Of all the abandoned places that Weird NJ has explored over the years none match the awe inspiring architectural magnificence of the Paulinskill Viaduct. Since then it has remained a true hidden treasure. The headwaters start near Route 622 in Fredon Township. This project benefits both New Jerseyans by freeing up parking capacity and Pennsylvanians by giving them dedicated lots in Monroe and Lackawanna counties. Now you have cell phones, said Walsh, who runs the Lackawanna Cut-Off Historical Committee Facebook group. During the American Revolution, Hessian soldiers captured at the Battle of Trenton and other skirmishes within New Jersey were held as prisoners of war in the Stillwater area. Misuse of the site is distressing to those who respect the viaducts legacy as an engineering marvel of its time. The most elevating feature of the Viaduct is that on top of the arches, beneath the rail bed, are a series of step ladders. There are a bunch of Satanic symbols all over it. Aerial view of the 109-year-old Paulinskill Viaduct. Ohio, the Northwest Territory, the Southern Tier of New York) and those that remained had assimilated into English-speaking culture, and the German Reformed or Lutheran Churches often became Presbyterian. The train itself remains a distant memory, even if the Paulinskill Viaduct - aside from the graffiti - looks much as it did from more than a century ago. As a kid, I used to go there a lot. Mathez recalled boarding the train in Blairstown, but never actually rode across the viaduct. About four or five years ago, some enormous concrete blocks, about 10 feet long and 3 feet wide, were installed to block ATVs and other vehicles. History of Paulinskill Viaduct The Paulinskill Viaduct has been a bridge to nowhere since 1978, when the last train rumbled across this majestic crossing 115 feet above the river. 4 5. Abandoned Railroad Bridge full of GraffitiDelaware Lackawanna \u0026 Western Railroad Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paulinskill_ViaductWeird NJ: https://weirdnj.com/stories/paulinskill-viaduct/Bridgehunter: https://bridgehunter.com/nj/warren/bh45687Connect with us on:Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/dabbleintravelnj/Facebook:www.facebook.com/dabbleintravel They were jumping off the middle of the bridge on the south side, Walsh said last year. ", http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NJSUSSEX/2002-09/1032918263, National Park Service: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, State Acquisitions Current Projects, Green Acres Program, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Wildlife Management Areas, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Fish and Wildlife: Small Game Hunting in New Jersey, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Fish and Wildlife: Mammals of New Jersey, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Fish and Wildlife: Reptiles of New Jersey, Paulinskill Valley Trail at Rails-to-Trail Conservancy, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Fish and Wildlife: Birds of New Jersey, "Louis Finkelstein: The Late Pastels in the Context of His Artistic Thinking" at Lori Bookstein Fine Art, The Bridges Of New Jersey: Portraits Of Garden State Crossings, Memoirs and Reminiscences: Together with Sketches of the Early History of Sussex County, New Jersey, Indian habitations in Sussex County, New Jersey, Archaeology of Warren and Hunterdon counties, Map of Paulinskill Valley and Sussex Branch Trails, U.S. Geological Survey: NJ stream flow-gauging stations, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paulins_Kill&oldid=1085103753, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from January 2015, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with failed verification from February 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Other mammals include eastern chipmunk, porcupine, black bear, striped skunk, river otter, and bobcat. [1] When completed in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). Do not enter or you're trespassing. One time I got so nervous I didnt feel safe to be there anymore. Very few passable, large roads were built in this section of New Jersey, then largely a sparsely populated wilderness, before the creation of turnpike companies in the early decades of the Nineteenth Century. The region would be donating possible future guests who prefer to ride the train to their destinations to Vermont and New Yorks Catskills. NJ Transit is lengthening the current line about three miles to Andover Township, in Sussex County, but there is no plan at present to head farther west, a spokesperson said in 2019. The benefit doesnt stop just for commuters in the area. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. An eastbound freight train crossing the Paulinskill Viaduct en route to Hoboken in March 1952.John Treen, from the collection of Mike Del Vecchio / Tri-State Railway Historical Society. Shafer, with his father-in-law, Johan Peter Bernhardt (?1748), and his brother-in-law Johann Georg Windemuth (or John George Wintermute) (17111782), settled at Stillwater in 1742. Updated: Feb. 28, 2021, 9:00 a.m. | Published: Feb. 28, 2021, 9:00 a.m. Aerial view of the 111-year-old Paulinskill Viaduct. Opened December 24 1911. [8], The lower southern and eastern portions of the valley are drained by the Paulins Kill and the Pequest River, which flow generally south to the Delaware River watershed. Our fire and rescue has responded multiple times to people who got stuck up there, Starrs said. [23][failed verification] Often villages