Sppedwell/Hampton Furnace

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
I visited Speedwell and Hampton Furnace today among some others. I wanted to know if anyone know if the foundation that Beck mentions as remaining from the old furnace ("about 4 feet high") is still visible. Also, I saw a tall iron tripod kind-of-thing toward the back of the field. It had a pulley on the top which suggests it was some sort of hoist. Does anyone know if that is a remnant of the old Speedwell facility?

I also wanted to ask if anyone knows the approximate location of the old Hampton Furnace in relation to the foundations near the bridge at the crossroads. I saw a large muddy hole filled with water between the foundations and the stream. Is this the possible location.
 
B

bach2yoga

Guest
I'm curous about Tom's Grave that Beck mentions being on Speedwell Friendship road. Anyone know where that is?
Renee
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,655
8,265
Jokerman,

This is another post I missed so I am sorry for the delay in writing. I believe the furnace was at the Skit Branch of the river which is not right there at the clearing. In Forgotten Towns in the Tuckerton Road chapter Beck mentions that furnace was far across the clearing. The trees were probably not there at the time and there have been mentions that you could see the train tracks from the town around that time so that makes me believe it could be true. Also, I was there when the cement bridge was still there in 1978 when my friend took the below photo of it. The large bridge over the Skit Branch that is presently there now was built in the early 80's.

Beck mentions "The burned remains of the old bridge and sluiceway, now replaced by a modern concrete contrivance. Well, that modern contrivance could not handle the water that flows through there and this is all that was left of it in 1978.


http://www.njpinebarrens.com/~teegate/hf8_78.jpg

This shows the amount of water that flows through there and why a modern concrete contrivance was not a good idea. Compare the two.

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/~teegate/hampton.jpg

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/~teegate/hampton1.jpg

If you go there again look over into the water at the bridge across the skit branch and you can still see some of the cement from the above photo's. And if you look along the side of the road one large complete part of the cement bridge is still there. It was never removed when the large crane pulled it out. I have photo's if you want to see but I have to get to bed and don't have time to post them now. Also, notice in the last chapter of Forgotten Towns there is a photo up the Batsto river that is the same view as from the skit branch bridge. All of these clues make me believe he was talking about the skit branch and not the stream by the cranberry packing house ruins. I may be wrong but I have not heard anything different.

Guy
 

Frolickin

Explorer
Apr 21, 2003
149
0
Millville, NJ
rdowens.net
bach2yoga said:
I'm curous about Tom's Grave that Beck mentions being on Speedwell Friendship road. Anyone know where that is?
Yes.

Tom's Grave is located at:
N 39° 45.834 W 074° 34.026 (WGS84)

If you have come down Carranza Road to Friendship, take a left onto Friendship-Speedwell Road. You'll then turn left onto Eagle Road. Not too far down on the left will be the cemetary.

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.ad...OPvEY+31BOOcGInpL8x9dFO20pVMT7etaJBJldNMmvA==

http://img.groundspeak.com/cache/log/1122354_200.jpg

Fro.
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,655
8,265
Fro,

That is the grave of Charles Wills.

Tom's grave as it is described is on the road from Chatsworth to Friendship which would be 563. Coming south there are roads that head off to the right that Beck thought may lead south west toward Eagle. From that route if he was correct, you would come to Eagle first and then the grave of Charles Wills.
This is in the Speedwell chapter of Forgotten Towns.

Guy
 

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
Guy, thank you very much for the generous information. I was not sure where the photo in Beck's book was taken. I will hopefully be able to identify this spot on the Skitt. Spung Road. They are only depressions (one large which is next to an elbow in the stream) but pieces of masonry materials indocate that there were several buildings here. They are on the southwest side of the intersection of the road which intersects Glossy Spung Road. The intersecting road ends intersects a stream which appears to have formerly contained a bridge since the road continues across it. We also found the remains of a small house on the way to Rt. 206 from Hampton with chimney (falen) and stoop. The driveway is visible once you see it. It's visible on the right from the road.
 

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
jokerman said:
Guy, thank you very much for the generous information. I was not sure where the photo in Beck's book was taken. I will hopefully be able to identify this spot on the Skitt. Spung Road. They are only depressions (one large which is next to an elbow in the stream) but pieces of masonry materials indocate that there were several buildings here. They are on the southwest side of the intersection of the road which intersects Glossy Spung Road. The intersecting road ends intersects a stream which appears to have formerly contained a bridge since the road continues across it. We also found the remains of a small house on the way to Rt. 206 from Hampton with chimney (falen) and stoop. The driveway is visible once you see it. It's visible on the right from the road.
Part of my last message got cut off. I was trying to write that I found the foundation depressions of former structures north of the crossroads at the cranberry packing houses along Glossy Spung Road. Just wanted to fill in the gap I left in the above message.
 

