Sinkholes and Iron Mines

New Jersey has 588 abandoned mines, with a median age of 160 years old.

From pre-Revolutionary times through the 1980s, the ore and minerals contained in our corner of the planet have shaped our history. Mining is the basis for a major contribution from Northwest New Jersey to modern American society. From the first established settlements in the Musconetcong River Valley the iron working communities were the most durable. Forges and foundries were the economic engines of the time, places that saw remarkable events. (click on map to view details)