Bivalve Oyster Shipping Sheds

Bivalve Oyster Shipping Sheds. . The Central Railroad of New Jersey built this long complex of 30 sheds in 1904 to process oysters that were harvested from the Delaware Bay. Originally, oysters were shipped in their shells via the railroad. Shucking, or removing oysters from their shells, began in the 1920’s. The railroad knew that they would reap the monetary rewards of building a facility and infrastructure to move oysters efficiently from the water to one’s plate. The sheds housed numerous oyster-related businesses and served as a “main street” for the community., (Inscription on the left side of the marker) , Back in the day….Before the Bridgton and Port Norris Railroad was completed to Bivalve in 1875 oysters were shipped by boats from a wharf built parallel to the river. By the 1880’s there were building of varying sizes and shapes and a railroad platform. In 1904 the current structure with two-stories was constructed. Throughout the years the roof lines over the wharves and building changed., Oystermen and packing companies out of here leasing a two-story office store front and storeroom half an alleyway, half a wharf and half a boat slip. Other businesses that supported the oyster industry such as chandleries, meat markets, a post office and lumber yards helped fuel the region’s growth and development. The Bivalve Oyster Shipping Sheds were listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on December 11, 1995 and on the National Register of Historic Places on February 28, 1996., In 2001 the Bayshore Discovery Project purchased six of the remaining original 30 sheds with funds from the Cumberland County Empowerment Zone. One shed was purchased in 1995. By 2011, the sheds were restored to their 1920’s appearance with funds provided by the New Jersey Historic Trust and New Jersey Department of Transportation.