The community of Oxford developed around an 18th c. iron furnace that was originally owned by three successful businessmen from prominent Philadelphia families—Joseph Shippen, Jr., his brother, Dr. William Shippen, Sr. and Jonathan Robeson. While Jonathan Robeson was responsible overseeing the construction and early operation of the furnace, Joseph Shippen acquired a title to the land in 1741 that included the furnace and manor. In 1743, the Oxford Furnace produced the first pig iron. 

Due to the rich ore deposits located on the hills and mountains surrounding the town of Oxford, the furnace survived the change from being a part of an 18th c. gentlemen’s estate to a 19th c. autonomous family-owned industry to a part of a larger and diversified 20th c. industrial complex. 

Timeline of the Oxford Furnace [1-4]

• 1726: George Green  & John Axford (1692-1771) are the first settlers to come to "Morris" (Hunterdon) County from Bucks County, PA. Axford builds log cabin "at Charles Scranton's Spring" in Oxford. Green goes north.
  • According to James Snell's History of Somerset and Hunterdon Counties (1881), George Green was the brother of Samuel Green (b. 1675/1685), a deputy surveyor for the West Jersey Proprietors who owned several tracts of land in Hardwick and Greenwich (currently, Warren Co., NJ). Samuel surveyed 610 acres of land for George in what became Hope Township (Warren Co., NJ) in 1725. George Green lived in Amwell, Hunterdon, NJ before coming to Warren Co. [Snell, pp 32-33]
  • In 1725, Samuel surveyed 610 acres for George in what became Hope Township (Warren Co.). 
  • John Axford (1692, England to 1772, Sussex/Warren Co., NJ) was the founding settler of Oxford, N.J. He married Joanna ("Anna") Biles Beakes (1696-before 1767) before 1723 in Bucks Co., PA. They had five children: Samuel (1723/4-1811), Jonathan (1730-1806), John, II (1735-1809), Abraham (before 1740-1792), and Martha (1741-1801). (Martha and Joseph William Shippen will have seven children together.)
• 1730: Col. Daniel Coxe (1673-1739) had large tract of land surveyed and divided among his three sons, with 578 acres given to youngest son, William (1723-1801). In 1735, William sold his land to Joseph Shippen, Sr. (1679-1741) of Philadelphia ("Furnace Tract") and found to contain deposits of magnetite iron ore.
• 1735: "Furnace Tract" and more land (probably including the entirety of Daniel Coxe's estate) is owned by Joseph Shippen, Sr., of Philadelphia who dies in 1741.
• 1738: "Furnace Tract" leased to Jonathan Robeson (1695-1766), neighbor of Joseph Shippen, Sr. in Philadelphia, PA.
  • Jonathan Robeson was one of the first judges of the Common Pleas (Sussex Co.) along with Abraham Van Campen and others. There is a possibility that while serving (1750s) that Van Campen obtained a fireback from Oxford as the Van Campen Inn is an original location [Snell, 150].
• 1741: "Furnace Tract" and 3000 acres inherited by Joseph "Gentleman Joe" Shippen, Jr. (1706-1793). Jonathan Robeson begins to build Furnace for Joseph Shippen, Jr.; agree to share  profits equally. Aaron dePue builds a store in Oxford.
• 1743: Furnace "blown in" (made operational); first iron drawn on March 9, 1743; Robeson buys adjoining land [Snell, 609].
  • Pig Iron is crude iron that is the product of smelting iron. It usually has a high carbon concentration. These are ingots that resemble a litter of piglets being nursed by a sow. The smaller ingots ("pigs") were broken from the runner ("sow"). It is intended for re-melting at a finery forge (puddling furnaces). According to Snell (History of Sussex and Warren Counties, 1881), "The first account we have of pig iron being made is at Oxford Furnace (then Morris County), then known as Upper Greenwich... by March 9, 1743, the first pig iron" was created. 
• 1745: Jonathan Robeson buys one-half interest in the Furnace Tract but found it impossible to acquire controlling interest, sells one-fourth interest to Dr. William Shippen, Sr. With this money, he builds a large forge at Changewater on the Musconetcong River.
  • Jonathan Robeson was one of the first judges of Common Pleas for Sussex County (Warren Co. did not exist yet). His father and grandfather were both judges in Pennsylvania. His descendant, William Penn Robeson, was the 6th judge to descent from Andrew Robeson. [Snell, 150]
• 1749: Dr. William Shippen, Sr. (1712-1801), younger brother of Joseph, Jr. is a Founder & Trustee of Princeton University; Trustee of University of Pennsylvania, PA representative on Continental Congress for Pennsylvania and lived on 4th and Locust in Philadelphia); buys part interest from Joseph, Jr. and Jonathan Robeson.
• 1753-1754: Named town "Oxford" by Commission; Richard Shackleton (contractor who built the millrace) is manager of Furnace for Robeson. Sussex County splits from Morris County; Robeson sold his interest in mine lands to Dr. William Shippen, Sr. for 100 tons of pig iron a year to be delivered to his forge at Changewater.
• 1756: Dr. William Shippen, Sr. buys out his brother's interests in lands and Furnace and leases the Furnace to Jacob Starn (d. December 1773). Son, Joseph William Shippen (1737-1795) lives at Manor as supervisor of the Furnace Tract.
  • Jacob Starn is buried in the Hughesville Cemetery in Warren Glen, NJ.
