Our Area

First settled in 1769 by the Moravians, Hope is one of the earliest planned communities in the United States. Today Hope New Jersey is a historic district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Ten minutes from the Delaware Water Gap and less than an hour from New York City, Hope New Jersey, and surrounding areas offer the best of both worlds. Directly off Interstate 80, Exit 12, you will find displays of historic architecture, beautifully restored and preserved. You will be surrounded by rollings hills and farmland. Family Friendly Hikes at Jenny Jump State Park showcase nature at it’s best where rocky outcroppings and boulders – created 21,000 years ago by receding glaciers – line the trail. Reach the pinnacle and the panoramic view is of the Delaware Water Gap and Pequest Valley.

Hope’s History

The first settler in Hope was Peter Warbass who came from Bethlehem to establish a Moravian settlement in 1769. The settlement was first named Greenland in honor of Samuel Green, a pioneer who entertained the Moravian missionaries on their trips here to baptize and preach to the Indians of the area.

The Moravians started new industries, introducing new trades, such as tanning, pottery making, and the making of woolen cloth. They built a distillery and a brewery. All of these enterprises were abandoned when they left in 1808, and the township developed into an agricultural area.

The grist mill which was the basis of the Moravian economy kept the farmers of the area supplied with flour. During the Revolutionary War, it was one of the New Jersey mills supplying Washington’s Army at Morristown.