TIMBUCTOO HISTORIC SITE

The Timbuctoo Historic Site extends from present day Rancocas Road to the Rancocas Creek, including areas adjacent to Church Street. We also call this the early settlement area, because it represents the area of community development during Timbuctoo's earliest decades. The map on the left describes depicts land purchases for homesteads as well as institutions such as African Union School, the "school house and place of divine worship," and the Zion Wesleyan Methodist Episcopal African Church and cemetery. Today the cemetery is described as the only above ground evidence of Timbuctoo's history. The rest of Timbuctoo is contemporary homes and vacant landscape. However, archealogical studies have identified substantial historic resources beneath the earth, and additional reseach is ongoing.

While the term  "Timbuctoo Historic Site" is used frequently in discussions about Timbuctoo, it has no standard definition. Some officials assert that the area of the 2009-2011 archealogical work is the historic site and this misunderstanding persistss even today. While that area is certainly important in the history of Timbuctoo, it rose to prominance only because it was selected for excavation by our archealogists and was subsequently the subject of historical research.  Settled beginning in 1833, it was actually the last area developed during Timbuctoo's nacient years and represents only a subset of Timbuctoo's historic significance.