County: Ocean
Location: Lacey Township
Year Listed: 2026
Status: Endangered
The Worden House is a rare surviving mid-19th century farmhouse and the oldest remaining structure in the township. Built circa 1850, it predates the formal 1871 township incorporation. It was constructed by local shipbuilder, farmer, and postmaster Jacob Vaughn and the two-and-a-half-story clapboard dwelling retains many historic architectural features, including six-over-six double-hung windows, stucco-over-lath interior walls, original chimneys, and decorative porch spindlework. In 1982, recognizing its historic significance, Lacey Township relocated the house to its present location as part of a proposed historic district initiative, and the building was listed in the New Jersey Historic Sites Inventory. Beyond its architectural value, the Worden House holds extraordinary historic importance through its connection to Civil War history. Jacob Vaughn’s sons, Gustav and Benjamin Vaughn, enlisted in the Union Army in 1863 and survived imprisonment at the notorious Andersonville prison camp in Georgia, one of the deadliest and most infamous Civil War prisons where more than 12,000 Union soldiers died. Following their release in 1865, both brothers returned to live in the family homestead, making the Worden House one of the last surviving homes associated with Andersonville survivors in New Jersey.
The Worden House now faces an immediate threat of demolition due to the pending sale of the property by Lacey Township for commercial redevelopment, with unofficial plans reportedly calling for construction of a QuickChek convenience store and gas station. Although the structure is considered eligible for historic designation and an application to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places is pending, it currently lacks formal legal protection from demolition. Since plans for the property sale emerged, township officials have neglected the building, allowing damage from leaking pipes and failing to maintain the property or investigate the theft of its memorial sign. Despite these conditions, engineering evaluations have confirmed that the structure remains sound and capable of being safely relocated again if preservation alternatives are pursued. Local residents, preservation advocates, and businesses have initiated litigation to delay the sale and continue efforts to protect the property, arguing that demolition of the township’s oldest historic structure would represent an irreplaceable loss of local and national history.
