Taylor Steelworkers Historical Greenway

— A 7 Mile Greenway Trail Through the Borough of High Bridge Historic Properties —

The 28.3 acre TISCO Complex was once part of a 10,000 acre parcel of land owned by wealthy Philadelphia Investors William Allen and Joseph Turner who founded the Union Iron Works here in 1742. The Iron Works produced farm implements, tools and cannon balls for Washington's Army during Colonial times. In the recent past, this property and structures were once part of the Taylor Wharton Iron and Steel Company, which is the nation's oldest continuously operating foundry in the country, and America's second oldest business. The property is now part of the borough's permanent open spaces. The site contains 2 structures, including an early industrial structure known as Shop E and the historic stone TISCO Office Building. The site has historically always been associated with iron production from the Union Iron Works in 1742 through the incorporation of the Taylor Wharton Iron and Steel Company that ceased operations in 1972. Today this property stands as a testament to the birth of our nation with the forging of steel production and the ingenuity of American Industry.

TISCO Office
The TISCO Office building dates to around 1725, and pre-dates the incorporation of the Union Iron Works. The structure had always housed the general office of the steel companies and contained the offices of the presidents William and Allen in 1742 through George R. Hanks in 1972. The structure was also used as a company general store and an infirmary. The original form was a center hall colonial type structure that was expanded in both the 19th and 20th centuries. The first addition in the 1890's was a wing to the right side of the structure and a rear extension. The second renovation in the late 1920's included a third floor and expansion to the rear wing. This alteration gave the structure American Renaissance style architecture. The last alteration took place in the late 1930's with the removal of the front porch and addition of the entranceway fanlight arches and memorial entablature above the doorway.
With the closing of Taylor Wharton in 1972, the structure remained intact but vacant for decades. In 2007, the Union Forge Heritage Association launched a public awareness campaign to save the historic structure and the start of restoration efforts. In 2007 it was placed on Preservation NJ's top 10 list of endangered sites, and is a state and nationally recognized historic structure.

Shop E
Grinding Shop E is a classic example of American Industrial Revolution Architecture. Constructed in 1904, Shop E was one of the first new structures of the 20th Century built by the Taylor Iron and Steel Company. This structure was used as a machine shop and for fine grinding of various forged metals. The steel structure of this building was produced here at the Taylor Wharton Iron and Steel Company. In 2007, the Union Forge Heritage Association launched a public awareness campaign to re-use this historic structure.

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