Joseph Sharp's Iron Works

In 1768, Joseph Sharp erected a forge and furnace on the Wallkill River, and the village around the Sharp Iron Works became known as Sharpsborough, later becoming Hamburg. Because the venture was expensive and faced competing forges, Sharp abandoned the property in 1774. During the American Revolution, Stephen Ford used it to secretly produce cannonballs for the British. After reclaiming the property, Joseph Sharp Jr. built the stone grist mill in 1808, and Sharp's mill provided flour for American troops in the War of 1812 while continuing to serve the agricultural community of Sussex County.

Hamburg, New Jersey · United States