Batsto Furnace and Forge?

Boyd

Administrator
Staff member
Site Administrator
Jul 31, 2004
9,502
2,765
Ben's Branch, Stephen Creek
The NJDEP State Park Service POI dataset shows this location as the "Site of the Iron Furnace"

https://boydsmaps.com/#19.00/39.643535/-74.649421/njgin2007/0.00/0.00

You can download the dataset yourself as a .kml file for Google Earth or (maybe?) Garmin Basecamp here

 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: manumuskin

dennis2

Scout
Sep 22, 2020
54
28
Deptford, NJ
Thanks! That's a great map. Lists the site of the glassworks as well, which is pretty interesting.

Is there any record of the restoration of Batsto? I understand it has a long history, and they had to make choices. Just wondering how they came to their decisions.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,178
Okay. Here it is. I have made it as clear as possible.

Batsto Forge.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: Boyd

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,178
Jessica and I have been there and looked around. Not much to see from my very limited knowledge on forges.
 

dennis2

Scout
Sep 22, 2020
54
28
Deptford, NJ
Thanks! Going to check out both tomorrow.

Did anyone ever do any archaeology there? Seems like the record is sparse.

Had the great fortune to run into Budd Wilson back in 2018 at Martha Furnace, when I was trying to plumb the depths of that location. On a whim the dog and I got out of the house and hiked up there to get away from everybody. But there were people at Martha, so to be polite I asked if they knew anything about the place. The older guy said sure, I'm the state archaeologist who excavated here in the 1960's. I think I scared him because I yelled his name out pretty loudly and told him that I'd been chasing his report down for the last couple of weeks. He said that he wasn't required to write a report, so he didn't. Super nice guy. Spent about a half hour with me, answering all of my questions and giving me a one-on-one tour.

Nice chance meeting, but I sure wish he (and others!) had written everything down.

Here's me and Budd! I don't think he understood how cool it was to meet him that way, and why I kept laughing.
 

Attachments

  • Budd Wilson.jpg
    Budd Wilson.jpg
    6.2 MB · Views: 139
Apr 6, 2004
3,606
551
Galloway
Thanks! Going to check out both tomorrow.

Did anyone ever do any archaeology there? Seems like the record is sparse.

Had the great fortune to run into Budd Wilson back in 2018 at Martha Furnace, when I was trying to plumb the depths of that location. On a whim the dog and I got out of the house and hiked up there to get away from everybody. But there were people at Martha, so to be polite I asked if they knew anything about the place. The older guy said sure, I'm the state archaeologist who excavated here in the 1960's. I think I scared him because I yelled his name out pretty loudly and told him that I'd been chasing his report down for the last couple of weeks. He said that he wasn't required to write a report, so he didn't. Super nice guy. Spent about a half hour with me, answering all of my questions and giving me a one-on-one tour.

Nice chance meeting, but I sure wish he (and others!) had written everything down.

Here's me and Budd! I don't think he understood how cool it was to meet him that way, and why I kept laughing.

Budd is a wonderful human being. I may pay him a visit today!
 
  • Like
Reactions: dennis2

dennis2

Scout
Sep 22, 2020
54
28
Deptford, NJ
Jessica and I have been there and looked around. Not much to see from my very limited knowledge on forges.
True! Takes a bit of imagination to be sure. But a very nice spot nevertheless. Couldn't get in to where pinelandpaddler suggested. WAY too many thorn bushes. Got the leg scratches to prove it. Probably a really busy place back in the day!
 
Top