28 Mar 2022

Evaluation of the Wharton & Northern Railroad

Abstract: The Wharton & Northern Railroad was founded in 1905 and combined a series of existing railroads that carried iron ore from the mines located to the south of Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey. The section of the line north of Picatinny Arsenal was abandoned by Conrail in 1976. The same year, the section of the line south of the Arsenal reverted to Army control and ceased to be utilized. It is the recommendation of the authors of this report that the Wharton & Northern Railroad right-of-way (ROW) is not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) due to the prior demolition of bridges, trestles, yards, and stations throughout. There are certain archaeological sites associated with the railroad that need to be investigated further for Criterion D, such as the Arsenal, Fac-tory, Navy Depot, and Lake Denmark stations. These archeological sites may be eligible for the NRHP due to their association with the Wharton & Northern, but those determinations were beyond the purview of this report.