Lacey Station

[bobpbx]

I have no excuse for not going here previously since I have lived in Bamber 25 years. I went today because I am afraid the place will be gone in a year or so due to expansion of the sand plant. I was very pleasantly surprised. The feeling is at once exciting, interesting, sad and melancholy to poke around this site that seems to have had at least 5 buildings in its heyday. What was it, like 1850? I'll have to research it.

The old road opening up on Lacey Station:

Possible first dwelling

Privy for first dwelling

Iron artifact. Perhaps part of an early stove

A larger foundation

Stone from the larger foundation

Moss covered brick from another foundation. Very long ago abandonded this Lacey Station

 

[Teegate]

Quite a few bricks there!

Guy

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Bob or Guy,

Not to derail to thread, but have either of you ever heard of Plainville? I recently found a brick with "Plainville Ocean County" inscribed into it. That would be the product of Union Clay Works, right?

 

[Teegate]

Bob or Guy,

Not to derail to thread, but have either of you ever heard of Plainville? I recently found a brick with "Plainville Ocean County" inscribed into it. That would be the product of Union Clay Works, right?

I believe that area was called Plainville. The problem is Union Clay Works as far as I know made pipes only. DiggerSW (Scott) can help you more with that.

Guy

 

[Jerseyman]

I believe that area was called Plainville. The problem is Union Clay Works as far as I know made pipes only. DiggerSW (Scott) can help you more with that.

Guy

Pinelandpaddler and Guy:

Plainville is definitely the location of Union Clay Works; I have a newspaper article in my files that document moving a stationary steam engine to the works "at Plainville." I have a brick in my collection impressed with the wording: "Ocean County 1850," celebrating the erection of Ocean County in that year. State Geologist George Cook records the following in his 1868 work, Geology of New Jersey:

About three miles southeast of Woodmansie Station, on the Raritan and Delaware Bay Railroad, are the Union Clay Works, where a light-colored clay is dug and used for making water-pipes. The pits at this place were first opened about nine years ago. Previous to that time the colliers in that section had used this clay in chinking up their cabins, etc. It has been tried at the glass-houses for making glass-pots, but did not answer. For pottery it well succeeded. The manufacture of water-pipe began early in 1866. The clay is mixed with a little sand for this manufacture. ...The top clay is slightly stained by oxide of iron, and does for brick.

In the 1904 work on the New Jersey clay industry, Heinrich Ries and Henry Kummel record the following concerning Union:

Union Clay Works--Clay was dug here years ago at the Union Clay Works, 2 miles southeast of Adams' pits, at Old Half Way. The best clay was reported to be 10 feet thick and the deposit was said to underlie 70 acres. The manufacture of sewer pipe was stared in 1866, and previously fire brick, and common pottery had been attempted. The distance from a railroad and the sandy wagon roads may have been one reason for the abandonment of the works.

The works discontinued brickmaking and pottery when pipe production began. I believe the works also produced a limited number of terra cotta pots and chimney toppers.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[Teegate]

The actual location where the pottery was made is an unlikely location for a steam engine to get to. Most likely that went to the pits at Old Half Way to remove the clay.

EDIT: I misread that. I bet the large bolts there at Union Clay Works held that steam engine. There are about 9 bolts sticking out of the ground. I was thinking of a train.


Guy

 

[woodjin]

Nice report Bob! I am unfamilar with it, though I do recall reading of it somewhere. Wow, mostly decidious trees in there huh? Must not have seen a fire in a long time. Very grey, I can understand the meloncholy.

Jeff

 

[pinelandpaddler]

Thanks as always, Jerseyman!

 

[bobpbx]

Nice report Bob! I am unfamilar with it, though I do recall reading of it somewhere. Wow, mostly decidious trees in there huh? Must not have seen a fire in a long time. Very grey, I can understand the meloncholy.

Jeff

You ought to see it. I'm going back later this month to see whats blooming. There is a mystery to this Station. It is ridiculously far off the beaten path, too far from both Bamber and Forked River to be useful in my mind. Perhaps the Rutherford Stuyvesant(sp?) Estate had something to do with it. Alfonoso (a previous poster) hit the nail on the head in 2003 when he asked (paraphrased):

I wonder if the place was a storage shed or a regular pick up and drop off spot? Was it a two story or one story place? Was it a place people drove the horse and buggys to in order to pick up and drop off people? Was it a ticket station ? Lacey station seems far for people to get to back then, but i guess everything was far back then...

 

[diggersw]

Those bricks are from what has been known as the "union clay works." I have an article on this site that actually "Pasadena and its neighboring clay industry" that actually details the history. I did not include in this article that the area was also known as "plainville." The brick was likely a product of the Neill company. I would like to see photos if you have them. Thanks.

Scott W.