First Avenue Ruins

[manumuskin]

http://www.historicaerials.com/aeri...3317931648073&lon=-74.8531692375688&year=1963

I was taking the scenic route home from English Creek to laurel lake today and for me that means First Avenue and Hunters Mill road.I just happened to look to my left and spotted ruins I had never noticed before.Have you ever done this?Drive a road literally hundreds of times and all of the sudden spot something like this you have missed for literally decades?It appears to be a sawmill,at least there are spikes coming out of the foundation blocks but there are two very large cellar holes which usually don't seem to be necessary for a saw mill.The image is from 63 when the clearing first becomes visible.There is a building visible in 40 but the 63 image is clearer.On the topo there is a house shwon across the road from this spot but I think that may be a misprint and this foundation is whats depicted on the topo.There also happens to be an inscribed stone nearby that Guy and I located a few years ago.I had no camera on me but will be back to take pics maybe tomorrow.I also happened past the two sets of hives that someone posted recently about somewhere else on the forum.Didn't notice any bees but I wasn't curious enough to post.Bees are right up there with fire ants on my list of undesirables.

 

[Boyd]

I posted about the bees, then Dogg located the owner who placed them there. One of my pictures showed that some of the boxes appeared to be tampered with, and I noticed that he must have returned because they were neatly stacked again when I was there on Saturday. There's a third bee place too, along the powerline trail where it crosses Rt 666.

If I paste your coordinates from the Historic Aerials into NJBP maps, it looks like the same structure shown on the USGS 24k Topo to me. Or are you saying it's really on the other side of the road.

http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.33157552278634&lng=-74.85157012939453&z=16&type=topo&gpx=

Here is something weird. When I pasted your coordinates into NJPB maps, this is what I got

So I simply copied the URL from my browser and pasted that into this reply. However, if you click on that link, it shows the push pin on the other side of the road. Is this the bug that others have mentioned before?

 

[manumuskin]

The ruins I found are on the south side of the road.I was not aware of the house shown on topo north of the road at that time.I was not exploring and had no map ,camera or gps and was barefooted to boot.I got out of the car and walked up to the foundation and immediately found myself in a mess of dead holly leaves.My wife was laughing at me in the car while I was whining and limping out of it.There was a orange survey ribbon tied to one of the steel rods coming out of the soundations.I do intend to go back with a camera and also check the other side of the road.I notice on the historical aerials the north side of the road shows some disturbance as well.This isn't far from Concord Forge on Tuckahoe creek and close by is an inscribed stone so I was wondering if the ruin had any connection to either.There was sandstone,brick and old concrete in the foundations and the cellar hole appeared to be at least six feet deep.I could not even explore the area well due to my shoeless condition.I thought I was Cody Lundin but I guess not
Al

 

[manumuskin]

PS
are there bees in those hives?

 

[c1nj]

I have been to that sawmill and also wondered about the large hole. Could it be for some kind of reciprocating saw that needed the hole for blade clearance?

 

[manumuskin]

don't know? I assumed it was a sawmill because of the rods coming out of the foundations.Do you know for certain it is a saw mill?I am going back for pics when I get the chance.

 

[Boyd]

I posted this map from Pinelands Folklife (Rutgers Univ Press, 1987) before. It shows "William Smith's Sawmill" very close to where you were.

 

[c1nj]

I assume it is a sawmill, but I don't know for certain.

 

[manumuskin]

i have been to William Smiths sawmill.There is a small depression and some brick and stone in a small obviously old yard.There is a flat survey stone near there also.Where I was was maybe a half mile east to Concord froge and indeed as i proceeded west and then turned left toward 49 if i had continued west down the old but still driveable dirt road toward Tuckahoe creek i would have driven up to the old Forge.There is nothing there but a couple of large shallow cellars and a pile of rocks and slag where the furnace used to set.

 

[woodjin]

http://www.historicaerials.com/aeri...3317931648073&lon=-74.8531692375688&year=1963

.Have you ever done this?Drive a road literally hundreds of times and all of the sudden spot something like this you have missed for literally decades?.

when I found those ruins near Mary Ann Forge it was like that Al. I couldn't believe I had missed it so many times. Nice find!!

 

[manumuskin]

I could not believe it was that close to the road and those woods are very open oak woods and I have been through there many times in winter and yet I find it in june?I would have thought I would have looked for it since there is a house shown on the topo there and I usually will check out such things when in the area but I must have overlooked itThere is a ruins along 49 due south of this spot that my ex wifes father lived in as a kid.He told me about it.it is here 39.32074° N 74.85132° W.I went to check it out and found the foundations and a large I believe walnut tree or catalpa,I forget.It was neat to know someone who had lived there since it appeared to be abandoned for quite sometime.

 

[Boyd]

Many years ago I read about Harrisville and thought it would be cool to see. I made a few trips there and wandered around the woods without finding anything. After that I assumed that it was no longer there and didn't look again. Then a few years later I had an "aha" moment and realized I had been looking on the wrong side of the road.

 

[manumuskin]

there are actually ruins on both sides of the road.I found the main ruins just by driving by in winter and seeing them.Then later canoeing I noticed cellar holes along the road back to beaver branch takeout.Then I got the book Iron in the Pines i believe it was and seen a map in there of the town that showed the ruins east of the road and I went back and found everything over there,the store,the big house and the mill,all way cool! Did I just sat way cool? Been hangin around my grandkids too much.if you ever here me say "Sweet" just shoot me

 

[manumuskin]

the main cellar hole is a good eight feet deep and 15 ft across.

 

[manumuskin]

They have now posted signs in front of both sets of beehives that say BEES and a big pic of a honey bee on them.Seen none buzzing around as i went by but I guess their occupied.

 

[Boyd]

I noticed that the other day myself and meant to post this picture but forgot.

 

[manumuskin]

what pray tell are honey bees being used to pollinate out in the middle of those oak/pine uplands and swamps?

 

[Boyd]

Dogg forwarded me an e-mail he received from the owner... here's an excerpt

The bees were making honey off of holly blossoms. They didn't do quite so well this year because the late frost killed many of the holly buds.

 

[manumuskin]

some nitwit I prophecy will get hurt there.It would be safer to move them down a side road onto perhaps gun club property with permission.They would be safer out of sight of the main drag.Nitwits abound down here.

 

[manumuskin]

By the way does anyone know what the ruins are I posted photos of?A very big cellar hole.May not be a sawmill but some of the foundations remind me of sawmill foundations.