About
In late 1800s, the Colored American Equitable Industrial Association, led by Former U.S. Congressman George H. White (1897-1901) and other notable investors: Reverend J.W. Fishburn, Booker T. Washington, Samuel H. Vick, Aletha Gibbs, Wiley H. Bates, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Ernest Cherry, Honorable William H. Hunt, and many more began acquisition of over 3500 acres of land in Cape May County, New Jersey, and founded the broader Whitesboro community. Ironically, these lands had once been the property of Aaron Leaming Jr. and Thomas Leaming Jr., the largest slave owners in Cape May County’s history.
In January 1998, Mrs. Shirley Green founded the Whitesboro Historical Foundation to establish a museum for the town of Whitesboro, in the state of New Jersey, County of Cape May, to display Whitesboro’s unique history in an entertaining and informative manner.
On June 1st, 2023, the Whitesboro Historical Foundation convened a Whitesboro Community Listening Session at the Historic Whitesboro Grammar School to discuss the issues in Whitesboro and develop solutions to better serve the community. Thus, the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project was born to preserve Whitesboro’s legacy and future and unify the community of Whitesboro in the pursuit of self-reliance and good self-governance.
partners & supporters
Whitesboro incorporation
Sign our petition and help us preserve the legacy and future of Whitesboro, New Jersey.
We ask all residents and friends of Whitesboro, New Jersey (Wildwood Junction Heights, Wildwood Heights, Whitesboro, Burleigh, & Mayville) to sign our petition and help us gain support from the New Jersey State Legislature and Governor Rebecca Michelle ‘Mikie’ Sherrill to incorporate Whitesboro as its own Borough.
whitesboro NeighborhooD Revitalization plan
The Whitesboro Historical Foundation, the lead partner of the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project, has completed a planning grant and developed a 10-year neighborhood plan for Whitesboro.
Click below to read our full Whitesboro Neighborhood Revitalization Plan.
Timberlake Charles Whitesboro Legal Defense Fund
The Timberlake Charles Whitesboro Legal Defense Fund is dedicated to protecting the rights, heritage, and future of the historic Whitesboro community. The Fund provides financial support for legal advocacy, strategic litigation, and related legal expenses that help defend the interests of Whitesboro residents, property owners, community organizations, and historic assets.
Through the generosity of donors, partners, and supporters, the Timberlake Charles Whitesboro Legal Defense Fund strengthens the community’s ability to preserve its legacy, protect vulnerable residents, and advocate for equitable outcomes.
In the news
Shirley Green said she is worried about Whitesboro’s future.
She said gentrification and discrepancies in the property deeds of some existing homeowners are threatening the identity of this once thriving Black community in Cape May County’s Middle Township.
Green, executive director of the Whitesboro Historical Foundation and Museum, said the inconsistencies in official property records are raising concerns that some residents are paying taxes on the wrong properties and could lose their homes through tax sales. Middle Township officials told WHYY News they have not yet received any complaints, but residents dispute that.
Deed discrepancies are not uncommon, according to Timothy P. Duggan, chairman of the eminent domain and property valuation group at the law firm Stark and Stark. However, inconsistencies in paperwork can lead to a variety of problems, including boundary line disputes.
Support is growing for South Jersey resident Dawn Robinson as she continues her fight to keep a 2.4-acre parcel of land she bought more than 20 years ago. Middle Township is attempting to seize the property as part of a plan to construct a multimillion-dollar housing development and has filed an eminent domain complaint against Robinson.
The Indian Trail Redevelopment project calls for 340 homes to be constructed in Whitesboro, a historically black neighborhood, by NVR Inc, the parent company of Ryan Homes. Middle Township Mayor Christopher Leusner said the project will generate millions of dollars in tax revenue, transforming the area into “a vibrant residential community.”
Late Wednesday afternoon a rally was held by the nonprofit group Embracing Race – The Conversation to support Robinson. Cofounder Mary Ann Degenhart said her organization seeks to dismantle racism through conversations, community engagement and education.
For the news
WHITESBORO, N.J. — The Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project (WHPP) and its lead organization, the Whitesboro Historical Foundation, are commending State Senator Britnee N. Timberlake and Governor Mikie Sherrill for the inclusion of $200,000 in New Jersey’s Fiscal Year 2027 State Budget for the Whitesboro Historic Preservation Project Legal Defense Fund.
The funding will allow the Whitesboro Historical Foundation to establish the Timberlake Charles Whitesboro Legal Defense Fund, a long-term legal advocacy resource focused on land justice, housing rights, generational property ownership, and protecting low-income and vulnerable Whitesboro residents.
The investment comes at a pivotal moment for Whitesboro, one of New Jersey’s most historic African American communities. Founded in the late 1800s as a place where Black families could purchase land, build homes, and pursue economic independence despite racial discrimination, land ownership has remained central to Whitesboro’s identity for more than 125 years.
WHITESBORO, N.J. — I am writing this because I believe it is important for the public to hear from someone who was actually there.
I have known Dr. Dale Caldwell and his father for many years. In all that time, I have seen nothing but integrity, commitment, and a genuine concern for people and community. But more relevant to the current moment is my own firsthand experience as the organizer of the
Whitesboro Gala.
I was one of the people directly involved in coordinating the 2026 Whitesboro Black History Gala. I was the contact with the Lieutenant Governor’s office, and I received an email informing me that guests would be attending. I also received a phone call from members of his staff regarding the space that would be needed. So when I hear the suggestion that Dr. Caldwell simply “showed up with guests,” I believe that characterization deserves to be questioned.
WHITESBORO, N.J. — Governor Sherrill, there are moments in public life when controversy becomes a test of something larger than the people within it. New Jersey has arrived at such a moment.
The findings concerning Lieutenant Governor Dale Caldwell are serious. The investigation commissioned by your administration substantiated sexual harassment and ethics violations, including advocacy concerning a state employee with whom he previously had a romantic
relationship without disclosing it. Lieutenant Governor Caldwell, through counsel, disputes those findings. Where wrongdoing occurred, he should acknowledge it, seek forgiveness from those harmed, accept meaningful consequences, and demonstrate through changed conduct that repentance is more than something ministers preach to others