  • According to Starn's will abstract, "1773 Nov 27 Starn Jacob of Mansfield Woodhouse, Hunterdon Co., iron master; will of. Wife, Esther Starn, household goods in my new house, except what I give to Hugh Hugh[es], Esq. L15 per annum. My wife is to live on Mr. Hugh[es]'s land. To Mr. Hugh[es]. L100, to build a good stone house for my wife, and he is to rent her 5 acres. My real estate to be sold, and if the forge [possibly Changewater] does not sell to advantage, it is to be rented out. Nephew, Nicholas Boon, L800. To Jacob Starn Thompson, L300. Mark Thompson, the father of Jacob, is to give a bond to pay the L300 when Jacob is 21. (Jacob, the son of Catherine Stache, her maiden name, living in New York.) To Mrs. Martha Hughes. 150. to Esther Hughes. L50 when of age. To the Elders of Greenwich Meeting House, L100 for bulding a new house. To Isaac Allen, Esq. L50. Executors wife Esther and Isaac Allen. Witnesses-- John Sager, Hannah Penhoff, John Forrester. Before signing my will, I give to Martha Thompson L50 to be paid to her father, Mark Thompson. To John Hughes, the son of Hugh Hugh[es], Esq my land called Reading's Mine, in Oxford Township in Sussex Co. Proved 1 Jan 1744 Lib 17 p 11." (abstract at Ancestry.com)
  • According to the Final Cultural Landscape Report by Steve R. Burns Chavez and A. Berle Clemensen (1985, NPS), "Iron ore discovered in Oxford township of what became Warren county, New Jersey. A smelter was established there by 1743 at Oxford Furnace. John Reading, Jr. had no role in this operation although he became interested in area iron mining soon after this event" (357). It further states that in the 1740s, "John Reading, Jr. purchased 702 acres of land in Oxford township for ore, wood, water, and other conveniences 'suitable for Iron Works'. He also bought 200 acres of land near the heat of Merril's Brook on Scotts Mountain in Oxford township which had wood suitable for making charcoal" (357). There is no information found at this time that will help determine where "Reading's Mine" was located.
• 1760: Nicholas Biddle buys unspecified interest from Dr. William Shippen, Sr.
  • The Biddle family was from Philadelphia and were primarily military officers and bankers. 
• 1761-1763: Three blasts, made 640 t. pig iron and 95 t. castings; 3/12/61 to 1/1/64 (1761-1764); total expense 6241 pounds. "Elias Thomas" (?) quotes in Pennsylvania Magazine, vol. 14, p. 201.
• 1762: Jonathan Robeson sells all of his interest to Dr. William Shippen, Sr. and all of his independent land interests.
• 1764: The "Furnace Tract" was offered for sale by Joseph and William Shippen, Sr.
• 1776-1783: During the Revolutionary War the Furnace was active. The property was "managed" by Joseph W. Shippen who lived at the Manor with Martha Axford, who was hired to be the house manager by Dr. Shippen, Sr. They had seven children (all named Shippen). [Most likely he oversaw operations, but did not manage the Furnace as he was not an iron master.] Congress sent troops to protect Furnace (positioning artillery at the juncture of S. Lincoln Ave & Cemetery Hill Road in Washington), which made military materials (cannons, cannonballs).
  • Martha was the only daughter of John Axford (1692, England to 1 Jan 1771, Sussex/Warren Co., NJ) and Anna Biles Beach/Beakes Axford (b. 21 January 1696, Bucks Co., PA to before 1767, Sussex/Warren Co., NJ). [Armstrong, William Clinton. The Axfords of Oxford. Morrison, IL: Shawver Publishing Co., 1931. pages 3-10]. 
• 1795: Joseph W. Shippen dies. Joseph's son-in-law, Samuel Blair (1766-1805), married Joseph's daughter, Maria Shippen (1778-1856) on 5 Oct 1803, becomes manager of Furnace. Dr. William Shippen, Sr. also lives at Manor. [Also, see Blair Family Magazine, Vol XVI, No 3, Fall 1998, 50]
• 1801: Dr. Shippen, Sr. dies at age 90 in Germantown, PA. In his will, he provided for Martha Axford and her seven children. He left the Furnace to his two surviving children-- Dr. William Shippen, Jr. (1736-1808) and Susan Shippen Blair (1743-1821). Furnace leased to Roberdeau, Showers and Campbell (Mrs. Blair's daughter, Susan Blair Roberdeau, is married to Isaac Roberdeau (1763-1829).
  • In 1801, Martha Axford died at around age 60 in Oxford, NJ. 
• 1806-1809: Furnace leased to Conrad Davis, Jr. (1759-1836) of Oxford.
  • Davis was a teamster during the Revolutionary War. He served with his father, Conrad (Conrod) Davis, Sr. (1729-1790) under Brigadier General William Maxwell during the Revolutionary War. Conrad, Jr. is buried near his father in the Greenwich Presbyterian Church Cemetery.
  • His grandson, Job Johnson Davis (1824-1893) worked as a mechanic in one of the organ factories in Washington (Warren Co., NJ). He is buried in the Washington Cemetery in Washington, Warren Co., NJ. Job was the father-in-law of David Bibinger (1861-1918), a wood carver who created the wooden organ cabinets at one of the organ factories in Washington, N.J.
• 1808: (David) Morris Robeson (1759-1823), grandson of Jonathan and son of Maurice (1724-1761), buys Furnace from Mrs. Blair and heirs of Dr. William Shippen, Jr. and lives in Manor. He does not work the Furnace, and lives off income from store, mill and farms.
  • 1809-1823: The Furnace was out of blast the only time in its history. This is during the time that Morris Robeson leased and then owned the Manor and Furnace (14 years). Again, he did not operate the furnace during this time.
• 1813: Grist Mill (Site #3) built (converted into the Colonial Methodist Church in 1913).
• 1823: (David) Morris Robeson dies. His heirs,  son Justice William Penn Robeson (1798-1864) and  John Patterson Bryan Maxwell (1804-1845), his brother-in-law, lease Furnace to "Henry & Jordan" (William Henry III (1794-1878) and his brother-in-law John Jordan (1770-1845)) on May 1, 1832. Lease was for Furnace ($1000), Mill ($200), Manor and 12 houses ($100) per year.
  • William Penn Robeson was an Associate Judge of the Philadelphia County Court, see pages 48-49. Buried in Belvidere Cemetery, Belvidere, NJ.
  • John Patterson Bryan Maxwell was a US Congressman from NJ, 1837-39, 1841-43. Buried in Belvidere Cemetery, Belvidere, NJ.
  • John Jordan married Henry's sister, Elizabeth Henry (1782-1844).
