Oxford Mountain Natural Resource

Trailhead location across from Oxford First Aid on Academy Street in Oxford, NJ.
This property is owned by the County of Warren and managed in a partnership with the Highlands Community Service Project, the New Jersey Youth Corps, the Warren County Parks Foundation, and the Metro Trails hiking group.

To see more about the visitor opportunities, a trail map/brochure, and county park rules & regulations, please visit warrenparks.com.

 Features of Oxford Mountain

Note: The mines in Oxford (whether they are county, municipal or privately owned) are not accessible to the public.
They are not safe and most have been filled in and/or fenced in.

The Staley (or Straley) Mine is one of the oldest in Oxford. It is believed to be the oldest underground mine in the area. It was worked extensively before 1868 when it was abandoned. It reportedly yielded an ore that was excellent for the manufacture of iron bars. The mine was worked by two nearly vertical shafts; the main shaft dropped about 300 feet and the second was used to provide fresh air for the workings. According to more recent research, "Staley 1" was mined in 1868 for magnetite iron and "Staley 2" was mined in 1880 also for magnetite iron. 

Martin Mine Shaft

Further up the hill from the Staley Mine are the remains of the Martin Mine Shaft, which was worked by a man named Captain Martin. The exact date of his workings are not available, but it is believed that the majority of the mining was done around 1900. The mine was worked by a shaft that dropped 72 feet and from there, the mine continued horizontally for about 75 feet. The remains consist of a funnel shaped shaft with water at about 20 feet down. The mine is surrounded by a large chain link fence as a safety precaution.

Charcoal Pits

A nearly endless supply of charcoal fueled the earliest furnaces in Oxford. This required clearing and carefully burning substantial quantities of local forest trees. So much lumber was needed to fuel the furnace that all the forests in the area were stripped of trees. Trees were first cut in short lengths and split. The split lumber was carefully stacked then covered with wet leaves and dirt. A controlled fire was used to reduce the lumber to charcoal, a process that took them about one to two weeks. Constant attention was required during the burning process to keep the slow burning fire under control. After cooling, the resulting charcoal was then transported by wooden horse drawn cart to the furnace. This "coaling" process was always done at the forest location.  This process was usually done in groups of three charcoal pits at a time under the watchful eye of one man-- a collier. The locations of the charcoal pits are still evident today throughout the wooded forest.

Charcoal production. Science photo library.

  Old School

 The old Oxford School was located a short distance in the woods across from the present day Oxford Emergency Squad building on Academy Street. If anything remains of the old school, it would be bricks scattered around the filled-in foundation. The structure was the main learning facility in Oxford before it was consumed by fire in 1921.

Old Oxford Academy (n.d.), WCCHA Archives

Reservoir

About 500 feet in the woods behind the old Oxford school (up Oxford Mountain) are the remains of a small reservoir. This site was believed to have supplied drinking water to the old school and some of the homes in Oxford in the early 20th c. A shallow well fed fresh water to the structure. It still contains water today, although much of the front concrete has collapsed. (This was written in the 1990s, so there may be less of the concrete evident in the 2000s.)

Warren Railroad

Along the Northern portion of the property are the remains of the Warren Railroad's temporary rail line, which was utilized from 1856 to 1862. During this time, the tunnel under the Van Nest Gap (Route 31) was constructed. With the completion of the tunnel in 1886, this portion of the rail line became obsolete. The mile-long tunnel that is beneath Route 31 is partially collapsed and fenced off. There is no trespassing on either side of the tunnel. The marble medallion that used to sit atop of the tunnel (to "mark" the location) is currently in the upper driveway wall at Shippen Manor, which was part of the Warren Railroad until the tunnel was built. 

 The Warren Railroad was a part of the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad's mainline from 1856-1911.

 Today

Very little evidence of the past can be seen, with exception of the remains of the mines and charcoal pits. Visitors are welcome to visit, but are encouraged to wear orange safety vests.

Oxford Mountain Natural  Resource Area is the property of the County of Warren, but is also surrounded by private property. The trailhead on Academy Street is a part of the Warren County Park System and is accessible to visitors. There is parking at the trailhead. Please see the link at the top of the page for park rules, regulations, and a trail map.