take a chunk out of the 2nd story or swimming pool funds needed to “class the area up”.
Dispite a never ending uncertainty of having a lease, environmental groups trying to push you out, and lack of financial backing…. these marinas have survived rather well. Oh, and don’t forget to factor in the increased regulations for fishing, high fuel prices, poor economy, and massive amounts of fish that are killed by the power plant in your home area.
So when there is a ton of pressure and resistance to just stay afloat, and somone sitting behind a keyboard portrays your lively hood as a “creepy place”, and somewhere you will “never return to” in a public forum that is one thing. But when you turn around in that same forum after trashing several families lively hood to promote your own buisness…. well that’s just classless.
If you would have done some research into the present, you would be amazed at not only how these places stand the test of time, but also thrive in the situation. You questioned Mrs Gross, and the integrity of the people of the area, while defending you are a “advocate” for Heislerville and the bayshore area. If you are in Trenton fighting for the town, and the protection of the resources, then I applaud you. If you paid your $20 to join one of the many groups in the area, and think you are doing good, then I suggest you reinvest your time and money. You should try becoming part of the solution, and not adding to the problem.
As far as the people in the area, one thing that will always be noted is how resilient and united we are. When one hurts, we all cry. As far as Mrs Gross… she has been a vital resource in this community in ways that are unmatched anywhere. She will not hesitate to fight for our veterans right through to our small business owners. She has been vital in bringing one of the only drug prevention programs for kids in South Jersey. A program that is partnered with the 4-H, boys and girls club, and state of New Jersey. In fact, one of those “small run down marinas” has also been providing free bait and tackle for kids on the weekends for a few years now. One of the other marinas is being turned into a youth and educational location, open to all who want to learn about nature. Seems down here we still find ways to give back, even when we have problems our self. What are you doing for your area?
While you claim to have changed your mind about the area, and advocate for it, your original post exists, and comes up when the area is researched. You can sit on both sides of the fence all you want, but people will tell you, your ass will get sore sooner or later.
If you really want want to help out, stop back any time this summer and take a look at how it is. I would be more than willing to give you a first hand tour. Then maybe you could remove such a insulting write up, and replace it with the struggles of the small business owner, and how man has taken over nature in many places, but not here.
My husband and I went to Heislerville yesterday to see the lighthouse, however according to our GPS it was saying it was there and yet we couldn’t find it. We went down a dirt road for awhile and still didn’t see anything but water and marshlands. Did we not go far enough for the lighthouse? My husband was afraid he wouldn’t be able to turn around so we went so far and did turn around. Never got to see the lighthouse and I was very disappointed.