1291 Wickapecko Drive, Wanamassa, NJ
Ross-Fenton Farm
According to an 1889 map, this rustic setting on the banks of Deal Lake in Wanamassa was the location of a restaurant known as The Farm. James J Corbett known as Gentleman Jim, came to the shore to live and train after he knocked out John L. Sullivan in 1892. Sullivan kept in shape by rowing on Deal Lake. In 1893, Corbett set up his training camp at "Pop" Hulick's farm which later became Ross Fenton Farm.
In 1898, it was bought by the well-known vaudevillian comedy team of Charlie Ross and Mabel Fenton and turned into a popular nightspot called the Ross Fenton Farm, which featured the biggest name in entertainment. In 1902, the comedy team resumed their career on the stage and leased the property. After the death of Ross in 1918, Mabel Fenton returned to run the business until her death in 1931. From 1931 until it burned in 1950, it had several owners.
During the club's heyday, the railroad put on extra cars to bring patrons to Deal Lake. Motor launches brought guests from the landing in Interlaken up the lake to the restaurant's dock. Notables like Sophie Tucker, Helen Morgan, Lillian Russell, and John McCormack appeared at the Wanamassa nightclub. Local residents tell of sitting in their canoes on the lake listening to the music as it drifted down the lakefront.
