Apple Pie Hill

Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,957
8,704
All.

Hopefully I am putting this in the proper forum.

I took off from work this afternoon and acquired some maps. Actually, I took 682 photo's of them. Most of them were what I expected, but one was oh so different.

I photographed a map from 1949 that shows the intended location of the new steel tower on Apple Pie Hill. If you remember your Fire Tower history from my previous posts, it was erected in 1950.

What is interesting about the map is it also shows the property purchases of the tracts of land around the tower by Dr.William White and others. It show who he purchased the property from, and who he sold it to, along with some dates.

That to me is very interesting, but that is the half of it. It also shows where the actual sanitarium was located, along with what the building at the base of the hill actually was called or used for. Sorry to say to previous persons who think they know what that was...they would be wrong.

It also clarifies if there was a tower there at one time previously, and if it was steel, and it tells the name of the Firewarden at the time. And it should help me find some other property corners I have been looking for. And there are stone out there for the property in the woods not far from 532.

I will look the map over more closely, and if I find anything I will keep you informed. If I get some time in the coming days I will post some edited photo's.

Guy
 
woodjin

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,344
333
Near Mt. Misery
Wow that is really cool. How do you get all these maps Guy? (he has his ways). So what was that structure at the bottom of the hill used for?

Jeff
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,957
8,704
Jeff,

I have looked the map over and it appears to me I read the map incorrectly. Instead of telling me where the west corner of the sanitarium was, it shows me the west corner of the property. So if that is correct, it does not show the sanitarium at all, just the building foundation on the SE side.

Here is the portion of the map that shows the top of the hill. I have rotated it to have North at the top. Notice the building that everyone has discussed before is called the "Club House". Also notice it shows the 1871 Geodetic Survey marker that is long gone, and right above it it shows the location of the "old wooden tower". Knowing the location of the geodetic marker, that would put the wooden tower at the location of the circular cement foundation that the sign was recently located at. It also appears the state has possession of a 100x100 piece of property at the top.

I am not going to post more of the map because It tells more info than I want to pass on. However, I will tell you some of it.

The maps show the first street in the Chatsworth woods development. It is appropriately called "First Street".

The property(s) were originally owned by a Chas. Biehl, who sold it to Pine Crest Sanitarium, who sold it to Golfview Manor, Inc. A few of the tracts show Wm White as the owner and not the Sanitarium. For those of you who do not know, Wm White owned and started the Sanitarium. And remember the "Club House" from above, I wonder if there wasn't some golf going in in GOLFview Manor.

The map also shows the northern most property corner of the Friendship Bogs tract that Steve and I looked for a few weeks back. It shows we were not in the right location which obviously means I have some work to do. And it says there is a stone there which I did not know. And as I mentioned there are 4 other stones, 2 near the hill and two about 800 feet from 532 NE of the tower. It also shows two of them right at 532 what the map calls the road from South Park to Chatsworth, but I doubt they are there. That road is much wider now.

All together there are 4 tracts totaling 222.88 acres shown.

main.php


Guy
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,957
8,704
Sorry. I have so much to do I am rushing. I have 650 photo's to go through and sort out. I have written about 40 emails tonight and tried to spend time with the family. I also worked 11 hours today.

I will try to fix it tomorrow.

Guy
 
woodjin

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,344
333
Near Mt. Misery
Very interesting. However, something to consider...the club house might have been used during the sanitarium and was later converted to the club house after golfview manor took possession of the property. Could also be that club house refers to it being a hunting club, but I see the conclusion you came to with the golf view manor and all. Can you imagine a golf course there. It could have been another failed attempt though and never saw the light of day....thank God.

Jeff
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,957
8,704
The photo is fixed.

Jeff..you could be completly correct.

Guy
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,957
8,704
I received this today.

New Jersey has funding to do major repairs on all it's fire towers (21) despite other budgetary woes. Most will be given new high strength metal stairs, replacing the old wooden ones, those that need painting will be done as well and in some cases, more extensive reconditioning of braces, footings etc. Repairs to cabs will be on the list also and any other structural repairs. The State continues to operate it's 21 fire towers for detection, communications and dispatching. The State's fire towers are a high priority item to be maintained into the Fire Service's beginning of it's second one hundred years of service. All 21 fire towers in New Jersey are now on the National Historic Lookout Register, several have been nominated to the National List of Historic places.

Guy
 
this_is_nascar

this_is_nascar

Piney
Jul 12, 2006
1,354
345
Gloucester City, NJ
That's great news, however what will be done to lessen the chances of vandalizism? The last time I was at APH, it was an embarrassing site. What really sucks is that if the state controls the access by restricting access, the normal law abiding adventurer is penalized.
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,957
8,704
All,

I have continued to search for property stones for Dr. White’s property (Pine Crest Sanitarium), and today was no different. His property touched what was the Friendship Bog tract and property that is/was owned by the Pine Crest Gun club. It has become apparent to me that there is most likely nothing left of his property stones with my failure to find them today. What I did find was more recent additions at the locations where I was hoping to find stones.

This cement monument is not far from Harris station on the JCRR. It has a copper nail in the middle.

main.php




And on the road from 532 to Apple Pie Hill coming in from the Bordentown Deer Club I found this at the exact location where a Dr. White stone should be.

main.php




And near the Batona Trail right off of 532 I found this one where another stone should be. Notice it in the ground.

main.php




Abandoning the search for this project today, I decided to look for another Speedwell stone along the Parker Preserve line near Apple Pie Hill.

main.php


Guy
 
L

long-a-coming

Explorer
Mar 28, 2005
778
14
51
Berlin Twp
Last Thursday took a group of folks on a field trip. The first stop was Nixon's(of course), followed by Apple Pie Hill. I think it is the third or fourth platform going up that you encounter the unstable shaking one that scares the hell out of me. I hope that is on the list to be fixed up.

We also hit Friendship and Carranza before running out of time for the day. This Wednesday I will be in the pines 10:30am til 2pm. I have loosely planned to stop by Harrisville, Hermann, and Batsto areas. We won't be trying anything tricky as I will be with some folks with some mobility issues.
But anytime I can spend a good part of my workday in the pines thats a good day
 
A

andy1015

Explorer
May 4, 2007
234
1
42
I was at apple pie hill and they did fix that platform. They actually got all new metal stairs
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top