The Morris Canal at Waterloo Village Historic Site is a restored 19th century canal town in Byram Township, Sussex County in northwestern New Jersey. The community was approximately the half-way point in the roughly 102-mile (165 km) trip along the Morris Canal, which ran from Jersey City, NJ across New Jersey to Phillipsburg, PA
Waterloo Village mill town possessed all the accommodations necessary to service the needs of a canal operation, including an inn, a general store, a church and a blacksmith shop (to service the mules on the canal), and a gristmill. Waterloo's geographic location would have been conducive to being an overnight stopover point on the two-day trip between Phillipsburg and Jersey City.
The stone Smith’s Store was built c. 1831, at the time of the opening of the Morris Canal. It is clearly oriented to the canal and had a series of loft doors on each level facing the canal. A large hoisting wheel and pulley system was used for raising goods from canal boats up onto the upper levels of the building. The Smith’s Store is the most intact canal store surviving along the entire former route of the Morris Canal.
Smith’s Store along the Morris Canal
It is likely that John Smith and/or his young son Peter had the store constructed. It operated well into the early part of the 20th century. Throughout most of its history, Smith’s Store contained the Waterloo Post Office.
Smith’s General Store was patronized by the residents of Waterloo and the nearby valley. It also served as a source of staple foods and basic supplies that were required by the passing boat captains, their crew and families. The store also served as the social center of the village for many decades, being a place where local gossip was traded and news from across the state was shared by passing boatmen.