The Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad began construction in 1910 on an eleven million dollar connection between Port Morris and Columbia, NJ. Completed in less than two years, it was an engineering marvel of its time because it was built without earth-moving machinery and made notable use of reinforced concrete. During construction, the railroad purchased the original Huntsville Schoolhouse and built a new structure rather than change the alignment of the rail line. As the work progressed, the old schoolhouse was buried under tons of rock while cheering school children watched from a distant hillside.
