National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Oxford Industrial HD, Oxford Township, Warren County, NJ
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United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations of eligibility for Individual properties or district*. See Instructions In Guidelines for Completing National Register Forms (National Register Bulletin 16). Complete each Item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the requested Information. If an Item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, styles, materials, and areas of significance, enter only the categories and subcategories listed In the Instructions. For additional space use continuation sheets (Form 10-900a). Type all entries. 1. Name of Property ~"""~~""~"""I~"~~""'~"~~"~" historic name Oxford Industrial Historic District other names/site number 2. Location street & number Rte. 31 , Mine Hill Rd. Belvidere ii Axford Avem .not for publication city, town Oxford Township vicinity state New Jersey code 034 county Warren code 041 zip code 07863 3. Classification Ownership of Property Category of Property Number of Resources within Property X~] private Zlbullding(s) Contributing Noncontributing public-local ~H district 385 134 buildings x public-State Jslte , sites X] public-Federal 13 structure , structures I] object ____ ____ objects 394 135 Total Name of related multiple property listing: Number of contributing resources previously ______N/A____________ listed in the National Register 9 4. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this H nomination EH request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth In 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property [S np0%te yO does not meet the National Register criteria, EH See continuation sheet. 08/16/91 Signature of certlfyl 'fficlaf Assistant ommissioner for Natural & Historic Resources/DSHPO State or Federal ^g/ncy and bureau In my opinion, the property LJ meets L_) does not meet the National Register criteria. O See continuation sheet. Signature of commenting or other official Date State or Federal agency and bureau 5. National Park Service Certification I, hereby, certify that this property is: 171 entered in the National Register. I I See continuation sheet. 1 I determined eligible for the National Register. I I See continuation sheet. I I determined not eligible for the National Register. ( I removed from the National Register. i 1 other, (explain:) ___________ L Signature of the Keeper Date of Action £, 0 JS.-j 6. Function or Use Historic Functions (enter categories from instructions) Current Functions (enter categories from instructions) Industry/manufacturing facility Domestic/single dwelling Industry/extractive facility Commercial/ trade Domestic/single dwelling Religious structure commerce/ trade Education/school Transportation/ rail-related 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (enter categories from instructions) (enter categories from instructions) foundation Stone No style waiis clapboard/brick/stone Mid-19th synthetic Late Victorian roof synthetic other Describe present and historic physical appearance. Located in the Pequest Valley of central Warren County, the Oxford Industrial District encompasses the sprawling community which developed in conjunction with the Oxford Iron Works in the middle decades of the 19th century. Bounded on the south and west by low wooded mountains, Oxford is drained by Furnace Brook, a tributary of the Pequest River, which flows northeastwardly into Cat Swamp, a broad meadow bordering that side of the community. State Route 31 provides Oxford with its major arterial spine; passing through Van Ness Gap, it curves northward through the district, roughly following the course of the abandoned Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad. Oxford exhibits an irregular plan comprised of small neighborhoods with development largely following the roads which radiate outwards from the historical heart of the community, clustered around the small business dis trict on Wall Street, just west of the Route 31 crossing of Furnace Brook. The surrounding landscape retains its rural character, predominately open and agricultural to the northeast and heavily wooded on the south and west, with scattered modern dwellings and a few small residential developments. The district contains 385 contributing buildings and 134 non- contributing buildings, 3 contributing structures and 1 non-contri buting structure, and 6 contributing sites; two buildings in the district are already listed on the National Register. Of the dis trict's contributing resources approximately 5% date to the 18th century, 60% to the 19th century, and" 35% to the 20th century. Of the non-contributing resources approximately 70% post-date 1930 and 30% predate 1930. continuation sheet 8. Statement of Significance ^ 2 6 199! Certifying official has considered the significance of this property in relation to other properties: n nationally Q statewide Cxl locally Applicable National Register Criteria fxl A Cxl B [ IC O D Criteria Considerations (Exceptions) O A I IB i JC I JD I JE I IF I JG NA Areas of Significance (enter categories from instructions) Period of Significance Significant Dc* Industry_________________ _1741-1930_______ 1741 Community Development______________ Transportation Cultural Affiliation NA_____ Significant Person Architect/Builder ___Jonathan Robeson___________ Multiple Dr. William Shippen, Sr» (see 8:14) State significance of property, and justify criteria, criteria considerations, and areas and periods of significance noted above. The Oxford Industrial District possesses significance in the areas of industry, community development, and transportation. Ox ford illustrates the evolution of the region's iron mining and working.industry in its growth from a small-scale 18th-century operation with limited production and few workers into a sprawling 19th-century enterprise with vastly increased production and much larger, more diverse work force. It has particular significance for technological innovations which occurred there in the middle decades of the 19th century and early 20th century. Oxford also exemplifies the development of the "factory town," a rare occur rence in northwestern New Jersey, but a distinctive settlement pattern often associated with industrialization in 19th-century America. The construction of the Warren Railroad through Oxford in the lB50s played a major role in the growth of the industrial community, and the Van Ness Gap tunnel 1IV-70) is an impressive surviving element of the abandoned line. Finally, archaeological investigations undertaken around the old furnace (1-102) and Ship- pen Manor (1-55) suggests that other portions of the district may well have the potential to yield information about the iron indus try and domestic material culture in the 18th and 19th centuries. Historical Summary Oxford Furnace was established in 1741 on a 578-acre tract of land that had been recently acquired by Joseph Shippen, Jr., a successful merchant and member of a prominent Philadelphia family. Located in the hill country on New Jersey's northwestern frontier, an area well endowed with the raw materials necessary for the manufacture of pig iron: hardwood timber, iron ore, and limestone, the furnace site was part of property originally surveyed for Col. Daniel Cox in the 1730s. To establish the furnace Shippen took as his partner Jonathan Robeson, who was experienced in the iron PH See continuation sheet AUG 2 6 1091- 9. Major Bibliographical References ST1 See continuation sheet Previous documentation on file (NPS): I I preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) Primary location of additional data: has been requested I I State historic preservation office I 1 previously listed in the National Register PI Other State agency fyl previously determined eligible by the National Register * I Federal agency Q designated a National Historic Landmark l-ocal government I 1 recorded by Historic American Buildings ) University Survey # ________________;__________ D Other n recorded by Historic American Engineering Specify repository: Record # * part of this district was given a DOE as tne oxtord industrial HD(b/J.8/77 10. Geographical Data Acreage of property approx l, zuQ acres •Washington & Belvidere Quad s Northing Zone Easting Northing Dlil I I . See continuation sheet Verbal Boundary Description >ee continuation sheet Boundary Justification See continuation sheet 11. Form Prepared By name/title _ Dennis- Bertland and Andrew organization Dcrtland /associates date March, IT?91 street & number P.O. Box 11 telephone city or town. Port Murray state NJ zip code U AU6 2 6 I99I United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet oxford industrial HD, oxford Township, Warren County, NJ Section number 1 Page 2 An inventory of all structures and sites within the district has been prepared as part of this description. For ease of organi zation and use, the inventory has been divided into five sections corresponding to the five geographical subareas or neighbordoods of Oxford. Area I is the heart of the community, and contains its downtown commercial district, principal institutional buildings, a few industrial