Structure at White's Bogs

[MarkBNJ]

This fellow contacted me through my blog and passed along the following pictures of a structure he saw out near White's Bogs. It looks like a sawmill ruin to me, although maybe a little newer than some. I told him I would post the pics here and see if anyone could identify the site.

 

[bobpbx]

That may be right next to 530. It looks familiar. There are several little dam structures in that area.

 

[Teegate]

It sure looks like one, but why the elaborate cement structure? In any event it is different for sure.

Guy

 

[Teegate]

Maybe a steam engine and the water was used???


Guy

 

[MarkBNJ]

So this isn't one you guys have seen before? Interesting. I'll PM you the location information that was provided to me.

 

[woodjin]

I know that structure and I am pretty sure I posted about it a long time ago. I'll have to go back over my old pictures. It is right at the end of a canal, just before a land bridge/road that leads into a bog. I had figured it was an elaborate water distribution mechanism. I forgot about that saw mill foundation. Here http://maps.njpinebarrens.com/#lat=39.95960602035494&lng=-74.49125289916992&z=16&type=topo&gpx=

Jeff

 

[Jerseyman]

Mark and Guy:

Based on the photographs—and particularly the first one—it appears the power source, probably steam or perhaps a gasoline engine, sat down in the lower portion of the structure and the drive belt came up through the relatively narrow opening aligned with the one side of the machinery foundation. I suspect the sawmill had a least a roof over it. I will be most interested in whatever else you find out about it. It is a very permanent installation, meaning the lumbermen pulled the timber to the mill, and it might just be one of the largest more modern sawmills of its kind in the Pines.

Best regards,
Jerseyman

 

[MarkBNJ]

Jeff and Jerseyman, I've PM'd you guys the coordinates.

 

[woodjin]

Jeff and Jerseyman, I've PM'd you guys the coordinates.

Yeah, it is the same as my map link but my arrow is a little off. I can never get those arrows right over my target.

 

[GermanG]

Is there any chance these ruins were of an old water pumping station? From what I can tell from the vegetation in the photo, it is in a freshwater wetland, which wouldn’t be the preferred place for a non-water powered sawmill, unless it was on the site of an older mill which was adapted to steam or internal combustion. It is also located between a reservoir and bogs, which seems like an unlikely place to have a sawmill on a busy cranberry plantation. Just random wondering on my part.

 

[GermanG]

I just re-read the previous posts and noticed that Jeff had similar thoughts to mine.

 

[kayakmac]

Was that mill perhaps primarily for the bogs in that area? Is it possible that was owned by the Cranberry farm for crates, and also structural lumber (ie. Cedar adjacent to the bogs) for commerce (ie. buildings towards Pemberton or for the Military res.)? I believe in WW1 Amatol had contracts with local vendors for lumber.

 

[MarkBNJ]

I'm thinking the pumping station theory sounds best, and in that case I imagine the power source was up on the base block where the bolts are, and a belt or chain drove a pump down in the box.

 

[Teegate]

I'm thinking the pumping station theory sounds best, and in that case I imagine the power source was up on the base block where the bolts are, and a belt or chain drove a pump down in the box.

I agree.

Guy

 

[46er]

Anyone contact the Whitesbog Preservation Trust? They'd probably have the answer.

 

[oji]

No answer at the phone#. I checked the events calendar and on Sunday they are having an Arbor Day celebration with a tree planting in honor of Thomas Darlington. I'll try to run up there tomorrow and look around. I would like to see the lower section from the back and see if the water is just collected rainwater or comes from some other source. Many years ago the adjacent reservoir was dry and while walking through it I saw square holes in the ground thatwere like large bathtub drains but I never found where they drained.

 

[46er]

The water is moved from reservoir to bog, and then bog to bog using canals, gravity and pumps. This is one of the WB reservoirs near the end of harvest time last autumn.

 

[BlueMoonMuskrat]

cool photo, the word 'sweeping' comes to mind

 

[oji]

I stopped out there today and took some photos that are in the photo section. The water from the reservoir drains into sluice that runs under the road and drains into a canal which runs about 12 feet from the foundation. There is another small canal from the main that runs behind the foundation where you see the cutouts that look like a door and window openings. I also noticed bolts sticking out of the top of the foundation that mean some sort of building covered what I believe was a waterpump.

 

[oji]

This is not far from the foundation at one of the working bogs.