• 1832: Morris Canal opens. Henry rebuilds part of stack, bridge, cast houses, etc., coal barn, and 6 workmen's houses. Erected new "blowing machinery" (Charles Scranton called them "tubs"). [National Register of Historic Places, 2] Discovered and opened Staley mine. Furnace "in blast" on August 4, 1832 and produces 17-20 t. per week. John Frederick Wolle (1785-1860) joins William Henry III and John Jordan. Firm's name is changed to "Henry, Jordan & Co." Their annual profit through 1837 was $4-7000.
  • Wolle was married to Henry's sister, Sabina Henry (1792-1859). He was born in Bethany, St. John, Danish West Indies where his parents served as missionaries. He was a merchant in Nazareth, Belfast, Jacobsburg, and Bethlehem (in Pennsylvania). He and Sabina had five children.
    - Once married, John Wolle, Sabina Henry and their family moved to Jacobsburg,
       PA and then later to Bethlehem, PA. 
    - "Letter to John Jordan, Jr. from Sabina Henry, June 27, 1844." [link]
  • Henry and family moved from Stroudsburg (PA) to Belvidere (NJ) and a year later, to Oxford. He left John Jordan in charge of the Analomink Forge (PA). [Jacobsburg History]
    • The forge no longer exists. The indigenous name of Analomink means "tumbling water". The village of Analomink was a stop on the  (DL&W). In 1901, the town's name was changed to Spragueville (Monroe Co., PA). 
  •  Henry believed cheaper pig iron could be produced by using hot blast in a charcoal furnace. (For further description: p. 68)
• 1833-1837: William Henry III lives at the Manor. His son, Joseph J. Henry was born at the Manor on 15 December 1834. He was the youngest son of William and Mary Albright Henry (wife #1). William Henry will marry his second wife, Sarah Atherton and they had three children: Elisha, Lydia and Thomas (Thomas changed his named to "Thomas Henry Atherton, Sr." from "Thomas Atherton Henry).
• 1834: Henry hires Selden Theophilus Scranton (1814-1891) at the Furnace.
  • Selden T. Scranton was the son of Theophilus Scranton (1786-1859) and Abigail Lee (1754-1840),  and was the son-in-law of William Henry III. Selden was a merchant from Belvidere, NJ.
  • Henry used the hot blast technology at Oxford Furnace and patented it. (See Cummins, George Wyckoff. The History of Warren County, NJ.  Lewis Historical Publishing Co., 1911. pages 204-05.)
• 1834-35: Henry uses first hot blast in the United States at Oxford Furnace (heated to tymp on May 24); Furnace stack reduced from 33-1/3 feet to 31-1/3 feet.
  • Hot blast is when preheated air blown into a furnace is at higher temperatures that increased the capacity of iron furnaces.
• 1836: Henry tries hot blast heated at tunnel head by September; continued to use until February 1843.
• 1837: John Jordan, who has been managing the Analomink Forge is ill. Henry goes to Stroudsburg to manage the forge, leaving Selden and his brother George W. Scranton (1811-1861) in charge at Oxford.  The Analomink Forge continues to lose money. [Portrait of Col. George W. Scranton; Portrait of Selden T. Scranton]
  • George W. Scranton married Jane Hiles (1811-1878) on 21 January 1835. They had four children:  Elizabeth Warner Scranton Fuller (1832-1884), William Henry Scranton (1840-1889), Ellen Scranton (1845-1845, 7 weeks old), and James Selden Scranton (1841-1905).
  • Scranton's son, William Henry Scranton (1840-1889), reportedly built the Scranton house uphill from Shippen Manor. He married Rosalie Paul (b. 1842, Hazeldene, PA) on 6 Nov 1867.
    • Jane Hiles (1811-1878) was the daughter of George Hiles (bc. 1780) and Eleanor Lober. She had a sibling named Sidney Hiles Jay.
• 1839: Selden marries Ellen Henry (1821-1897), daughter of William Henry III.
  • Selden and Ellen are buried in the Belvidere Cemetery, Belvidere, NJ.
• 1840: "Henry, Jordan & Co" is dissolved; Analomink Forge sold to Jordan; lease on Oxford and equipment sold to George S. and Selden T. Scranton on Feb 15. Henry goes to Slocum's Hollow and founds the town of Harrison (later Scranton), PA. He builds a furnace there, which is ready by Aug 1841 and financed by the Scrantons, Grant & Mattes.
• 1841: Selden & George Scranton, along with Henry try to put Harrison furnace into blast, but it keeps going out. They argue over the size of the water wheel and Henry quits. Charles B. Scranton (1822-1888), brother of Selden & George, manages Oxford Furnace and lives at the Manor.
• 1842: Henry sues "Scrantons & Grant" for $3300. Selden builds a house in Harrison (Scranton, PA) and George still lives in Oxford. Anthracite coal mixed with charcoal at Oxford by September. A severe economic depression occurs that affects iron businesses; George and Selden build a rolling mill in Harrison, PA.
• 1844: Joseph Scranton (1838-1908), cousin of George, Selden and Charles, comes to Harrison, PA with his brother-in-law I. Curtis Platt, and plenty of capital. "Scrantons & Grant" is renamed "Scrantons & Platt". [Portrait of Joseph H. Scranton]
• 1847: Charles Scranton marries Henry's other daughter, Jane Ann (1823-1909).
• 1848: Harrison Rolling Mill is enlarged, designed by Henry's son, Eugene. Oxford is run by Charles under the company name, "Charles Scranton & Co".
• 1850: Harrison is renamed "Scranton" (PA). "Scrantons & Platt" is renamed "Lackawanna Iron & Coal Co." The economic depression is over and Charles pays off the debts at Oxford. Warren Railroad starts to build and Charles has become quite active with it.
  • History of the Lackawanna Valley, "History of Scranton"
  • US Census (1850) shows Charles W. Scranton (age 39), his wife, Jane Hiles Scranton (age 39), and their three children (Elizabeth, age 12; William H., age 10, and James S., age 8) living in Providence, Luzerne Co., PA. (Family Search)
• 1855: Warren Railroad is built through Oxford and gets rights to build a tunnel (Van Nest/Oxford Tunnel).
