A Pane in the Glass Factory - Batsto, NJ
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Metro2
N 39° 38.651 W 074° 39.202
18S E 529741 N 4388323
This marker is inside the abandoned and preserved 18th century bog iron and glassmaking Batsto Village.
Waymark Code: WM9XEX
Location: New Jersey, United States
Date Posted: 10/10/2010
Views: 2
After iron mining became outmoded here, the town used the fine New Jersey sand to become a glassmaking village.
This historic sign reads:
"A PANE IN THE GLASS FACTORY WHARTON STATE FOREST
In the 1840's, Batsto's iron industry was failing due to competition from new iron industries using coal and iron ore (magnetite) rather than charcoal and bog ore (limonite). Looking for another industry to keep Batsto profitable, Jesse Richards built a window glass factory on this site.
Although, nothing remains today, this is the site of the Batsto Glass Factory. The raw materials used in making glass (sand, lime and wood for fuel)were in abundant supply here.
The Batsto Glass Factory used the "cylinder sheet method" to make window glass and panes called "lights", for street lamps. In 1852, the ity of Camden was lit for the first time with thousands of lamp lights manufactured at Batsto.
Glass making was a labor intensive and expensive process. As the years passed, increasing fires, increasing customer complaints, and the death of Jesse Richards in 1854 led to the end of the once thriving glass industry at Batsto.
Department of Environmental Protection - Division of Parks & Forestry
This exhibit was funded by the Batsto Citizens Committee Inc., Grote- Frolinger Memorial Fund"
The sign depicts a tradesman working glass in a blast oven and also has a map of the site plan.
Group that erected the marker: Batsto Citizens Committee Inc., Grote- Frolinger Memorial Fund
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
Batsto Village & Wharton State Forest
31 Batsto Road
Hammonton, NJ USA
08037
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