have long wanted to explore the northern reaches of New Jersey to capture some of its historical sites, particularly its iron furnaces.
I have long wanted to explore the northern reaches of New Jersey to capture some of its historical sites, particularly its iron furnaces. As a historian and photographer, the allure of these abandoned industrial giants has always fascinated me. There’s a certain magic in the rusted structures, overgrown with nature, that tells a story of a bygone era when these furnaces were the lifeblood of the local economy.
Iron mining activity in the New Jersey Highlands region began around 1710, reaching maximum production in the early 1880s when the state ranked second only to Michigan in iron ore production. For several years before and during 1880, New Jersey was the leading iron ore-producing state.
In Morris County lies the historic Split Rock Iron Furnace. Completed in 1862 by Andrew B. Cobb, it was the last charcoal-fired furnace built in the state.
The furnace featured a 32-foot-high stack with an unspecified bosh size. Fueled by charcoal, its hot air blast was powered by a steam engine. At full production, the furnace consumed approximately one acre of woodland daily for fuel within the 3,000-acre Splitrock tract.
By the time the furnace was completed, Cobb realized the mistake of building it to operate solely on charcoal. Anthracite coal-fueled furnaces had been in use for 20 years and were more cost-efficient. After Cobb’s death in 1873, his land holdings were inherited by his son, and the furnace was closed shortly thereafter.
