New historical marker at New Jersey's Timbuctoo helping preserve Black history

A quiet stretch of land — just 52 acres — in Burlington County, New Jersey, holds a deeply significant piece of Black history. The community is called Timbuctoo, and it was once home to some of the first free Black Americans in South Jersey.

Today, the most visible connection to that past is a cemetery, where Black soldiers who fought for the Union during the Civil War are buried.

Now, after years of advocacy and research, that history is finally being formally recognized.

A new historic marker has been placed at the gravesite, officially designating Timbuctoo as one of only about eight recognized Black historic sites in South Jersey.

"That calls attention to Black history in a way that doesn't require advertising or special events," Guy Weston said.

For Weston, this work is personal. He's a seventh-generation descendant of Timbuctoo residents and the founder of the Timbuctoo Historical Society.

When we first met Weston and his mother, Mary Giles, they shared family documents dating back more than 200 years, directly linking their family to this land.

"She looks and sees how many people come, they stop, they take pictures," Weston said. "Sometimes they ask questions."

Through ongoing work with archaeologists, more than 14,000 artifacts have been uncovered, helping piece together daily life in Timbuctoo centuries ago.

"Now we know what Timbuctoo looks like," Weston said, "we have maybe 20 of them."

After our original story aired, long-standing concerns about the area began to shift.

The road leading into the historic site — once filled with potholes — has now been paved, making the cemetery more accessible to visitors.

"We had no decisive action until people saw a historic site where the streets weren't paved," Weston said.

Talks are underway about a pop-up museum, and the effort is already underway. It would showcase:

    •    Artifacts from the 1800s

    •    Historic documents

    •    Newly recovered photographs of Timbuctoo from nearly 100 years ago

Weston is also collecting additional images for a future book documenting the community's history.

Timbuctoo may be small, but its legacy is vast.

This recognition ensures that a once-overlooked community — and the stories of those who lived, fought and built there — are no longer forgotten.