Goshen is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

(CDP) located within Middle Township, in

Cape May County Cape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Much of the county is located on the Cape May peninsula, bound by the Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. Adjacent to the Atlantic ...

, in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

. Route 47, also known as Delsea Drive, runs directly through the center of the community.

History

The area was settled by Aaron Leaming, who began raising cattle in 1693. By 1710 there was a settlement. Goshen's first industry was a king crab mill and a canning factory. Shipbuilding and lumbering industries flourished. A post office was established in 1818, with Richard Thompson Jr. as the first postmaster. The Garrison shipyard on Goshen Creek had stocks for the simultaneous construction of two vessels, which, upon being launched, were slipped into the water sideways. Between 1859 and 1898, twenty-five ships of record were built there, along with many smaller craft. Around 1900, Cape May County's shipbuilding industry was shut down. The last ship launched by the Goshen shipyard was the ''Diamond'' in 1898. Due to the lasting effects of the brackish water there, the remains of the docks are still visible at the end of Goshen Landing Road during low tide. The Tavern House (circa 1725), on the corner of Route 47 and Goshen Landing Road, is one of the oldest homes in Cape May County. At different times it has been a tavern, hotel, dentist office and residence. While significant changes have been made, much of the original workmanship is still evident. Rough-hewn logs still support the house, and wooden pegs hold the rafters in place.

Demographics

Goshen was first listed as a

census designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a Place (United States Census Bureau), concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counte ...

in the 2020 U.S. Census. As of 2020, the area had a population of 400.

Education

Residents of Goshen attend the

Middle Township Public Schools The Middle Township Public Schools are a comprehensive community state school, public school district that serves students in kindergarten through twelfth grade from Middle Township, New Jersey, Middle Township, in Cape May County, New Jersey, C ...

, which operates

Middle Township High School Middle Township High School is a four-year public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Middle Township in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Middle Township Public Schools ...

. Countywide schools include

Cape May County Technical High School Cape May County Technical High School, located in Middle Township, which provides vocational and technical education to students in ninth through twelfth grades from Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey, operating as part of the Cap ...

and

Cape May County Special Services School District The Cape May County Special Services School District (CMCSSSD) is a special education public school district headquartered in Middle Township, in Cape May County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The district's schools offer educational and the ...

Notable people

People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Goshen include: * Andrew J. Tomlin (1845–1906), awarded the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

for his actions in the Civil War.Andrew J. Tomlin
Congressional Medal of Honor Society of the United States of America. Accessed July 9, 2013.

Wineries

Natali Vineyards Natali Vineyards is a winery in the Goshen, New Jersey, Goshen section of Middle Township, New Jersey, Middle Township (mailing address is Cape May Court House, New Jersey, Cape May Court House) in Cape May County, New Jersey, USA. Formerly a pas ...

References

{{Cape May County, New Jersey Middle Township, New Jersey Census-designated places in Cape May County, New Jersey Census-designated places in New Jersey Unincorporated communities in Cape May County, New Jersey Unincorporated communities in New Jersey