Carney’s Point, NJ

Collection, Lawrence E. Walker Foundation Collection, New Jersey

January 02, 2012

In 1675, what is now known as Carney’s Point, New Jersey was purchased by John Fenwick, a Quaker, from the Lenni Lenape tribe for 2 ankers of rum, 8 knives, and 3 pairs of scissors and then resold to William Penn in 1682. In 1725, 2 Irish immigrants, Thomas Carney and William Summerill purchased the land around Helm’s Cove (Carney’s Point – Penns Gove). An estate was established, including a mill and a wharf. Hannah Carney, Carney granddaughter, married Colonel Robert G. Johnson. Although there is some question as to the legitimacy of this claim, Johnson is credited with bolstering Salem County agriculture by introducing the tomato. Legend has it that in July of 1820, in order to disprove The Colonists belief that this love apple” was poisonous, Johnson ate a tomato as he sat on the front steps of his house while a large crowd watched in horror. When he didn’t drop dead, one of Salem County most important crops was established. In 1826, Johnson organized Salem County’s first agricultural and horicultural society and in 1845, he helped organize the NJ Historical Society.

By 1869, the son of Carney and Johson sold the 200 acre estate. The land was purchased by the E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Company in 1891, a land transfer that would forever change Salem County. DuPont purchased the site to produce smokeless gunpowder and built it up slowly as adjoining land became available. With the outbreak of World War I, the demand for the gunpowder increased dramatically and in less than a year, the population in the area grew from 2,000 to 10,000 people. By1917, DuPont had expanded to 67 times its pre-war capacity and employed 25,000 people. By the 1960’s, DuPont Chamber Works was the largest chemical factory in the world and employed 25 percent of the households in Salem County.

At a general election held on November 2, 1976, the citizens of Upper Penn’s Neck Township in Salem County voted 1931 to 887 in favor of changing the township’s name to Carney’s Point Township.

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