Martha Furnace (Washington, N.J.)

Iron foundry located in Washington Township, Burlington County, N.J.; opened in 1793; closed 1844.

Martha Furnace was built by the Pennsylvania ironmaster Isaac Potts (1750-1803) in 1793 on a branch of the Wading River two miles above Harrisville in eastern Burlington County, N.J. He named the furnace for his wife, Martha Bolton (1750-1798). It was one of the more important iron plantations in the New Jersey Pine Barrens.

After the death of his wife, Potts sold the furnace to John Paul, Charles Shoemaker, Morris Robeson and George Ashbridge in 1800, who operated it as the Martha Furnace Company. Samuel Richards, one of the most important South Jersey ironmasters, and his cousin, Joseph Ball, acquired the interest of Paul, Shoemaker and Robeson on April 6, 1808. Jesse Evans was installed as manager. Evans purchased the furnace outright in 1841, but it soon closed under competition from the coal-fired furnaces of Pennsylvania.