Old Mill

At one time, this prosperous mill ocupied a quiet setting located just below the old frame school house on the Beaver Brook. A rather high dam backed up a mill pond almost to the point where old route 22 enters Annandale. The pond was a favorite site for winter skating. The mill was operated by Joe Hampton, a Quaker man who provided a delivery service via a covered delivery wagon.

Old Mill Published by S.J. Carhart c. 1905

Old Mill Dam 1907

Mill Pond 1909

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Mill of the Annandale Graphite Corporation

Nothing remains of the original building. Photograph from New Jersey Geological
Survey archives taken in 1928 by M.E. Johnson.

The mill at Annandale was modified about 1928 to utilize a new, more efficient, “wet” process to separate the graphite that involved wet grinding of the ore followed by separation in flotation cells. This technique
reportedly enabled 98 percent of the ore to be recovered on the first run. Unfortunately,
it developed too late to revive the struggling graphite industry in New Jersey.

The Annandale Mine was unquestionably one of the largest. Total production figures are unavailable, because mine operators were reluctant to report vital information that could be used by competitors. However, historic annual reports of the New Jersey Geological Survey indicate that in 1928 the Annandale Mine produced 45 tons of ore.

Abandoned in 1935.