Mays Landing

History

The community was named for Captain George May, who sailed the Great Egg Harbor River in 1740, and purchased land in the area in 1756. The location was suitable for building ships using local timber and iron from Weymouth foundries. In February 1837, Atlantic County was created and Mays Landing was established as the county seat. The Atlantic County Courthouse was built here in 1838. The Weymouth Forge and Furnace, located along Route 559 just north of the Black Horse Pike (Route 322) in Atlantic County, New Jersey, is now part of the Atlantic County Park System. The site was established in the early 1800s after George Ashbridge and Charles Shoemaker purchased the land in 1800. Iron production began in 1802, using local bog iron and charcoal as fuel. By the 1850s, it had grown into a bustling industrial community with a furnace, forge, gristmill, sawmill, church, store, worker housing, and other facilities. The forge primarily produced cast iron water pipes and also supplied shot and bombs to the U.S. government during the War of 1812. However, by 1862, competition from Pennsylvania’s coal-powered forges made it unprofitable, and the facility was destroyed by fire that same year. In the decades that followed, the property hosted two paper mills—the Atlantic Paper Mills and Weymouth Paper Mills—which operated from the 1860s to 1897. After their closure, the area fell into decline: the dam broke in 1916, the mill pond drained, and the remaining buildings were scavenged for materials. In 1966, Atlantic County began acquiring portions of the original 85,973-acre tract to preserve its history. Today, the Weymouth Furnace site near Mays Landing remains a popular destination for visitors, offering views of the surviving ruins and access to canoeing on the Great Egg Harbor…

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Mays Landing has a total area of , including of land and of water (11.91%). The community is located west of Atlantic City. The community known as Mizpah is located west of Mays Landing on U.S. Route 40 but is sometimes considered part of it, with ZIP codes of 08330 and 08342. McKee City is an unincorporated area east of Mays Landing on US 40. The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Mays Landing has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Tufted Titmouse

  Baeolophus bicolor (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,781
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,714
• Carolina Chickadee

  Poecile carolinensis (Audubon, 1834) · Aves
  4,618
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,402
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  4,291
• Red-bellied Woodpecker

  Melanerpes carolinus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,857
• Carolina Wren

  Thryothorus ludovicianus (Latham, 1790) · Aves
  3,816
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,748

Most recent

• M 4.1 — 2017-11-30
  3 km NNE of Little Creek, Delaware
• M 2.78 — 2009-07-01
  3 km ESE of Pennsville, New Jersey