Dover Forge

bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
15,046
5,431
Pines; Bamber area
Snow does help you see things you never knew existed. This Sunday I just had to get out of the house so I went over to Dover Forge. The snow highlighted a foundation I never knew existed but I walked within 50 feet of it many times. Look close at the outline here. It is very large, about 60 feet long by 18 feet wide. The saplings are growing in the middle of it:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10011&pos=0

Here is a view from the other end looking down lengthwise:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10011&pos=1

And here is the block the foundation is made of. Its masonry block, but the quality is very poor, many large stones and a poor mix:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10011&pos=2

Did they make block like that 185 years ago? I don't think so, so it must have been earlier. Here is a shot of the old bridge and Cedar Creek:

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=10011&pos=4
 
Teegate

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
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Very nice find Bob. And I like the last photo!

I have always found it is best to search after the snow falls because it compresses the brush. In your case the snow helped you find it.

Guy
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
15,046
5,431
Pines; Bamber area
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diggersw

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Dec 4, 2003
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Concrete blocks like the ones that you have in those photgraphs are much later than the Dover Forge. In fact, if you look at the mortar between the blocks, it is portland cement. The earliest this could possibly date is the 1860s, and, in fact, I doubt these are that old. You are most likely looking at a foundation constructed in the 1930s or more recent. It would be hard to pin down the date without evaluating the concrete blocks themselves. It looks like it may be either a hunting club (pre state park status), or something to do with the cranberry industry.
Sorry it's not what you hoped.
Scott W.
 
bobpbx

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
15,046
5,431
Pines; Bamber area
diggersw said:
Concrete blocks like the ones that you have in those photgraphs are much later than the Dover Forge. In fact, if you look at the mortar between the blocks, it is portland cement. The earliest this could possibly date is the 1860s, and, in fact, I doubt these are that old. You are most likely looking at a foundation constructed in the 1930s or more recent. It would be hard to pin down the date without evaluating the concrete blocks themselves. It looks like it may be either a hunting club (pre state park status), or something to do with the cranberry industry.
Sorry it's not what you hoped.
Scott W.
Click to expand...

Thanks Scott. Its intriguing because its so large. Come down some time and you can get a hunk of it for dating......bob

PS: I found this "dover cranberry bog" on the 71 topo. I never knew dover forge was a cranberry bog at one time.

https://boydsmaps.com/ts/#http://te...m/image.aspx?T=2&S=11&Z=18&X=1402&Y=11044&W=2
 
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