• 1856 to 1857: According to the Dickey Report (1970), The Bulletin of the American Iron Association (1856-58) lists Charles Scranton as Owner-Manager. Dimensions of the stack are 8' diameter and 38' high, 2 tuyeres, blowing 2800 c.f.m. of air at 375 degrees and 5 pounds of pressure, by steam power, and a possible capacity of 2500 tons per year. Actual production years include:
  • 1849: 900 t.
  • 1854: 1000 t.
  • 1855: 896 t.
  • 1856: 803 t.
• 1857: Warren Railroad (Warren RR) is leased to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad (DL&W RR). Oxford Furnace made 906 t.
• 1859: "Charles Scranton & Co." is dissolved and in its place "Oxford Iron Co." is incorporated. Selden becomes president and Charles serves as executive.
• 1861: Charles Scranton and Henry's sons, Joseph J. (1834-1862) and William, Jr. join the US Army during the Civil War.
  Captain William Henry, Jr. (or William Henry, IV), 1830-1889) served in the 1st Reg't NJ Volunteers, NJ Infantry (he was commissioned 1st Lieutenant and Adjutant on 31 May 1861 and promoted several times; he was mustered out on 23 June 1864, receiving no brevet promotions.) See Soldiers & Sailors.
• 1862: Captain Joseph J. Henry, Civil War Union Army Officer, is the first Union Officer of a NJ Regiment to die in combat in the war. He dies in February 1862 during the Union assault on Roanoke Island, NC when a cannon ball crashed into his chest. He served as Captain and commander of Company H, 9th NJ Volunteer Infantry. He received his commission on November 11, 1861.
• 1863: Selden builds his house at Oxford and founds "S.T. Scranton & Co" as a real estate holding company for mine property.  The Second Presbyterian Church in Oxford is built. The rolling mills at Oxford are started by Eugene Henry.
• 1865: Rolling mills and nail factory are completed.
  • According 
• 1867: Samuel Sloan (1817-1907) is elected president of the DL & W Railroad from 1867 to 1899. Boom times have arrived and the price of pig iron is $90t. and higher. Also, casting of car wheels begins (building across from Furnace #1). [Portrait of Samuel Sloan]
  (Samuel Sloan was a railroad tycoon who was described by American journalist, Gustavus Meyers in History of the Great American Fortunes (1907) describes him as one of the "monarchs of the land... the actual rulers of the United States; the men who had the power in the final say of ordering what should be done.")
• 1868: Price of iron begins to fluctuate.
• 1871: Oxford Iron Company builds Furnace #2 and it is 18 feet in diameter and 63 feet high. 
  • According to the Dickey Report (1970), Selden, Eugene, and Charles built the new furnace (#2), which was not very successful. They used up all of their available capital at the beginning of the worst depression of the 19th c. (11-12).
• 1873: Panic of 1873 affects the United States. Price of pig iron is around $25 t.
• 1874: Selden writes to his brother Charles that he believes Samuel Sloan and the DL&W are trying to bankrupt Oxford Iron Co.
  • According to the Dickey Report (1970), Selden suspected that there was a conspiracy as well as a depression and decided that the man behind it was Samuel Sloan. (Sloan was a NY politician who learned about railroads from Commodore Vanderbilt, and had recently become president of the DL&W, the rail line that Selden and friends in Scranton had put together. The DL&W hauled 60,000 tons of anthracite a year within a hundred yards of Selden's house to feed Furnace #2.
• 1876: Selden continues to make desperate efforts to borrow, pledging assets of S.T. Scranton & Co. He cannot believe this his old friends from Lackawanna (Taylor, Dodge, Phelps and John I. Blair, grandson of Samuel Blair, who are influential with the DW&L will not rescue him in spite of Sloan (they will not). [Portrait of Moses Taylor; Portrait of William E. Dodge]
• 1878: William Henry III died on 22 May 1878. By September, the Oxford Iron Co. fails, and a complaint is filed by the DL&W with a liability of $2,675,376 and assets at $1,720,345. Receiver, B.G. Clarke, resigns as director of the DL&W to take the job. Sloan tells Selden that it was done for his own protection and will do all I his power to help him get back on his feet. Selden's house is then sold.
  • According to the Dickey Report (1970), Selden spent 10 years (1874-1884) trying to avoid bankruptcy. Once he was faced with bankruptcy, he tried to avoid foreclosure of the mine properties in a vain attempt to make a compromise with his creditors. He lost every battle (12).
• 1879: DL&W sells its holding of Oxford Iron Co.'s bonds, making it impossible for the company to revive. Selden starts trying to arrange for a compromise with his creditors. His house is bought by a group of his friends and he is allowed to live there under "direction of a trustee." Charles continues to run the mines and furnace. William H. Scranton continues as a New York agent.
• 1880 Census: John Schoonover (1839-1930) served as a Lt. Col. of the 11th NJ during the Civil War. On the 1880 US Census, he was listed as employed as the Superintendent of the Ore Mines & Blast Furnaces owned by the Oxford Iron Company until 1886, when he resigned.
  - "Report of Lieutenant Colonel John Schoonover, 11th NJ, October 1-5, 1864." [link]
  - Upon his resignation, Schoonover and his family moved to Trenton in Mercer Co., NJ.
  - In 1888, he attended the 25th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg along with 2400
     other veterans from N.J. where the monument to the 11th NJ Volunteer Infantry
     Regiment was dedicated (20 June 1888).
  - On 12 April 1930, Lt. Col. John Schoonover died in East Stroudsburg, PA at the age of
    90. He is buried in the Stroudsburg Cemetery in Monroe County, PA.

