Mays Landing is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in and the county seat of Atlantic County, New Jersey, located within Hamilton Township. As of the 2020 census, Mays Landing had a population of 5,603.
History
thumb|1838 Atlantic County Courthouse
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.
Weymouth Furnace/Forge
center|thumb|Weymouth Furnace in 2014
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 River.
| designated_other1_name = New Jersey Register of Historic Places
| designated_other1_abbr = NJRHP
| designated_other1_link = New Jersey Register of Historic Places
| designated_other1_date = January 11, 1990
| designated_other1_number = 338
| designated_other1_num_position = bottom
| designated_other1_color = #ffc94b
The Mays Landing Historic District is a historic district encompassing East and West Main streets and intersecting streets in the community. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 23, 1990, for its significance in architecture, community planning, industry, and politics. The district has 259 contributing buildings, four contributing sites, three contributing structures, and three contributing objects. Contributing buildings include the Mays Landing Presbyterian Church and the Samuel Richards Hotel, which were previously listed individually on the NRHP. The Abbott House features Second Empire architecture. The Champion House has Italianate architecture and Doric columns. The owner, John E. Champion, was once the owner of the Samuel Richards Hotel, then known as the American Hotel.
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File:Samuel Richards Hotel, Mays Landing, NJ.jpg|Samuel Richards Hotel, built 1837
File:Presbyterian Church, Mays Landing, NJ.jpg|Mays Landing Presbyterian Church, built 1841
File:Champion House, Mays Landing, NJ.jpg|Champion House, built
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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.
Climate
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.