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
Hampton Furnace

Yes, that is the one to the south. Looks like a former bog worker's residence. Tell me if you have any info. on it. Have you ever noticed the foundation depressions north of the intersection of Glossy Spung and the road that bisects the ruins at Hampton Furnace? There are several building depressions, including a large one which appears to be a former mill. It's just north of the intersection of the crossroads at the furnace. There is obviously eveidence of former buildings in this area. I guess they are former buildings associated with the Hampton Furnace area. A road travels west across the river to the west which is missing a bridge. It's beautiful since it looks like it still is used despite the river's pathway. Old pilings are visible in the shallow parts of the water. Has anyone else seen these things?
 

ecampbell

Piney
Jan 2, 2003
2,844
967
Jokerman,

Where is Glossy Spung road? I'm out that way all the time but am having trouble visualizing what your describing. Can you locate it and the foundations on a map?

Ed
 

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
From the Frienship Vilage, I take Carranza Road to Tuckerton Road. I take the first left after the left which enters some sort of military station which has a blue entrance sign. I believe this is Glossy Spung Road. There is a small area on the right which looks like it is used as a stopover for vehicles after a mile or two. Just before this area (which is adjacent to a stream) is the area that appears to have contained the former structures. The stream comes to an elbow near what appears to be a large foundation hole. The foundations are here and there seems to be several which occupy the land between the stream and the road northward to a crossroad which travels west to a stream with no bridge. If you get a chance to view it, let me know what you think.
 
Hampton Furnace

jokerman said:
A road travels west across the river to the west which is missing a bridge. It's beautiful since it looks like it still is used despite the river's pathway. Old pilings are visible in the shallow parts of the water. Has anyone else seen these things?

Yes, the cover picture for my album here is of the road you just described. There actually is a bridge there. It's just under water a good deal of the time.
 
ecampbell said:
Jokerman,

Where is Glossy Spung road? I'm out that way all the time but am having trouble visualizing what your describing. Can you locate it and the foundations on a map?

Ed

Glossy Spung Rd is the road that takes you from Hampton Furnace to Carenza Rd. It's one of my favorite roads because the scenery along it is so beautiful. It runs along and old bog that has been reclaimed. There is a road the runs on the west side of the bog too but it is very narrow, a real Piney Pinstripe Factory! There are several roads that cut into this bog area but I have not checked them all out. I've never seen any ruins in that area other than Hampton Furnace and the ruins of the bog operation.
 

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
They are hard to notice. They exist along the west side of Glossy Spung (not the narrow western road that you talked of), south of the first intersection that exists north of the ruins at Hampton. So, in other words, go north from the "T" intersection where the obvious ruins of Hampton lie, to the first intersection (almost sure it's the first one).If you were to make a left here you come to a stream which, when I was there, appears to have no bridge. However, I did notice that it looked as if vehicles still go pass this poaint and as another member mentioned, the bridge is there, but only visible at lower water levels. So you need to look southwest along Glossy Spung of this intersection. There are a couple of small foundation-type holes nearer to the intersection and one large on to the south where the stream makes an almost right-angle turn. I almost wasn't sure if these were former basements, but closer examination reveals pieces of masonry rubble typical of the time period. They are surely part of the old Hampton facility. These are my interpretations, and you may not conclude them to be former buildings. If you get a chance to see them, wire over your thoughts!Tom
 

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
Gut, I took some time to try and pinpoint the the location but can not accurately locate it remotely based on the topo map. For one, I don't see a bridge crossing the stream in the approximate area. I thought I might possibly locate it on an aerial, but the aerial and topo don't match up. There is a possibility I may be off on the aerial posting, but it's in the general area along the road. I know it from driving there really. I put a red arrow on the aerial to show the area. I still think the way I described it will be the best way to find it.

http://www.njpinebarrens.com/albums/album109/aaa.jpg
 

Teegate

Administrator
Site Administrator
Sep 17, 2002
25,655
8,265
Sorry, but I am not sure where that view is from. Does anyone else have an idea?

Also, do you have a membership to GlobeXplorer? When I use it there are watermarks blocking most of the photo.

Guy
 

jokerman

Explorer
May 29, 2003
337
12
Manasquan
Guy, the aroow is pointing to a spot next to Glossy Spung. You can see the road next to it. The clearing to the upper right in the military base and the road going along the top of the picture is Tuckerton Road, right after it splits from Carranza.
 
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