Tuesday, April 16 – Hunterdon County
Prallsville Mills Speakers Series:
The Foundation of Stockton:
Mark Zdepski
at 7PM
Stockton Stonecutters
STOCKTON – The quarrying of Triassic-aged brown sandstones along the Delaware River began in the Colonial period, but during and after the construction of the canals in the 1830s the industry boomed. Stockton is the location of the geological type-section that give this sandstone the name “Stockton Sandstone” in geologic reports. The quarry products were at first used locally, but with time and improved transportation methods, broader markets were reached. Stockton area quarries provided foundation stone for the State House and for the Pennsylvania Railroad viaduct in New Brunswick, NJ. Come learn more about the very bedrock of our community and how it reached far and wide to build the nation at the turn of the last century on Tuesday, April 16th at 7PM at Prallsville Mills, 33 Risler Street, Stockton, NJ.
The talk will be presented by Delaware Township resident Mark Zdepski, a professional geologist whose grandfather worked in the Raven Rock quarry until it closed. The information was originally assembled to document the quarryman’s working techniques in these obscure and short-lived workplaces. It expanded through time to cover quarry sites statewide (and further afield). Historical photographs of New Jersey quarries (and other locations) both in operation and dormant from the 1900 to 1940 time period are used to give a view of the actual conditions. A blend of history, geology, and industrial processing are provided. Illustrations from period texts to supplement the talk as are modern maps and other documents.
The Prallsville Mills complex in Stockton, NJ, is considered a significant example of early American industrial architecture that was included on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Today, the Mill proudly features cultural and historic events for the entire community. You can find the Mills online at www.prallsvillemills.org. 
