Explore South Jersey

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Somers Point is located approximately ten miles southwest of Atlantic City on Greate Egg Harbor Bay, The city retains the charm of a quaint bay village reminiscent of the days of great fishing and shipbuilding which were the mainstay of old South Jersey.

With many fine restaurants and marinas and a fabulous view of the bay from Kennedy Park (once known as "High Banks Park") this little town is one of the great attractions to the Jersey Shore. There's lots to see in and around Somers Point.

Stop also available on the Way to Cape May Tour.

Located about a half-hour from Atlantic City, Historic Smithville is a must-visit destination featuring over 50 shops and a variety of eateries, making it an ideal place to escape the hustle and bustle of the casinos for a few hours. A visit to Historic Smithville will skirt the Pine Barrens, but give ample opportunity to explore this fascinating area.

Early in the 1760’s Captain George May moved into this area as a representative and surveyor for the West Jersey Society. Captain May was also a blacksmith and a known shipbuilder who built ships for the West Indies trade. It was his popular ship loading site he called May’s Landing that gave the name for the town of Mays Landing in 1780. Thousands of two and four mast ships sailed up the Great Egg Harbor River carrying their cargo of household goods and other merchandise to be sold. 

Farmers in the Garden State produce more than 100 different kinds of fruits and vegetables for consumers to enjoy either fresh or processed here in New Jersey and elsewhere in the Northeast, in Canada and in many countries around the world. Nationally, New Jersey is one of the top 10 producers of blueberries, cranberries, peaches, tomatoes, bell peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, spinach, squash, as well as in floriculture.

In addition, growers also produce hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of specialty crops that add a unique flavor to the Garden State’s bounty. Vineyards, for example, are a growing segment of the industry, enabling the state's more than 50 vintners to develop a wide variety of award-winning New Jersey wines. 

The area home to Egg Harbor City was settled by Europeans in 1614, when the Dutch vessel Fortuyn landed at the Mullica River. The first settlers named the area "Eyren Haven" which meant “The Harbor of Eggs”. 

Egg Harbor City was planned shortly before the Civil War by a group of German investors from Philadelphia, PA.  It was to be the commerce center for the outlying farming areas.  Originally, it was planned as a port on the Mullica River. However, the focus was moved to the southern end of the city to take advantage of the railroad.  Though the city did not grow to the size as originally proposed, it grew in population steadily in the 1870s, and remained a virtual island of German language and culture in South Jersey for more than 50 years. 

The first mayor of Egg Harbor, Francis Bierwirth, was killed in the battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862.