Atsion: Old and Renewed

[james ungehajer]

Here are some of my favorite Atsion photos.

The store.

Grist mill ruin.

The slag pile in back of the cotton mill.

Cottage house.

Atsion church.

Atsion Cemetery.

The mansion house.

Catholic cemetery

Collapsed building.

One of three ruins on the way to Atsion station.

Cotton mill ruin.

Concrete barn.

Another structure.

School house.

Remnant of Atsion turntable.

Jim

 

[gagliarchives]

Great stuff. I was out last Monday and saw some renovations being done on the mansion. Sigh.

 

[omega]

Pulled from video, probably circa 1999

Also video grab about 1999

not sure if this is from video or not

fall 07

fall 07 with some guy in the way ;-)

 

[MikeBickerson]

not sure if this is from video or not

I like that one!

 

[LARGO]

From my files, an interesting perspective of the mansion already on here so many times. I happened to be around one November when the water was up and the pond effect created something to "Reflect on"



g.

 

[Jerseyman]

From my files, an interesting perspective of the mansion already on here so many times. I happened to be around one November when the water was up and the pond effect created something to "Reflect on"



g.

Very, very nice, George! I appreciate you adding this beautiful photograph to this thread! And it’s not even psychedelic!! Imagine what Whipperbill could do with this image!!!

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[Ben Ruset]

Birdseye view of the mansion:

 

[Teegate]

Here are a few that I have not posted in a while I believe. The first one shows me while the lake was drained during construction of the swimming area. This was 1978.

If you have ever wondered what holds the water into the lake, here are the gates that are raised by the big wheels you can see today along 206. Obviously, they are a rare sight.

And here is the new building taken in 1978 during construction. Note: There is a possibility the photo is mirrored improperly. Update: Fixed

Guy

 

[Jerseyman]

Folks:

I can’t make any promises here, but the other day I spoke to Bill Bailey’s widow (a long-time friend of my mother) and inquired about old photographs of Atsion. She indicated that she had many, but it would take her some time to dig them out. So, I am hoping that in the future we may have some great “period” photos from earlier in the twentieth century to scan and post. I’ve got my fingers crossed!!

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[Jerseyman]

Here are a few that I have not posted in a while I believe. The first one shows me while the lake was drained during construction of the swimming area. This was 1978.

And here is the new building taken in 1978 during construction. Note: There is a possibility the photo is mirrored improperly.

Guy

Without a doubt, Guy, that photo does suffer from a serious reversal!! Can you flip it in PhotoShop?

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[Teegate]

I fixed it. When I scanned many of my slides it took me a complete weekend and I did less than half of them. Towards the end I was just throwing them in and hoping for the best. Many of them are mirrored improperly.

Nice to see that you may acquire many old photo's. BTW, who was Bill Bailey?

Guy

 

[Jerseyman]

I fixed it. When I scanned many of my slides it took me a complete weekend and I did less than half of them. Towards the end I was just throwing them in and hoping for the best. Many of them are mirrored improperly.

Nice to see that you may acquire many old photo's. BTW, who was Bill Bailey?

Guy

Guy:

Thanks for rectifying the photograph!

The Bailey family resided in Atsion for many years and likely remained tenured there until the state acquired the property, when, I believe, they received a life estate in their property. Their house is the one featured in Post #20 of this thread from Mike Bickerson. IIRC correctly, Bill Bailey was born in Atsion and grew up to become a professional clown, even attending either the Barnum & Bailey or the Ringling Brothers clown school in Florida. He moved away from Atsion, but continued to visit his extended family there, hence the collection of photos.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[Teegate]

Thanks for the info. Checking my records I can say for sure they did not own it after the state acquired it, so as you say they just had lifetime rights. Here is a list of private property in Atsion after the state purchased it.

On the curve on Atsion Road just before the lake was Millie (Millie et al) and Millie, Morey et als. The state acquired one of the three properties there on 1/30/2000.

Along the lake by 206 there were 5 properties. Starting with the property farthest from 206 we have.

1. John Wells (the state eventually purchased that property, maybe because Mr. Wells did not have a deed. Oops!
2. James Adams Sr. along with Blanche, Norman, and Helen 1/13/1950
3. Norman Adams Sept 15,1951
4. Nora I and John R. Wells 5/24/1941
5. Florence V. and Pickett B. Russell 8/8/1947

Then across 206 of Quaker Bridge Road we have 4 lots. Cavileer, Giberson,Gloucester Gun Club, and the church. And as I have mentioned before right where the Atsion spur turned off was Hugh J. Phillips. And then scattered along Quaker Bridge Road towards Quaker Bridge there are a few pieces of property from the Fruitland era that still were in private hands, and still are today. And finally, on the far side of the lake there was 5 acres purchased in 10/1890 that the state did not own. It was purchased by a G. E. Wilson from R. J. Byrnes. The state now owns that property. I have not looked yet but there are property stones all around the lot with two of them right along the Atco spur. One day I will walk down there again and photograph them.

Guy

 

[whitingrider]

Progress 3/9/08

Took some photos today.

Cold and windy today.

Looks like first priority is going to be a handicapped ramp. Shame they're cutting through the wall.

I also took some other shots of the other buildings and will put them in the member gallery.
Tom

 

[TrailOtter]

At the Lines in the Pines at Sweetwater Casino, I was told the plan is to open the mansion for tours possibly in the early fall. My mom said that she was told that back in the 1952 so we'll see - would be cool to see inside the other remaining mansion of the Barrens industrial age.

 

[omega]

Given the states current financial situation, I tend to doubt the tours will get out of the planning stages for a very very long time.

 

[NJSRR]

I was up in the old packing house before it was destroyed by fire in the 70's. I had been in the Hampton packing house many times and had always wanted to go in the one at Atsion, so one day I just did it. The stairs had been long removed, so seeing the upper stories was going to take some doing. I had to climb up the old elevator shaft. That was alittle scary, but I was bound and determined to go all the way to the attic...........
Nothing really to see until I got to the very top. It was clear that nobody had been up there in ages. Some of the heavy beams were rotted right through, and hanging in mid-air. Given the general deterioration, the building probably would have collapsed on its own eventually.

Over in one of the corners near the roof, I actually found some spindles and rollers from the time when the building was a cotton mill !!! I donated most of them to the a person, now deceased, (who shall remain nameless) who was an officer in the Indian Mills Historical Society. Sadly they disappeared, and have never been seen since.

And shortly after my visit, the building burned down.

While the fire was blamed on vandals, my personal theory is that the state did it themselves. I know for a fact that the state burned down the cranberry worker's houses that used to stand at Hampton. The Historical Sociery was pressing the state to have it preserved some way, and they didn't want the expense or hassle, so the fire "conveniently" took care of their situation.

 

[Ben Ruset]

Looks like first priority is going to be a handicapped ramp. Shame they're cutting through the wall.

God I hate the state. They could have made a ramp and attached it to the porch.

The only bright spot is that the yellow "brick" siding on the side of the house isn't original, it's from the first 1950's restoration.

 

[whitingrider]

God I hate the state. They could have made a ramp and attached it to the porch.

The only bright spot is that the yellow "brick" siding on the side of the house isn't original, it's from the first 1950's restoration.

I would have taken the ramp to the porch, also if only to keep costs down and preserve the history. I hate this state, also.

 

[Ben Ruset]

I'm pretty sure the original porch wrapped around the side of the house. I wonder, though, if there had once been a door there. It seems odd to build a house like that with no windows on the side.