Abandoning an Important Gloucester County Historical Site
Deptford Landing Spot of Historic 1793 Manned Balloon Flight Goes Unmaintained
As the country approaches its 250th anniversary, should we abandon and forget the physical historic site that was the 1793 landing spot of the nation’s first manned balloon flight? That question comes to mind repeatedly for anyone struggling to find the Gloucester County site, now lost in a dense jungle of wild growth behind a 6-foot-high chain-link fence at the back of the Deptford Walmart Supercenter off Clements Bridge Road.
In an interview with the Gloucester County Historical Society, Deptford Mayor Paul Medany explained, “During the original approval process for the Walmart Supercenter the applicant agreed to maintain the property. For several years after opening that did in fact happen. That has certainly not occurred in recent years. We do not have the municipal funds to maintain this area and we are going to contact the current management to encourage them to adhere to the original approval and return to maintaining this most historic property.”
This “First Flight” site is actually the location of two historical landmarks: the Clement Oak, which stood for more than 400 years before a straight-line windstorm ripped it apart in 2020, and the balloon flight that was the first free-floating voyage aloft in the Western Hemisphere. The balloon took off from Philadelphia, crossed the Delaware River, and landed near the Clement Oak on the shores of Big Timber Creek in Deptford, N.J.
First Air Mail Delivery
The aeronautical triumph of the first manned flight in America was carried out by French inventor and “aerial mariner” Jean Pierre Blanchard, with the enthusiastic support of then-President George Washington. The event also featured the first delivery of mail by air—an introduction penned by Washington for whomever Blanchard met after landing beyond the Delaware River; Blanchard could not speak English.
Historians have pointed out that the 1793 flight was not just a spectacle. Blanchard performed measurements (altitude, pulse, air samples, and magnetism) during flight, underscoring the scientific curiosity of the era. The presence of figures such as President Washington and other top government officials at the scene in what was then the nation’s capital lent both legitimacy and visibility to scientific discovery, connecting ballooning with national pride, innovation, and public imagination in the newly established United States. (Text continues below photos)
In 1964, during New Jersey’s 300th anniversary celebration, separate historical markers were installed commemorating the site as both the location of the ancient Clement tree and the landing site of Jean Pierre Blanchard’s historic flight.
This “First Flight” landing spot has long been listed on the Gloucester County Commissioners’ website as an important local historical site.
Major Bicentennial Event
Available records indicate that Deptford’s town fathers and the County Commissioners have been organizing and sponsoring events celebrating the First Flight landing site since the early 1970s—and that the site became a significant part of the regional celebrations of the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976.
Those 1976 collaborative plans called for modern hot-air balloons to lift off from both the Blanchard liftoff site at Sixth and Walnut streets in Philadelphia and the landing site in Deptford. Those flights were canceled at the last minute by high winds and frigid temperatures. Nevertheless, a large crowd of schoolchildren, and state, federal, and local government officials and citizens gathered at the landing site for the ceremony. A freeholder in colonial attire and a 13-gun salute opened the event. The Deptford High School Band played the French and American national anthems.
Keynote speaker NASA Astronaut Henry Hartsfield, the personal representative of President Gerald R. Ford, spoke of the American Skylab program and the birth of the “American aeronautics adventure” on the physical spot where he spoke. He characterized Blanchard as “a real pioneer in his field who showed America how to do it.”
Then-State Representative James Florio emphasized to the crowd how appropriate it was that one of the Bicentennial’s earliest events honored the historic balloon flight. Then-Assemblyman Kenneth Gewertz read an announcement from Gov. Brendan T. Byrne proclaiming Jan. 9 to be “First Manned Flight Day.” Later in the evening, at a First Flight banquet and ball at Auletto’s Sunset Beach and Ballroom, U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Charles E. Rosendahl was presented with the “Jean Pierre Blanchard Award” for pioneering achievement as the former commander of the Lakehurst Naval Air Station, where he played a major role in the creation of the American airship program.
Rededication of the Historic Site
In a 1993 celebration of the 200th anniversary of the balloon landing, Deptford joined with the First Air Voyage in America (FAVIA 200 Inc.), an organization of ballooning enthusiasts based in Scranton, Pa., to rededicate the historic landing site. They installed a large bronze marker that read: “This plaque rededicates the landing site of Jean Pierre Blanchard’s ascension from Philadelphia, on this the 200th anniversary of ‘The First Air Voyage in America.’ Presented on Jan. 9, 1993, by FAVIA 200 Inc. and the Township of Deptford, N.J.”
Ironically, as the physical site of the landing has been abandoned over the years, Deptford’s town fathers have made the event that happened there a central touchstone of the Township’s civic identity—and its balloon a proud symbol of the town’s heritage. The balloon is the central element of the official Township emblem above the front door of the municipal building and on other municipal signage across the area.
Inside the municipal building, the walls display multiple oil paintings commissioned by the Township to commemorate the balloon landing. The largest went up in 2019. A commanding presence overlooking local government proceedings, the 32-foot-wide mural fills an entire Council Chamber wall. The painting by local artist Frank Seder depicts Blanchard’s balloon approaching the ground near the Clement Oak tree as two local farmers wave their arms skyward in excitement.
Each year, the Deptford government sponsors a First Flight balloon coloring, poster, and essay contest for local students, with awards presented by Deptford Mayor Paul Medany, who explains why the Township continues to celebrate the historical event so vigorously.
“We do it not only as a fun event but also as an educational event,” Medany told the Gloucester County Times in 2024. “We know from historical records that Blanchard landed in that field. I think it’s extremely important to Deptford, since different generations have celebrated the event.”