established and settled by German emigrants remained culturally German well into the Nineteenth Century, with German Lutheran and Reformed churches (often as "Union" churches) established shortly after the first settlements (as was the case in Knowlton and in Stillwater). Sign up with Facebook or Sign up with email When completed in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. Our fire and rescue has responded multiple times to people who got stuck up there, Starrs said. I dont like the idea of having a train through here. The Viaduct, or Hainesburg Trestle, is a long abandoned railroad bridge over the Paulinskill River near Blairstown. Point A, in this case, was the Paulinskill Viaduct, an abandoned railroad bridge which spans the Paulins Kill in Hainesburg, NJ. While some may suggest adding additional lanes on I-80 in New Jerseys Sussex and Warren counties, it doesnt solve the transportation issues with regards to Northwest New Jersey and Northeastern Pennsylvania. Paulinskill Viaduct Photograph by Jerry Fornarotto - Fine Art America Need your order in time for Christmas? True or not, visitors to the area do report a strange presence or eerie feeling. I have been there a couple of times andI agree, the amount of graffiti and litter has definitely increased. Pinterest. A rogue entrepreneur set up a horizontal pulley system, someone managed to get a car onto the viaduct, and was charging $75 per jump, he said. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, "This N.J. rail bridge is beloved by many, but nobody knows what to do with it", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paulinskill_Viaduct&oldid=1105528919, Still extant (railroad tracks removed in 1984), This page was last edited on 20 August 2022, at 17:36. People were bungee jumping from the top of the trestle. An eastbound freight train crossing the Paulinskill Viaduct en route to Hoboken in March 1952.John Treen, from the collection of Mike Del Vecchio / Tri-State Railway Historical Society. #njhistory #knowltonnj #blairstownnj #paulinskillviaduct #paulinskill #hainesburgviaduct #warrencountynj #warrencounty #viaduct #newjersey #just_newjersey #njspots #gardenstate #architecturedesign #architecture #architecturelovers #trainbridge #urbanexploration #urbanexploring #graffiti #graffitiart # . 7 8 It's completion marked the opening of the Nicholson Cutoff. Youre not supposed to go up there, but people do it all the time, said Rene Mathez, whose home is about a quarter-mile from the 109-year-old span. [1][2] When completed in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. [35], About the year 1760, Mark Thomson (17391803) settled in Hardwick Township (now Frelinghuysen Township) and erected a gristmill and sawmill on the Paulins Kill. Improve this listing All photos (9) Top ways to experience nearby attractions BEST Boston, New Haven and Rhode Island 2-Day Tour from New York 3 Bus Tours from $243.00 The Paulinskill Viaduct, also known as the Hainesburg Viaduct, is a reinforced concrete railroad bridge that crosses the Paulins Kill in Knowlton Township, New Jersey. reviews. Check out our Holiday Shipping Deadlines. His property covers 50 acres on both sides of the Paulins Kill River (the river uses a different spelling than the viaduct). Abandoned for years, much of the viaduct is hollow, allowing explorers to traverse the interior. He said he doesnt favor restoring the rail line. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Hardly any wild trout are found. After the New York, Susquehanna and Western decommissioned the route in 1962, the right-of-way along this corridor was purchased by the City of Newark the following year. Mathez has lived in a stone house, built in 1789, for 52 years. Built by the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad in 1910, the viaduct soars 115 feet above Paulins Kill and Station Road as seven arches carry it 1,100 feet across. The people who live around the Viaduct as well as the town of Blairstown are annoyed about the drinking, graffiti anddrug use that has happened there. Crossed Paulin Skill River It was surpassed by size in late 1911 by the Tunkannock Viaduct in PA. New Jersey State Police have jurisdiction over the viaduct, whose nearest road - Station Road - prominently displays no-trespassing signs. New Jersey Transit is working to restore commuter service along the Cut-Off, with the 7.3-mile (11.7km) section from Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, to Andover, New Jersey, currently under construction and slated to open in 2025. Our main issue is the township of Knowlton does not own the (viaduct). By creating an account you are able to follow friends and experts you trust and see the places they've recommended. Neither do we. Support NJ.com, Rob Jennings | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. Read More Unknown New Jersey stories like this: Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. All rights reserved (About Us). The N.J. Department of Transportation, which owns the right of way that includes the Paulinskill Viaduct, did no immediately respond to a request for comment on possible future uses. Show the world your Jersey pride some of our Jersey-centric goodies. Trees that add to the beauty of the fall foliage include maple, birch, hickory, elm, and crab apple. [35][failed verification] New Jersey's Department of Environmental Protection occasionally brings civil actions against local firms that pollute in the Paulins Kill watershed, such as a $121,500 fine for a Sussex County shopping mall sewage treatment facility which