The Environmental Legacy of Iron Mining in New Jersey

Beginning in the 1700s, northern New Jersey’s Highlands region was discovered to be rich in iron ore, and it became a hub for iron production through the 1800s. The area’s natural resources also made it ideal for building smelting furnaces to extract the iron metal from the rock.

These Ironworks were central to growing local communities and their economy. The industry supplied iron for homes, farming and manufacturing, as well as ordnance for both the Revolutionary War and Civil War.

But there were also environmental costs to this industrial development that have left a lasting impact on the New Jersey’s land and communities.

This presentation, given by Kerry O’Brien from the Friends of Long Pond Ironworks, will talk about the originals of iron mining in the Highlands, its role in America’s growth, and its impact on our environment.

This is part of our America 250: Science Across America series. Attendees are eligible to enter our America 250 raflle.