• 1880-1968: According to the "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form", on page 3 it states that the blowing house was "the most prominent and unusual building at Oxford... [and] backs up tight against the east side of the furnace... The lower thirty feet is of heavy coursed rubble stone masonry, which from about 1880 to 1968 had a brick upper story, housing waste heat boilers. The upper story, some thirty feet above grade, has a massive brick barrel vault for a floor, and the lower floor has two large pits on either side of the entrance door. Above the arched doorway are two brick trimmed round openings of different sizes, and a similar opening, slightly lower, near the back on each side wall. The beauty of the stone and remarkably fine workmanship of the arch and walls, in connection with its prominent position, has been largely responsible for the charming impression that Oxford has made on all its visitors for a couple of hundred years." The brick upper story was made larger and rebuilt around 1880 in order to house the blast furnace gas boilers.  [At this time, we do not have an exact date that the "Blowing House" was initially built.]
  • Josephine Walters (1837-1883), who taught painting and drawing to Charles Scranton's daughter, Ellen, painted the somewhere between 1868 and 1875. It shows the wood upper story, the stove and staircase as well as the gable-roofed structure projecting east from below the bridge of which remnants can been seen in the artwork. It also shows the deteriorating coat of stucco that covered the external masonry. It established that the stone building is possibly older than 1832. (NOTE: There is a possible dispute regarding the artist of this drawing-- will update when resolved.)
    • Mary Josephine Walters (1837-1883), also known as Josephine Walters or M.J. Walters, was part of the 19th c. American landscape painting movement (Hudson River School). She studied under Asher Durand (1796-1886) and specialized in oil and watercolor painting. 
  • William Henry Scranton (1840-1889), the son of George W., was listed as "General Manager of Oxford Iron Co." in the 1880 US Census (Ancestry). 
    • George W. was married to Jane Hiles Scranton (1811, Belvidere, NJ to 1878, Scranton, PA) and is buried in the Dunmore Cemetery in Dunmore, Lackawanna Co., PA. Mrs. Scranton was described in her obituary as having "unobtrusive and retiring" character, and was "a remarkable and superior woman, possessed of the most gentle, kindly, unvarying disposition we have ever known." They had three children: William Henry Scranton, Elizabeth Warner Scranton Fuller, and James S. Scranton.
• 1882: Selden keeps writing his friends and creditors that he has a "plan", so the directors of the DL&W vote to pay him a gratuity of $62.50 a month. The "Oxford Iron & Nail Co." is incorporated by directors of the DL&W. (Oxford Iron & Nail Co. was established in Dec 1882 until Dec 1832.)
  • In the Dickey Report (1970), he references that the List of Rail Mills and Blast Furnaces in the United States published by the American Iron and Steel Institute (1873) mentioned the new stack as being built in 1871 and was 63-feet high, 18-feet in diameter whereas the old stack was 50-feet high and 10-feet in diameter with a combined capacity of 17,000 tons per year (page 4).
  • In the Dickey Report (1970), he references the Directory of Iron and Steel Works of 1882 give the dimensions of the new stack as being 63-feet x 17-feet (page 4).
• 1883: Eugene Henry dies.
• 1884: Furnace #1 is blown out for the final time (Cinder St. & Washington Ave.).
  • According to the Dickey Report (1970), the Furnace experienced a failure of the inner wall above the tuyere on the north tuyere arch. Scarring of serious conflagration is evident in the arch and the masonry itself is badly burned. There is some evidence that the inwall and steam generators were rebuilt around 1880 (17).
• 1887: Charles is killed jumping off of a railroad car while traveling to Oxford from Washington, NJ.
• 1888: Joseph Jacob ("J.J.") Albright (1811-1888), brother-in-law of William Henry, dies. (He was the brother of Henry's first wife, Mary Barbara Albright Henry (1799-1842) and Selden's last wealthy friend. (Henry married Mary Barbara Albright on 23 March 1817 and then his second wife, Sarah Atherton (b. 21 Oct 1814) on 26 Sept. 1842.) [Portrait of Joseph J. Albright]
  • Joseph Jacob Albright (1811-1888) was born in Warwick, Lancaster Co., PA to John-Henry Albright (1772-1845) and Anna Barbara Hubley (1773-1830). He married Elizabeth Sellers and had four children. He passed away on 12 Jan 1888 in Scranton, PA. [Ancestry.com]
