Weymouth Furnace was first operated by Joseph Ball and built around 1754 and stayed in business till about 1865. A forge was later added to make cannons and balls for the continental Army for the War of 1812. Annually it produced about 900 tons of castings. It had four fires and tow hammers and could produce 200 tons of bar iron per year. That iron bar would be used in the shipbuilding industry which was not that far away. Their were about 900 men would were employed and lived-in company housing nearby.

The sawmill and gristmill were added to the property which employed 90 men. The furnace did eventually close down the price of iron was cheaper in other states. A paper factory instead was built which made the paper for books. Eventually that closed down and ruins remain along with a few foundations. The Mays Landing Water Company acquired the property and the site was later contributed to the Atlantic County Historical Society to designate it as a historical site. 

If you want deeper history into the forge it was purchased in 1800 from the West NJ Society by five partners headed by George Ashbridge and Charles Shoemaker. In 1801 the state granted permission to dam the Great Egg Harbor River for an iron works and waterworks that production been in 1802. However other historical references say 1754 so history tells us that the forges were not added till the 1800s so the site is very old.

The site was actually more like a ghost town having 20 workers houses, blacksmith shop, wheelwright, store, mansion, Methodist Church etc The area could sustain production and supply the workers with the things they needed for daily living. 

The forge remained in production for about 60 years and the iron was smelted from a local bog into furnaces fueled by charcoal.  Productions consisted mostly of cast iron water pipe with some production of pots, stoves and even nails.  Many shots and bombs were made by the United States during the war of 1812. We did a few of those investigations when I was based out of NY. 

History tells us that the Forge site had two paper mills one was the Atlantic Paper Mill made of stone and Weymouth Paper Mills a wood structure.  The paper was primarily made from old manila rope, rags, and old bagging till about 1866 then wood pulp was used for paper. In 1897 the mills closed down. 

The land had been sold to pay up some debts. The new owner did not do anything to develop the site. After like most sites the buildings start to collapse, the dam broke draining the mills pond in 1916. Then the paper mills were vandalized for their stone leaving only foundations. In 1966 Atlantic County acquired part of the 85,000 acre tract of Weymouth turning it into a local park with benches. Strangely even though this is in the pine barrens the area is quite developed as the furnace is consumed by the town. 

I have read a few reports of Jersey Devil sightings here its possible I mean the town is surrounded by alot of pine barren forest. Its a well visited area mainly for tourist. Even though will not see paranormal photos this has got to be one of the most famous places of all in the Pine Barrens and PGS brings it to you.

© By

Lord Rick