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| Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print | | High Bridge in Hunterdon County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic) |
Solitude
Solitude House Museum
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By William Honachefsky Jr, November 9, 2004 | |
| | | 1. Solitude Marker | | |
Inscription. Patriots imprisoned loyalist Pennsylvania Governor John Penn and Crown Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Chew here during the Revolutionary War. They named the place “Solitude.”
Erected 2006 by Hunterdon County Cultural & Heritage Commission.
Marker series. This marker is included in the New Jersey, Hunterdon County Cultural and Heritage Commission marker series.
Location. 40° 40.266′ N, 74° 53.169′ W. Marker is in High Bridge, New Jersey, in Hunterdon County. Marker is on River Road. Click for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7 River Road, High Bridge NJ 08829, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Old Iron Mines (approx. 0.4 miles away); Taylor Wharton Iron and Steel Company (approx. 0.5 miles away); T.I.S.C.O. Complex (approx. 0.5 miles away); Taylor Iron and Steel Company (approx. 0.5 miles away); Columbia Trail (approx. 0.5 miles away); The American Hotel (approx. 0.5 miles away); Railroad Bridge and Arches (approx. 0.6 miles away); C.K. Hoffman Veterans Memorial Park (approx. 0.6 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in High Bridge.
Regarding Solitude. Homestead of five generations of Taylors. Father of Taylor Wharton Iron and Steel, the oldest continually operating foundry in United States History (1742–1973). Now the Solitude House Museum. Sundial on grounds is exact replica of George Washington’s in Mount Vernon. Visitors to Solitude included George Washington, Colonel Charles Stewart, Lafayette, Aaron Burr. Civil War General George W. Taylor, brother of President Lewis H. Taylor was born at Solitude. Managed by Union Forge Heritage Association | | | | 
By William Honachefsky Jr | |
| | | 2. Solitude House Museum | | |
Also see . . .
1. About High Bridge. Solitude House, abutting Lake Solitude, was built in 1725 or earlier. (Submitted on January 8, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
2. Save Lake Solitude Dam. The last known remaining New Jersey example of an I-beam dam, Lake Solitude Dam, built in 1909 by master engineer Frank S. Tainter, to provide hydro-electric power for the Taylor-Wharton Iron and Steel Company, a prominent munitions manufacturer whose history spans from the American Revolutionary War through the Korean War.
The dam holds significance for its civil engineering design and for the role that it played in permitting Taylor-Wharton ironworks, downstream, to expand. Both the dam and 35-acre Lake Solitude, created by the dam, are eligible for listing in the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places individually as well as part of a possible larger industrial historic district and the Taylor Iron Workers Historical Greenway connecting Columbia Trail to the Amesbury Furnace.
While the dam’s history is acknowledged, borough officials grapple with the cost of repairing the 1909 dam or breaching it. Interestingly, there is renewed interest in rebuilding a hydroelectric plant at Lake Solitude dam, however no firm proposals have been made. The Mayor and Council put 13 years of effort into purchasing the property and $200,000+ in remediation plans, resulting now in full DEP approval. Unfortunately, the Borough Council has until August 2008 to act.
| | | | | | 3. Solitude House and Union Forge in the 19th Century | | |
Through this long time period as elected officials have come and gone, sentiments have changed and some now believe that although breaching costs upfront are greater, they advocate that it is more cost-effective measure in the long term with no annual maintenance or inspection costs. Some favor returning the river to its natural course, one it has not taken since 1858.
However, breaching would not only create a long-term historical loss, it would drain Lake Solitude, a High Bridge landmark, and destroy the natural habitat for wildlife dependent upon the lake. Additionally, financial costs would be incurred for then dredging, silt and contaminated soils removal that would not be incurred were the dam to remain intact.
