Searching For The Elusive Gun Club

[Teegate]

All,

I have been actively looking for the location of this place for many years, and after spending quite a bit of time looking over historicalaerials.com I believe I have. I actually had a clue to the location from a post here by Boyd, but failed to notice it until today.


Here is Boyd’s photo taken from his post. Notice the faced cinderblock.

Compare the above photo with this photo of the mystery gun club that I took years ago. Notice the faced cinderblock is similar as above.

So I concentrated on that area and looked the aerial photo’s over from 1972 and found this. Notice the roof appears to be similar, and you can see the somewhat circular driveway that by the time I visited there in 1978/1979 would have been much less used as in the 1972 photo.

Here is Boyd’s full post if you want to read it over.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/showthread.php?t=5615


Tomorrow I will be checking it out and will report on what I find.

Guy

 

[Ben Ruset]

Is this the club that had the piano in it?

 

[Teegate]

You have a good memory. You can see the stool in this photo.

My friend who was with me said he felt the keys had been ivory since they all had been removed. Have no idea if his theory was correct or not but you would wonder why someone would destroy the place and take the keys.

Guy

 

[P.B.&J]

gun club

strange....brick's look like could be same , i or we have another but not so old version on what we call jone's road in waretown . front look's diff but as i remember rear side look's quite the same . its half way between waretown road and f.r.m. next trip out i will get some pic's just for comparison....
p.b.j

 

[Teegate]

strange....brick's look like could be same , i or we have another but not so old version on what we call jone's road in waretown . front look's diff but as i remember rear side look's quite the same . its half way between waretown road and f.r.m. next trip out i will get some pic's just for comparison....
p.b.j

Are you referring to the Ironside Gun Club? If so, that is not the place.

Guy

 

[woodjin]

Looks like that could be it huh. You've driven past it about a million times without knowing then. Good luck on your visit.

Jeff

 

[Teegate]

All,

An early morning visit to the location of the gun club in question has confirmed to me that they are one and the same. After 29 years I have finally found it. I will plead my case. Compare all or most of these photo’s to the above two photo’s I have posted.



Here is a photo from today showing one of the windows. It is exactly the same window as the inside photo above shows.

Also, here are pieces of the mesh that was used to hold the wall material together. You can see it hanging from the ceiling in the same photo as above. You can still see some of the material in the mesh.

Here is the window sill that can be viewed in my outside photo of the building.

The front step is in the exact location as the outside photo.

And this photo is what will be the “Now” photo from a “Then and Now.” It is as best I could do to be exactly in the same spot.

It is obvious the place was destroyed in a fire.

I made this panoramic photo looking back at the driveway.


http://teegate.njpinebarrens.com/09282008/pan.jpg


I have already taken steps to find the name of the club, and as much info as I can about it. When I do you will be the first to know.


Guy

 

[Boyd]

Nice work Guy - and I really like the panorama!

Now, do you know anything about the other ruins shown in my old thread?

 

[MarkBNJ]

Case proven!

 

[Ben Ruset]

No charred piano?

 

[MarkBNJ]

Did someone actually see a piano there in the past? Was the club in operation right up to the time of the fire?

 

[Teegate]

Yes, Mark there was a piano in that room. Pieces of it are in the photo but are unrecognizable since it was mostly destroyed.

Ben, the piano would have disintegrated or been completely burned by the fire. I even looked for remains of that tree and could not find any trace of it. It may have been burned also since it appears close to the place.

Boyd, I don’t remember seeing that second club the day we were there years ago, but obviously it had to be there from looking over historicalaerials.com. It shows what to me is a roof in 1995. I will also see what I can find out about it.

Here is the photo of the outhouse you also took a photo of.

I know it was the outhouse because of this.

This club must not have been as sophisticated or as wealthy since they were using that same material for an edition to the place.

Aerial views.

1956

1963

1970

1995

Guy

 

[46er]

I have already taken steps to find the name of the club, and as much info as I can about it. When I do you will be the first to know.

Guy,

If you need some help confirming the name, a good friend of mine still makes the rounds of all the clubs during the season. He's been doing it since the 50's, he may be able to help if you need it.

 

[Teegate]

Guy,

If you need some help confirming the name, a good friend of mine still makes the rounds of all the clubs during the season. He's been doing it since the 50's, he may be able to help if you need it.

I am up for any info i can get, so if you would ask him what he knows I would be interested and appreciative of it. Even though it is obvious where it is located, I am not going to post the cords, but will certainly pass them on to you in a PM.

Guy

 

[woodjin]

That's great Guy, I am glad you finnally located the gun club of mystery. I recall that we looked for it near oswego at one time, but determined it to be the wrong spot.

So, after 29 years do you feel satisfied to finally know the location? Or a bit of meloncholy now that the mystery has ended?

Jeff

 

[Teegate]

That's great Guy, I am glad you finnally located the gun club of mystery. I recall that we looked for it near oswego at one time, but determined it to be the wrong spot.

So, after 29 years do you feel satisfied to finally know the location? Or a bit of meloncholy now that the mystery has ended?

Jeff

I am glad it's over. I just wish I had more photo's of it and of the one nearby. I guess I should have known that 30 years later I still would be exploring, but I failed then to understand what I needed to do to keep that history alive. I can only hope I am making up for that now.

You always have the best questions. I guess I should have known that also.

Guy

 

[bobpbx]

Good going Guy. Do you remember me telling you I had a strange feeling it was in the Bass River Forest area? I remember poring over the maps when you first mentioned it, trying to see likely clearings.

 

[Teegate]

I remember you said that Bob. All I remember about that day is we headed North or East from Martha and found it.

Guy

 

[MuckSavage]

As always......very nicely done! Thank you for sharing.

 

[james ungehajer]

Great work Guy, nicely done.

Jim