• 1889: Both William Henry, Jr. and William H. Scranton die. Selden realizes it is over for him and stages a superlative (magnificent) party for his golden wedding anniversary, with a band, six Presbyterian ministers officiating, a christening of his namesake, with prayers and blessings. This is a high-water mark of late Victorian sentimentality.
• 1891: On 23 November, Selden T. Scranton dies.
• 1895: Oxford Iron & Nail Co. goes into receivership and Furnace #2 is blown out.
• 1897: Ellen Henry Scranton, Selden's widow, dies. They had no children.
• 1899: The Empire Steel & Iron Co. was incorporated in NJ on 14 March 1899 for the purpose of merging smaller iron furnaces left behind by the contemporary formation of large integrated steel companies during the first merger movement that include Oxford Furnace (NJ), Henry Clay Furnaces (Reading, PA), Macungie Furnace and Topton Furnace (PA), Gem Furnace (Shenandoah, VA), Victoria Furnace (Goshen, VA) and Cherokee Furnace (NC). 
• 1900: Furnace, rolling mill and mines are acquired by Empire Steel & Iron Co. The rolling mill is sold to Jenson Bros.
• 1906: Rolling mill dismantled and re-erected in Columbia, PA.
• 1910: Furnace #2 is rebuilt with the first turbo blower in the U.S.  Due to its small size, lack of reciprocating parts, ease of automatic control and reliability the turbo blower becomes the standard power source for all blast furnace blowers. the importance of this development is of a scale equal with the hot blast. During World War I, the furnace and mines worked at full capacity, and the town knew its last period of prosperity.
• 1921: Furnace #2 is blown out during the depression that follows the war (preceding the Great Depression) and was acquired by the "Warren Foundry & Pipe Co." (Cummins, George Wyckoff, page 237)
• • Daniel Runkle (1823, Asbury, Warren, NJ to 16 Nov 1890) inherited several large farms in Warren County from his father. When he was 30 years of age, he was offered full control over the Warren Foundry & Machine Co., which was on the verge of financial ruin. He succeeded and for 35 years, Mr. Runkle served as the President of this company. At the time of his death, Mr. Runkle was President of Runkle, Smith & Co. (contractors for the Havana waterworks), Rochester, NY Gaslight Co., Phillipsburg Street Railroad Co., Phillipsburg National Bank, and the Alliance Water Works Co. He was also the Director of the Plainfield Gaslight Co., the Thomas Iron Co., the Plainfield Water Supply Co., and the Hackensack Water Works Co. At the time of his death (Plainfield, NJ), Runkle was worth $5,000,000 ($155,887,912.09 in 2022 currency) and was survived by his wife and their two sons.
• 1921-22: The Empire Steel & Iron Co. was acquired by the Replogle Steel Company, which also operated the Wharton Furnaces (Morris County, NJ). 
  • Wharton Iron Furnace (Wharton, Morris Co., NJ) 
  • Sterling Galt Valentine, Sr. (1862-1924), his wife Adele Wehner Elliot Valentine (1861-1936), along with four children (Sterling Galt (Jr.), William Hambleton Elliot, Margaret Grayson, & Katherine Adele Valentine) lived at Shippen Manor while he served as Superintendent for the Empire Steel & Iron Co. (dates estimate from late 1910s to 1920s).
• 1922/25: The Replogle Iron Co. leased the property.
  • According to American Mining & Metallurgy Manual (1926), Carl H. Loux was the General Superintendent of the Replogle  Steel Co. and supervised Mt. Hope & Washington Magnetite Iron Ore Mines, Shafts, Electric Power & Compressor, 4-mile Standard Steam Railroad, 1200-ton concentration mill, Magnetic Separator Plant and oversaw 250 men.
  • According to ArchiveGrid, the Empire Steel & Iron Co. was purchased by the Replogle Steel Company in 1922, and they assigned the property to another subsidiary, the Warren Pipe & Foundry Corp. ["The Oxford Furnace: Oxford, NJ", Charles Rufus Harte]
• 1927: The Warren Pipe & Foundry Corporation was incorporated in Delaware (8 April 1927) as successor of the Replogle Steel Co. They merged into its operating subsidiary, the Warren Pipe & Foundry Co., which operated in Phillipsburg, NJ since the 1850s.  Contraction continued as Furnace #2 was dismantled in 1927.
• 1941: "Alan Wood Steel Co." purchased the mines and real estate. It developed the Washington mine, working to a depth of 2300 feet below the surface. By using long hole sub-level mining and a very sophisticated system of chutes, conveyors, underground crushers and automatic balanced skips, the ore was produced sufficiently economically to compete with open pit mines. This development was technologically the most advanced of any mine of the period.
  • "Steel Co. Buys Jersey Iron Mines; Alan Wood Co. Takes Properties of Warren Foundry and Pipe." New York Times. 3 January 1942. page 27. 

