Methodist ministers seeking a summer camp meeting location established Pitman Grove in June 1871 after the New Jersey Camp Meeting Association bought land from the Jessup family. They chose a site considered convenient and desirable, with chestnut and oak trees for shade and a nearby railroad for easy access. The Association built an auditorium at the center of the Grove, surrounded by a circular street from which twelve streets radiated like spokes on a wheel, giving all avenues access to the central preaching area. The first Pitman Grove Camp Meeting was held in August 1871, and because no town yet existed, the first attendees stayed in tents, with 600 tents present during that first meeting. The camp meeting grew each year and brought increasing development. By 1890, the area was well established, with nicely graveled walks, a large store, a post office, restaurants, a barbershop, a butcher shop, an ice cream parlor, and almost 400 dwellings. Early homes were simple, but cottages soon came to reflect the Victorian architectural style with gingerbread latticework. In the early 1900's, many residents believed the community had grown large enough to become its own town and petitioned for that change. On May 24, 1905, Governor Edward C. Stokes signed the bill authorizing the incorporation of Pitman Borough, and the word Grove was dropped. Pitman Grove was entered into the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on July 20, 1976, and the National Register of Historic Places on August 19, 1977.