Mount Hope Mine

Permission was obtained by this author to photograph and document the historic mines of Mount Hope. We send our gratitude and deep appreciation to the hardworking men and women at Tilcon.

Mining was a way of life at Mount Hope in Rockaway. Considered by some to be the oldest mine in the country, Mount Hope has a long and rich history of producing iron ore. More then 8 mines were in operation at one time or another, totaling 5-10 million tons of iron ore. Accomodations for the workers must have been made early on to stay in cheap hotels or rent out a room in  near by homes as a way to keep iron ore production up. 

Today the property is still a mine, but underground mining is a thing of the past. Huge quarrying machines crush rock and gravel in order to supply asphalt and construction aggregates. However many clues and even structures still remain of the 1800's industrial complex, and fortunately the last Iron mine in NJ is still standing, headframe and all. That is the New Leonard Mine.

We were able to take excellent shots of the New Leonard Mine, and these shots compliment the original photos during our visit in 2005. 

		The opening of the New Leonard mine!

The Brown Slope

During the early 1900's it was the main shaft for the Mount Hope Mine. replacing the big tunnel, and the Leonard shaft. It accessed the numerous rich veins of magnetite, until it was closed down. Today the shaft is still visible on the Tilcon property, and is being fed wastewater from the operations.

The brown Slope during the turn of the century	The brown slope today..	The capped slope

All Images Copyright, do not use without permission. 

Disclaimer: This site attempts to presents a historical perspective to the arm chair explorer on the mines of NJ & NY. The owners and authors do not condone visiting these mines, as they are dangerous and life threatening. We do not take responsibility for any injuries or death which may occur by visiting these mines nor will we give directions to anyone. All mines were thoroughly examined, with all suitable precautions taken when documenting these sites.