  Note: Information regarding when Alan Wood Steel Co. owned the mines does not match the dates that the Loux family lived at Shippen (1922-1947/50). Carl Loux was the superintendent of the mines for Alan Wood, and lived with his wife and children at the Manor. Further research will be needed to clarify this information.

• 1964: Alan Wood Steel Co. closes the mining operations. Mines and real estate acquired by Anthony Ferrante for sale of furnace slag for road building aggregate.
  • Anthony Ferrante & Son, Inc., Oxford Sand and Gravel Pit & Plant. [Source] 
  • According to US Geological Survey, Anthony Ferrante & Son(s), Inc., Oxford Sand and Gravel Pit & Plant
• Late 1960s to 1974: Property transferred to the Kappler family. They were the last private residents to live at the Manor.
• 1974: Oxford Furnace and Shippen Manor were acquired by the State of New Jersey.
• 1984: Property sold to the County of Warren (NJ); continues to own properties today.

General Blast Furnace Design Technology

In the 18th and 19th centuries, blast furnaces were large masonry structures designed to reduce iron ore to a liquid castable form. These types of furnaces were usually built near a natural or excavated embankment. The stone or wooden bridge would be constructed to connect the top of the furnace to the top of the embankment, next to loading and storage areas, the main access road, and in the 19th c., a railroad spur [5].

Workers, known as bridgemen, carted wheelbarrows filled with raw materials needed to make iron such as iron ore, flux (limestone) and a fuel (charcoal, coal or coke) across the bridge to the furnace. They would then dump these materials into the internal smelting chamber [6].

Early furnaces were usually located near a stream or watercourse, dammed and the water redirected into the headrace (flume) to power a waterwheel. The power generated by the waterwheel operated leather bellows and later, wooden air cylinders (blowing tubs) that generated a blast of air to fire the furnace. Iron cylinders replaced wooden cylinders in the 1850s [7].

Design of a Furnace

Generally, a furnace is comprised of two separate parts—“the external stack and the internal smelting chamber with hearth” [8]. The stack is comprised of an outer course of “hand-dressed, mortared, durable building stone such as gneiss, or granite, with a few feet of backup rubble. The outer course was tapered inward, so that the flat top area was less than the base. To restrain the exterior stack from expansion and contraction generated by the heat of the blast, sets of wrought iron binders were built into the stack at predetermined intervals above the springline of the arches. These full-length binders were inserted into the horizontal channels drilled and aligned into a series of stones and inserted after completion of the stack. The binders serve to tie one side of the stack to the other and to restrict movement and tensile stresses within the stack. Eighteenth-century furnaces often employed timber binders” [9].

The external masonry stack (furnace stack) surrounded the internal smelting chamber to protect it from the weather, and acted like a “rigid framework to counterbalance expansive forces produced by the heat of the blast, and provided additional structural support. The stack did not influence the quality or quantity of the product manufactured as did the shape and configuration of the smelting chamber” [10]. 

The shaper and design of the smelting chamber varied from furnace to furnace and often look a lot like a long egg standing on its flatter end (or a truncated ellipsoid). The internal smelting chamber, or bosh, consisted of three sections—the hearth (crucible), bosh and stack liner [11].

• Hearth: shaped like a cube and consisted of sandstone blocks that were arranged for the pooling of liquefied iron
• Bosh: a cylindrical, funnel-like in shape constructed on the vertical sidewalls
• Stack Liner: constructed upon bosh in a reverse taper, working with the bosh to withstand intense heat made of slate, but in the 1830s, firebricks were primarily used

Molten iron and slag (liquefied mix of non-ferrous substances or impurities removed from ore through the smelting process), drawn out through the hearth through a tap hole accessed through a large masonry arch (casting arch) that was built into the exterior furnace stack. Later furnaces incorporated multiple Tuyere arches that would evenly distribute and increase airflow and increase production of iron [12].

The casting arch and casting arch side of the furnace were enclosed within a large casting house with a floor consisting of sand that was used as a mold to cast marketable items such as cannons, pots, firebacks, stoves, etc. Then, “sand-filled, hand-held wooden box molds were utilized to cast smaller items. Pig iron was cast in troughs dug into the sand and sold on the open market for later processing into wrought iron in a finery forge” [13].

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[1] Warne, George K., ed. Oxford Furnace, New Jersey, A Short Narrative. Warren County Cultural and Heritage Commission. 1991. page v.

[2] “Oxford Furnace.” National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form.” US Department of the Interior. National Park Service. 6 July 1977, item 7, page 2.

[3] -----, 2.

[4] -----, 3.

[5] Historic Structures Report, Oxford Furnace, Oxford Township, Warren County, New Jersey. The Cultural Resource Consulting Group (CRCG), December 1997, 12.

[6] -----, 12.

[7] -----.12.

[8] -----, 12.

[9] -----, 12.

[10] -----, 12.

[11] -----, 12-13.

[12] -----, 13.

[13] -----, 13.

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Other Resources

Buchanan, Roberdeau. Dr. Wm. Shippen, the Elder, of Philadelphia." Washington: Joseph L. Pearson, 1877. [ebook]

• Roberdeau Buchanan was the nephew of Susan Blair Roberdeau (granddaughter of Dr. William Shippen, Sr.).

