Status: Abandoned

One hot, humid, and hazy day last summer my pal Shadows and I decided to do some good old fashion Weird New Jersey style exploring after most of our recent explorations had been out of state. It was one of those days where it was so hot that the sweat just POURS off of you, however, there’s no way in hell you’ll let it stop you.

We had just got done exploring one location in Northern New Jersey, got done with it much sooner than we had anticipated and were chomping at the bit for something else to do. Neither of us could think of anything off the top of our heads, so when we stopped at a 7-11 to get some refreshing beverages, we thought to pick up the latest copy of Weird NJ magazine. Leafing through it, I started to reminisce about the “popular” weird locations from years past, before this whole “urban exploration” trend exploded and eventually, my nostalgic mind brought me back to the Jake Brown Road urban tales. Not even knowing if the abandoned houses were still there, we decided to pay this legendary place a visit for old time’s sake.

Driving farther down the road, it all looked the same as I remembered it years ago–desolate, lonely, and the few abandoned houses left over. There was more evidence of arson, however. Other than that, the development still remains untouched.

In case you’re not familiar with the origin of this abandoned development, allow me to give you a quick history lesson. During the Cold War, there were Nike Missile Bases scattered throughout the United States, and many of these were in New Jersey to protect New York City. One of these bases was located here and the houses were where those who worked on the base lived. I believe the base was abandoned in the early 1970’s and now in the present day, it appears the property is being used by the Board Of Education for offices and vehicle parking.

There are many urban legends surrounding the abandoned houses of Jake Brown Road, and they’re all quite typical. I’ve heard stories ranging from KKK and cult activity to Satanism. While wandering in and out of the shells of houses that are leftover, I can’t say we saw much evidence of this. However, the tales I’ve heard of teenagers going there to drink and commit vandalism may not be so far fetched.

- Ember, 2009