Franklin Furnace

This article is about a mineral location in New Jersey. For the community in Ohio, see Franklin Furnace, Ohio. For the New York-based arts organization, see Franklin Furnace Archive.

Fluorescent minerals of the Franklin mineral district: franklinite (black), willemite (green), and calcite (red). USGS

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.

References

• Franklin Mine, New Jersey at Mindat.org