Franklin Furnace, also known as the Franklin Mine, is a famous mineral location for rare zinc, iron, manganese minerals in old mines in Franklin, New Jersey, USA. This locale produced more species of minerals (over 300) and more different fluorescent minerals than any other location. The famous mineral association (assemblage) from Franklin includes willemite, zincite and franklinite.
During the mid-to-late 19th century the furnace was the center of a large iron making operation. The Furnace mine which was adjacent to the actual furnace, was a 120+ foot vertical shaft just under Franklin Falls.
Other rare minerals include esperite, clinohedrite, hardystonite, and others. There are scores of minerals found only here, such as Johnbaumite (an arsenous apatite), McGovernite, etc.
Sterling Hill, a very similar ore deposit, is located a few miles away in Ogdensburg.
Famous quotes containing the words franklin and/or furnace:
“Furnished as all Europe now is with Academies of Science, with nice instruments and the spirit of experiment, the progress of human knowledge will be rapid and discoveries made of which we have at present no conception. I begin to be almost sorry I was born so soon, since I cannot have the happiness of knowing what will be known a hundred years hence.”
—Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790)
“‘Alas!’ quoth he, ‘but newly born in fiery heats I fry,
Yet none approach to warm their hearts or feel my fire but I.
My faultless breast the furnace is, the fuel wounding thorns;
Love is the fire, and sighs the smoke, the ashes shame and scorns;
The fuel justice layeth on, and mercy blows the coals;
The metal in this furnace wrought are men’s defiled souls;”
—Robert Southwell (1561?–1595)