discharged pollutants into a tributary of the Paulins Kill between 1996 and 1998. Paulinskill Viaduct was one of the largest reinforced concrete structures in the world at its time and is also known as the Hinesburg viaduct. When first constructed in 1908, the Paulinskill Viaduct was considered to be one of the wonders of the world. For a brief period of time the reinforced concrete arched bridge was the largest structure of its kind in the entire world (until a more massive one was built in Pennsylvania). Need A Guide For Exploring Paulinskill Viaduct Trail(Can Compensate) Because I want to compile a case to make it a protected NJ Historical Landmark on the basis of feats of engineering, record of largest concrete structure when built, and the rest of the Lackawanna Line's Oddities Too "The Paulin's Kill Viaduct is a reinforced concrete structure, 1100 ft. long, composed of five 120-ft and two 100-ft arches carrying the new double track cut-off of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad across the Paulin's Kill valley..The completed structure will contain 43,000 cu. Common game animals include white-tailed deer, eastern coyote, red fox, gray fox, opossum, eastern cottontail rabbit, raccoon, gray and red squirrel, beaver, muskrat, and woodchuck or groundhog. WallyFromColumbia/Wikipedia The main branch of the Paulins Kill begins to form immediately north of Newton, in the marshes that straddle the town. The Paulinskill Viaduct is also known for its internal chambers (used to inspect the structural integrity of the bridge), which are popular among those who enjoy urban exploration. Explore. One should have the right to cut down on the carbon emissions they emit by having the comfort and convenience to park their cars at one of the stations on the cutoff whether that be Andover, Blairstown, Delaware Water Gap, East Stroudsburg, Analomink, Pocono Mountain, Tobyhanna or Scranton and commute to and from New York City/North Jersey. The first highway traffic circle ever was in N.J. Youre welcome, America. Each of the towers between the arches are hollow, with cavernous graffiti scrawled rooms inside. NJ DEP Attains Settlement Over Water Pollution Violations affecting Paulinskill River, Defend New Jersey's Waters Release List of Top 30 Waterways To Save, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Fish and Wildlife: Amphibians of New Jersey, History and Heritage of Civil Engineering: "Tunkhannock Viaduct", Weird New Jersey Magazine, 2001 Weekly Story Archives, "Trout Fishing in New Jersey - The Good 'Ole Days are Now! Aband. The viaduct was taken out of service in 1978 and has since become a decaying and abandoned structure. This doesnt even include the rest of Monroe County plus neighboring Lackawanna and Northampton counties. One should be able to comfortably relax, do some work ahead of time, or read a book, listen to some music, or get much-needed nap while they commute. English Wikipedia. OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. The haunted location got its name from a legend that says revolutionaries gather intel by getting the Redcoats . It is time to restore the Lackawanna Cutoff Rail Service. The Spy House In Port Monmouth. Deciding to live for now, I climb back up the slanty rungs and head back east off the bridge, back to the top of the page to . In an era before interstates, and before automobiles were common, everyone traveled by rail. The service was mixed between passenger and freight throughout the years, however for its remaining years, only freight was running through the corridor. [60], The Paulins Kill watershed is home to a variety of other animals. Tim, I lived in the Blairstown area for 20 years and belonged to the Local Rescue Squad and have climbed through the maze of tunnels and caverns in the Paulinskill Viaduct. Kristen is a writer, editor, and social media maven who loves her state. For a while, viaduct visitors were throwing stones into the Paulins Kill, but sometimes their aim was off and the rocks were landing on Station Road. [24][25][failed verification] The German cultural impact of this community can still be seen in local architecturemost notably in barns and in stone housesand in cemeteries containing intricately carved gravestones often bearing archaic German text and funerary symbols. Today, the lake is a private, year-round residential community with over 500 homes. The tracks were removed in 1982 and the Viaduct abandoned. Continue reading , They say that at one time a farmer killed his entire family, then went to the tree to hang himself. At the time of its completion in 1910, the Paulinskill Viaduct held the title of the largest reinforced concrete structure on the planet. [49] Shad can still be found in the Delaware River. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. During much of the mid-eighteenth century, trade in the northwestern reaches of New Jersey was conducted through Philadelphia by way of the Delaware River. Building began in 1908 and by the time the structure was completed, it was considered the Eighth Wonder of the World. Nicholas Dnistran. Variously known as the Paulinskill Viaduct, or the Hainesburg Viaduct, the bridge still sits there, casting its broad shadow across a river frequented by fly casters and kayakers. Schaeffer, Casper M.D. Your Rating. I asked one person, are the blocks stopping people? He said, no, theyve put up a ramp, he said. The page across from the article title train through here then it has remained a true hidden treasure possible guests! 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