Hanover Furnace

Ariadne

Explorer
Dec 23, 2004
141
0
45
Charleston, WV
As promised to some, here are a few of the photos from the Hanover Furnace archaeological project that I'm working on at the moment.

--Ariadne
 

George

New Member
Apr 8, 2003
9
0
Browns Mills New Jersey
Ariadne
The pictures are great. It is good to see what is in my "backyard". Please contine with your good work.
Just around the corner at McGuire...retired but still serving.
George
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,338
326
Near Mt. Misery
Great photos. Really appreciate you sharing them on the forum. That is some very interesting work you have there. You mentioned that the cannon ball was found in some slag. Was it pretty buried? That is very cool.

Jeff
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,177
George said:
Ariadne
The pictures are great. It is good to see what is in my "backyard". Please contine with your good work.
Just around the corner at McGuire...retired but still serving.
George


George,

You are I believe the person who Ben and I explored with a few years back, so correct me if I am wrong.

Your friend at the time who was also a member of this site posted a photo titled "The wall in the woods" which was in Lebanon Forest. There was a map posted in her gallery showing the location with directions, but I was never able to pinpoint if. I wrote her and she said you could help. It was located near here.

http://topozone.com/map.asp?z=18&n=4416747&e=541090&s=50&size=l&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25

Was it in that pit located just to the right?

Guy
 

bobpbx

Piney
Staff member
Oct 25, 2002
14,153
4,257
Pines; Bamber area
Ariadne said:
As promised to some, here are a few of the photos from the Hanover Furnace archaeological project that I'm working on at the moment.

--Ariadne

Very interesting. I have some curiousity questions if you don't mind and have the time:

What exactly is it you are doing, and who is funding you? Is it because Fort Dix is rebuilding the dam that they decided to do a survey? What is your background? Are you working alone? Where are you storing the artifacts? What will the end result be, a corner of a museum somewhere? The State Museum? Can you get permission to give us a short walk-thru tour of the site?
 

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
I visited the site today. The y gutted the spillway area. I know that the dam broke at an earlier time, but this is a different sort of thing. I noticed 2 things:

1) It looks like they have rebuilt the dam and are renovating the spillway system.

2) There is an issue with lead contamination in the lake water and possibly the soil. This is based on the fact that there is a sign warning about lead contamination in the area of the spillway and there is a groundwater treatment system on the side of the lake with a sign indicating it as such. I also noticed that they have been uncovering buried ammuntion (metal boxes of bullets) which may be one of the causes for the contaminants.

Yes, I truly hope there is some sort of formal plan in regards to this historic area in which the work is being done. I am grateful to this person who took the time to gather photographs and notice what was unearthed. I am also curious if the relics are just being taken for private possessions. Is there an actual archealogical investigation being done? If so, this is truly great and I can't wait to see the results! The foundations, former spillways, and artifacts being found should REALLY be formally documented since the areas being excavated have been permanently altered. Would it be possible to provide any type of schematic showing the areas in which you noticed the wooden spillway and other areas of interest?

I saw that the brick foundations that I saw last summer on the south side of the dam have been partially destroyed by the machinery and that they also bored right through these to install the withdrawal piping. I understand that life must go on, but it is also apparent that any archaelogical work is being undermined by the construction.

The other thing I noticed was that they took down that last real big tree from along the old Main St., stump and all. There is one oak or maple up the road but it is not as old as the one they removed.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,602
8,177
So it appears from your post that maybe this is not being done in a "professional" manor. Hopefully, I am wrong.

Thanks for keeping us up to date Jokerman.

Guy
 

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
I only saw the site today since the work began. It is possible that a formal plan was utilized in regards to the historical aspect of the site, but I wanted to ask the gentleman who sent the pictures if he could explain his role at the site and if the dam work was done in conjunction with a formal archaelogical study and who was in charge of any such study. Please let us know.
 

Ariadne

Explorer
Dec 23, 2004
141
0
45
Charleston, WV
jokerman said:
I only saw the site today since the work began. It is possible that a formal plan was utilized in regards to the historical aspect of the site, but I wanted to ask the gentleman who sent the pictures if he could explain his role at the site and if the dam work was done in conjunction with a formal archaelogical study and who was in charge of any such study. Please let us know.


I am not a gentleman, but a lady :) Yes, there certainly is a plan and no damage has been done. One person with concerns about brick to the south side of the dam should rest easy -- they were 20th century brick dumped by the army. I am a well-respected, professional archaeologist and have personally overlooked the project. I am contracted through the USACE, well, more precisely, sub-contracted through the construction company, as per Section 106 guidelines for cultural resource management. In fact, while no damage has been done during this construction, we actually have learned even more about the furnace site, as parts of the site that had been destroyed by the army when they first acquired the land have been recovered as the lead contaminants were removed. Nothing has been taken for personal collections, and a formal report with maps will be publically available. I am also happy to answer any questions that people have if they contact me privately! Best, Ariadne
 
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