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.

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.

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.

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.