The Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg NJ: History of a Roadside Landmark

The Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg, NJ is a storybook castle of poured concrete and “cake icing” stucco, designed by famed Broadway set designer Joseph Urban and built beginning in 1928 beside the old Wheatsworth Mill. For roughly half a century it was one of Sussex County’s best loved roadside attractions, and it still stands today on Gingerbread Castle Road, just off Route 23.

Our team went back to the most reliable sources we could find, including the Borough of Hamburg, a Historic American Landscapes Survey report held by the Library of Congress, and Preservation New Jersey, to tell the story of this one of a kind landmark and what is happening with it now.

The Gingerbread Castle at a glance

• What: A fairy tale castle and former children’s attraction designed by Joseph Urban
• Where: Gingerbread Castle Road, Hamburg Borough, Sussex County, next to the historic Wheatsworth Mill
• When: Construction began in 1928; the attraction operated for about 50 years before closing in 1978, with a brief reopening in 1989
• Today: Private property, not open for regular visits, but visible from the road; restoration work by its owner was reported in 2018
• Learn more: Borough of Hamburg history and HALS NJ-4 at the Library of Congress

A biscuit maker’s fairy tale

The story begins with the mill next door. According to Preservation New Jersey, the Wheatsworth Mill was built in 1808 as a grain mill and ran continuously until 1943. F.H. Bennett bought it in 1921 and renamed it Wheatsworth Mills in 1927, adding the tall concrete sections that still tower over the original stone building. The business was sold to the National Biscuit Company, better known as Nabisco, in 1931.

Bennett was a biscuit man with a soft spot for fairy tales. The Historic American Landscapes Survey report on the castle, written in 2009 and filed with the Library of Congress, credits him as the inventor of Milk-Bone dog biscuits and says that as a boy he loved sitting at his mother’s feet listening to her stories. He never forgot them. In the 1920s he attended a production of Humperdinck’s opera “Hansel and Gretel,” with sets by Joseph Urban, and came away with an idea: build a real gingerbread castle where children could meet the characters from those stories.

Joseph Urban, the man behind the magic

Bennett could not have picked a bigger name. Joseph Urban (1872 to 1933) was a Viennese architect and stage designer who, according to the HALS report, created the sets for every Ziegfeld Follies from 1915 to 1931 and was famous for a shade that became known as “Urban blue.” Preservation New Jersey notes that his architecture credits include the Ziegfeld Theatre and the New School for Social Research in New York City, the latter one of the earliest modern buildings in America.

The Gingerbread Castle was one of Urban’s last completed projects. Urban himself called it the Fairy Tale House, and the HALS report describes it as a rare example of late 1920s fantasy architecture in Sussex County.

Building a castle out of “cake icing”

The Borough of Hamburg says Urban designed and built the castle starting in 1928 and that it took two years to complete. Preservation New Jersey describes a three story concrete structure with round towers covered in stucco finished to look smooth or textured, like cake icing, with whimsical ornaments, brackets, terraces and finials. It sits on a rubble stone base built on the foundation of a 19th century kiln.

The details were pure storybook. The HALS report describes candy cane towers, animal cracker handrails, a plum pudding grille and a balustrade of elephants. The site also features Arts and Crafts tiles by the Flint Faience and Tile Company of Michigan, showing the old mill, wheat products and farm scenes. Those tiles are part of what makes the site historically important today.

What a visit was like

For generations of North Jersey kids, a trip to the Gingerbread Castle was a highlight of the summer. According to the HALS report, guides dressed as Hansel and Gretel led each group through the castle, reciting the fairy tale that went with each display. Some of the favorite sights were:

• Humpty Dumpty perched on top of his famous wall
• Prince Charming on his prancing horse
• The Black Cat standing guard high up on the turret
• The Wise Old Owl watching every move with yellow eyes
• The Old Lady Who Lived in a Shoe
• A seal on a peppermint stick balancing a big orange ball on its nose

Inside, the main hall was decorated with gingerbread cookies and peppermint sticks, and little alcoves held figures of fairy tale heroines. The tour ended back near the entrance, where children could take a train ride around the grounds. Preservation New Jersey notes the park once had a number of separate fairy tale sculptures along with that train.

Hamburg, “the Children’s Town”

The castle shaped the whole borough’s identity. The Borough of Hamburg says the town became known as “the Children’s Town” and remains so to this day. Look closely as you drive around and you will see streets with fairy tale names such as Cinderella, King Cole, Prince and Wishing Well Road. The HALS report adds that the borough used the theme on its street signs and on the insignia of its police department.

To learn more about the borough and its neighbors, see our guide to all 24 Sussex County towns.

Closing, and the long road to restoration

Preservation New Jersey says the castle stayed in continuous operation for about 50 years before closing in 1978. It reopened in 1989 but lasted only a few years. In the early 2000s, the HALS report notes, Hampton Hotels selected the castle for its Save A Landmark program, which helped with a round of repairs.

Recognition followed. The mill and castle became the heart of the locally designated Wheatsworth Mill and Gingerbread Castle Historic District in 2009, the same year the castle was documented for the Historic American Landscapes Survey as HALS NJ-4. In 2012, Preservation New Jersey added the mill and castle to its list of the state’s most endangered historic places to rally support for saving them.

Good news came in 2018. Rutgers University’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Center for the Humanities reported that new owner Don Oriolo had begun an extensive restoration, using historic photographs of the castle in its heyday as his guide. He enlisted local artisans to recreate the original details and restore the iced gingerbread look of the exterior. The report noted that many original details remained, including the concrete Humpty Dumpty still perched on the garden wall.

Can you visit the Gingerbread Castle today?

The castle is private property and does not have regular public hours. SPACES Archives, which documents artist built environments, lists it as private property that is visible from the road. Please enjoy it from public areas and do not enter the grounds.

A tip from our team: make the castle part of a slow drive through Hamburg. Spot the fairy tale street names, then stop for lunch from our list of the best restaurants in Hamburg. If your crew loves vintage roadside attractions, keep going with the history of Action Park in Vernon, Wild West City in Byram and the Space Farms Zoo and Museum. Rock hounds can head down the road to the Franklin Mineral Museum, and our Crystal Springs Resort guide covers the big resort just outside town.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who designed the Gingerbread Castle in Hamburg NJ?

Joseph Urban, the Viennese architect and Broadway set designer known for the Ziegfeld Follies, designed it for F.H. Bennett of Wheatsworth Mills.

When was the Gingerbread Castle built?

The Borough of Hamburg says construction began in 1928 and took two years. Preservation New Jersey dates the castle and its park to 1928 to 1930.

Is the Gingerbread Castle open to the public?

No. It is private property without regular public hours, though it can be seen from the road. Restoration work by its owner was reported in 2018.

Why is Hamburg called “the Children’s Town”?

Because of the Gingerbread Castle. The Borough of Hamburg says the castle earned the town that nickname, and many streets carry fairy tale names such as Cinderella and King Cole.

Is the Gingerbread Castle a historic landmark?

Yes. It is part of the locally designated Wheatsworth Mill and Gingerbread Castle Historic District, created in 2009, and it was documented by the Historic American Landscapes Survey as HALS NJ-4.

Primary sources: Borough of Hamburg, Historic American Landscapes Survey HALS NJ-4, Library of Congress, Preservation New Jersey, Rutgers University MARCH and SPACES Archives.

Featured photo: Tichnor Brothers Collection, Boston Public Library via Digital Commonwealth (no known copyright restrictions).