The Ruins of Oldfield
Just off Brooklyn Mountain Road in Hopatcong, New Jersey, lies a
sight that many locals know of, but few know much about. A curious
collection of stonework, long overrun by tall grass and thistles,
sits in an unmaintained field on a partially-wooded plot of land. At
first glance these remains look to be those of a small castle,
somehow misplaced from overseas and left discarded on a rural
roadside. Though not a terribly large place, making one's way around it can
prove a very difficult task. The field has overrun these stones to
the point that when you step, you are not walking upon the earth,
rather you are treading upon the years of dead shrubs and overgrowth
that lie beneath the thigh-high grasses. To further complicate
things, the briars here outnumber any other kind of plant-life, and
only gets more dense the closer you get to the walls of the building.
Still, if one persists in circumnavigating these ruins, they are
gifted with a single clue as to what history this place may hold.
High up on the eastern-facing wall can be found a large carved stone,
a plaque of sorts that simply states; “Oldfield”. This nameplate,
and the remaining weathered stone walls are all that remain of a once
beautiful estate, and in fact the first home to be built on all of
Brooklyn Mountain Road.
Constructed by Gustave Reinberg in 1896 as his homestead, this
grand mansion could once clearly be seen from the waters of Lake
Hopatcong, which it overlooks. Gustave was superintendent at the
American Forcite Powder Company. A facility that once operated off of
the lake, manufacturing explosives and acids in what is present-day
Shore Hills in Roxbury. The mansion remained in the family from the
time of its construction until the 1930's when it was rented out to
American Airways, who utilized the beautiful building and property as
a clubhouse for its flight crews. Eventually American Airways no longer had use of Oldfield, and
that's where history begins to get a bit hazy. It seems that the
building may have stood abandoned for some time after its use as a
clubhouse. Regardless of what state it was in though, Oldfield was
lost to a fire in the 1990's. All that remains today of this
once-grand estate are the few ivy-covered walls which were strong
enough to have withstood the heat of the flames.
Inside the walls looked very much like what was found outside.
The basement has seen some activity.
Oldfield on its hilltop in 1905.
The manor in 1910.
