New Jersey Zinc, Franklin Mine

Once upon a time Franklin, NJ was a booming center of industry.  The 1700's saw the discovery and subsequent mining of zinc and iron ore, attracting immigrant families looking to make a good living.  The mine was operational until the 1950's. After the mine was closed, a hydrogen plant was established on part of the property and ran until a massive explosion shut it down in 1976.  The 1970's also saw changes in environmental laws, leading up to the bankruptcy of the parent zinc company and abandonment of the site.
Today, the remaining buildings are closed to the public and the grounds are fenced off.  As a rambunctious teen, I remember skateboarding in a building that is now bricked up and crawling through a tunnel that connected another building the smokestacks.  There isn't much left of this operation besides crumbling cement foundations.

makeshift ladder.

crawlspace.