Preservation of the Lake Solitude Dam and Lake is an important linkage to not only High Bridge’s past but to a 6-mile hiking trail linking the borough’s open spaces. It is far more cost-effective, can do nothing but spur tourism and local business, and has the potential to revert to its historical origins by providing hydroelectric power. (Submitted on May 23, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey.)
3. Solitude House Museum web site. (Submitted on April 13, 2009, by Mike Gronsky of Highbridge, New Jersey.)
Additional comments.
1. Entry Hallway at Solitude House | | | | 
By William Honachefsky Jr, February 19, 2005 | |
| | | 4. 1865 Solitude Painting unveiled | | An artist from Somerset County, New Jersey donated this painting of Solitude House Valley and Falls, circa 1860. Ms. Wick spent 250 man hours on the painting. The painting was unveiled on May 4, 2008 at Solitude Museum's Season Opening. | | |
The Wood Pattern on the floor is delibrately set in a railroad pattern (see picture 14). — Submitted February 17, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. |
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By William Honachefsky Jr, July 4, 2008 | |
| | | 5. 2008 Independence Day Celebration at Solitude House | | This celebration also marked the 150th Anniversary of Lake Solitude | | |
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By William Honachefsky Jr, July 4, 2008 | |
| | | 6. New Jersey State Senator Leonard Lance | | with the Board of Trustees of the Union Forge Heritage Association | | |
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By William Honachefsky Jr, July 4, 2008 | |
| | | 7. Senator Lance introduces the Independence Day celebration | | |
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By William Honachefsky Jr | |
| | | 8. Photo of Union Iron Works (Now located under Spruce Run Resevoir 1912) | | |
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By William Honachefsky Jr, 2003 | |
| | | 9. Slaves Quarters 1742 | | |
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By William Honachefsky Jr, May 2, 2008 | |
| | | 10. Revolutionary War Barracks | | |
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By William Honachefsky Jr, May 2, 2008 | |
| | | 11. Lake Solitude Dam | | |
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By William Honachefsky Jr, May 2, 2008 | |
| | | 12. Lake Solitude | | Located adjacient to Lake Solitude Dam and Solitude Dam it is used for a variety of recreational pursuits. | | |
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circa 1900 | |
| | | 13. Vintage photo of Solitude House | | |
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By Karen S. Larsen, circa May 2007 | |
| | | 14. Entry Hallway at Solitude House | | Note the inlaid floor of oak and walnut wood. | | |
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By Karen S. Larsen, circa May 2007 | |
| | | 15. Penn Room and Solitude House | | Picture above mantle is John Moore, first mayor of High Bridge, NJ | | |
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By William Honachefsky Jr, January 19, 2008 | |
| | | 16. Replica of George Washington's Sundial in Mount Vernon | | “Let others talk of storms and showers, I'll only mark your sunny hours.” | | |
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By William Honachefsky Jr | |
| | | 17. Lake Solitude Falls and Dam | | Adjoining Solitude, Lake Solitude Dam, originally built in 1858, later updated in 1909 by Master Engineer Frank S. Tainter, produced hydroelectric power for the Taylor Iron and Steel Company. It is believed to be the last remaining masonry dam with buttresses in the State of New Jersey | | |
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| Credits. This page originally submitted on January 8, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 2,719 times since then. Last updated on March 21, 2009, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. Photos: 1. submitted on January 19, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. 2. submitted on January 8, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. 3. submitted on January 20, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. 4. submitted on April 30, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. 5, 6, 7. submitted on July 9, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. 8. submitted on November 24, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. 9, 10, 11, 12. submitted on November 25, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. 13. submitted on January 20, 2008, by Karen S. Larsen of Bridgewater, New Jersey. 14, 15. submitted on January 21, 2008, by Karen S. Larsen of Bridgewater, New Jersey. 16. submitted on January 19, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. 17. submitted on January 20, 2008, by William Honachefsky Jr of High Bridge/Clinton Twp, New Jersey. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page. | | Add Photo — Add Link — Add Commentary — Correct this page — Print |
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