B
BarryC
Guest
These were artillery shell loading plants and the towns that went with them. Amatol was part of the Atlantic Loading Company. Belcoville was the town that went with the Bethlehem Loading Company. Construction began on both sites in 1917 and both sites were dismantled (mostly) starting in 1919 when World War 1 ended. These were enormous sites and some ruins can be found at each place. There was an excellent book written about Amatol, the contents of which are on this website: http://venus.atlantic.edu/amatol/ You can see dozens and dozens of excellent pictures of all the buildings that were there, and all of the things that were being made there.
This site is someone's personal site showing what ruins he's found there: http://apnostalgia.crosswinds.net/amatol.html
We explored there this past Saturday and found a few ruins at the town site at Amatol, but we didn't find the shell loading plant location yet. It's hard to believe such a huge complex was built so quickly, and then dismantled so quickly. And it's hard to believe that it even existed now, since the Pine Barrens has reclaimed the site. The old State Police Barracks is the only remaining building from Amatol. It was the plant administration building. Apparently it also served as the Amatol Speedway administration building after the shell loading plant and town were dismantled. The speedway oval can still be seen there in the woods. Part of the land is now part of the Hammonton Creek Wildlife Management Area.
This website from Atlantic County Parks tells a lot about Belcoville and the Bethlehem Loading Company: http://www.aclink.org/parks/mainpages/historic.asp It also has several excellent pictures of many buildings in the town and the shell loading plant area. Again it's hard to believe such a site existed where now the Pine Barrens covers the area. Part of the area is now part of the Atlantic County Park at Estell Manor.
All 3 of these websites are fascinating, especially the first one about Amatol.
And what amazing places these two sites were in their day!
Barry
This site is someone's personal site showing what ruins he's found there: http://apnostalgia.crosswinds.net/amatol.html
We explored there this past Saturday and found a few ruins at the town site at Amatol, but we didn't find the shell loading plant location yet. It's hard to believe such a huge complex was built so quickly, and then dismantled so quickly. And it's hard to believe that it even existed now, since the Pine Barrens has reclaimed the site. The old State Police Barracks is the only remaining building from Amatol. It was the plant administration building. Apparently it also served as the Amatol Speedway administration building after the shell loading plant and town were dismantled. The speedway oval can still be seen there in the woods. Part of the land is now part of the Hammonton Creek Wildlife Management Area.
This website from Atlantic County Parks tells a lot about Belcoville and the Bethlehem Loading Company: http://www.aclink.org/parks/mainpages/historic.asp It also has several excellent pictures of many buildings in the town and the shell loading plant area. Again it's hard to believe such a site existed where now the Pine Barrens covers the area. Part of the area is now part of the Atlantic County Park at Estell Manor.
All 3 of these websites are fascinating, especially the first one about Amatol.
And what amazing places these two sites were in their day!
Barry