Cummins, George Wyckoff. History of Warren County, New Jersey. NY: Lewis Historical Publishing Co. 1911. [ebook]

Furnace Brook Watershed: Environmental Impact Statement. U.S. Department of Agriculture. Somerset, NJ. 1977. [link]

• "The Village of Oxford and Oxford Township were formed from Greenwich Township in about 1753. The Oxford iron mines date back to 1741 when the Oxford Furnace was erected by Jonathan Robeson. Cannon balls, ammunition, firebacks, nails, stoves, and railway car wheels were made at the Furnace and surrounding mill facilities. Many of these goods were originally hauled over land to the Delaware River and then floated downstream on barges to Philadelphia. Later, the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western (DL&W) Railroad Company built tracks into the mining areas and products were then transported by rail. The Oxford Furnace was closed in 1925, and iron ore mining operations began a steady decline until the mines were closed in 1964" (18).
  Note: There is unsubstantiated information from previous texts (i.e. Cummins & Snell) that have been cited and used in other sources. There is no documented proof at this time about cannonballs and ammunition, but we are looking for resources to substantiate it.

Snell, James P. and W. W. Clayton. History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New Jersey. Philadelphia, PA: Everts & Peck. 1881. [e-book]

	General view of an 18th c. Charcoal Furnace  The blast air was provided by a pair of wood-and-leather bellows (size TBD) that were driven by an overshot water wheel. The furnace, open at the top, was fed from the top with batches of charcoal fuel, limestone and ore that were loaded by men with wheelbarrows from the top. According to Historic  Hopewell, the outside part of the 18th c. furnace was constructed of large limestone or local stone blocks. Between the exterior and inwalls were layers of clay, coarse mortar, brickbats and sand. The widest part of the inner chamber (bosh), was about 9 feet in diameter or slightly less.  In the "Bulletin of the American Iron Association" (1856-1858), Charles Scranton was listed as Owner-Manager of the Oxford Furnace. At that time, the stack was 8' in diameter and 38' high with 2 tuyeres, and blowing 2800 c.f.m. of air at 375° and 5 pounds of pressure created by steam power. The possible capacity was 2500 tons a year.  1849: 900 t. 1854: 1000 t. 1855: 896 t. 1856: 803 t.
	"Blowing Tubs"   William Henry III rebuilt the old furnace and added the "Engine House" (or "Blowing House") in the 1830s. The blast-air bellows were replaced by a pair of wooden cylinder "blowing tubs".  The waterwheel that powered them was replaced by a steam engine and a pair of waste-heat boilers would have been added to supply the engine was built into the open stack of the furnace.
	" Cutaway Drawing of a Charcoal Iron Blast Furnace"
	Charcoal Production  Fuel for early 19th c. iron making and smelting was primarily charcoal. The industry required massive amounts of woodcutting that depleted entire woodlands in areas closest to smelters and furnaces.  According to Historic Hopewell's Handbook, "the average furnace would consume about 800 bushels of charcoal every 24 hours, and this required about 50 cords of wood of 20- to 25-year growth." Some furnaces consumed almost an acre of woodland a day.  A detriment to using charcoal was that it was light and easy to crush, so colonial furnaces would be limited to a maximum height to about 35 feet. [200 Years of Soot and Sweat] According to The Iron Manufacturer's Guide (J.P. Lesley, 1859), the Oxford Furnace was owned by Charles Scranton & Co. and ran 2/3 of the year on charcoal and 1/3 on anthracite coal, or sometimes using a mixture of 1/6 anthracite.

HISTORIC IMAGES OF THE FURNACE

Diagrams of Furnace: "Historic American Buildings Survey, Oxford Furnace, Oxford, Warren County." 1930s. Library of Congress.
Images from Historic American Buildings Survey, Oxford Furnace, Oxford, Warren County" (after 1933). Library of Congress.
Other images not credited are from our digital collection.

	East elevation (engine house with furnace and stacks on west elevation)  Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) at Library of Congress   *This shows the engine or blowing house (front, arched door with circle windows) in 1894 that housed the blowing tubs that fed combustion inside the furnace. The casting shed and furnace are visible left of the blowing house, with hot blast stoves on top of the furnace and steam boilers on the blowing house.
	Oxford Furnace, c. 1900 South-west elevation (furnace stack to left of engine house)  Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) at Library of Congress (1936). This is mostly of what remains today (stack has a flatter top and engine/blowing house does not have the brick upper level). The casting arch is at the left (west side) and the car-wheel foundry is across the street (the building is still there).
	Oxford Furnace, 1936 North elevation (exterior) Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) at Library of Congress This is the view from Belvidere Avenue. The bridge connected the furnace structure to Belvidere Avenue and was used by the workers.
	Oxford Furnace, c. 1870 Photograph of a watercolor sketch by Mary Josephine Walters (1837-1883), of Hohokus, New Jersey. She was the painting instructor and friend of Charles Scranton's daughter, Ellen Henry Scranton Belden (1851-1932). Interestingly, the image shows a "plaster over stone" surface. Original in possession of Mary E. Paulson Harrington (Wisconsin) in 1977, the granddaughter of Ellen Scranton Belden.  Rev. William Henry Belden (1841-1896) and Ellen Henry Scranton Belden (1851-1932)
	Front Elevation of the Blowing House, c. 1930s/1940s
	Oxford Furnace, 1970s
	Oxford Furnace (2000s) Currently, what remains of the old furnace structure is the front engine/blowing house (minus the upper floor that was removed due to safety issues) and the stack in the back. According to the Dickey Report (Dickey, John M., Development and Feasibility Study of Oxford Furnace Historic Site Oxford, Warren County, New Jersey for the Department of Conservation and Economic Development Division of Parks, Forestry, and Recreation, State of New Jersey.  1 March 1970.