While in Southern New Jersey, Whitman spent a good portion of his time in the then quite pastoral community of Laurel Springs, between 1876 and 1884, converting one of the Stafford Farm buildings to his summer home. The restored summer home has been preserved as a museum by the local historical society. Part of his "Leaves of Grass" was written here, and in his "Specimen Days" he wrote of the spring, creek and lake. To him, Laurel Lake was "the prettiest lake in: either America or Europe".