Traditional Masonry Archives — Managing Moisture

Keeping Natural Cement alive

Where would you go to get historically correct information about the manufacturer of the cement used in the mortar of that restoration project you are thinking of bidding on? One possible source for such information is The Century House Historical Society.

The Society is located in New York State, in the heart of the region that was once the most prolific producer of American natural cement. During most of the 150 years in which American natural cement was produced, the Rosendale Cement Region in Ulster County, N.Y., led the way. Millions of barrels of this product made its way to market taking advantage of the transportation links provided by the Delaware & Hudson Canal, the Hudson River and the Wallkill Valley Railroad.

Rosendale was such a leader in cement production that Rosendale cement had become the generic name for American-made natural cement no matter where it was manufactured. Rosendale natural cement from Ulster County was used in building some of the most enduring landmarks in the nation. The Brooklyn Bridge, the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, the Croton Aqueduct and dams, our national system of coastal fortifications, and thousands of public works got their start underground in the cement mines of Ulster County.

Today, cement kilns, cement mines, the foundation ruins of the cement mills, horse-drawn tram tracks, and canal slips located on the roughly 19-acre portion of the Snyder Estate grounds owned by The Century House Historical Society can be visited. At the Snyder Estate one can visit the cavernous Widow Jane Mine located within the 32-square-mile belt of cement stone between High Falls and Kingston, N.Y., where it was often said that just as much went on underground as above ground. The local cement mines have been put to many adaptive uses: mushroom cultivation, trout farming, water supply, cold storage for sweet corn and records storage. Today the Widow Jane Mine provides an exciting venue for historic interpretation as well as a well-known location for special events. Musicians have recorded in the mine because of its exceptional acoustics.

The remains of the industry that flourished here for more than 140 years surround The Century House Historical Society’s collections, archives, and museum. The Society’s museum and the Snyder Carriage and Sleigh Collection offer visitors an opportunity to learn about the vivid history of the Rosendale Cement Region and the times and personalities of this great industry. In addition to the regular exhibits, the museum mounts special exhibits each year. The landscape is distinctive and the history is unique.

The manufacture of cement in Rosendale, both natural and portland, ended in 1971. Concerns were raised as to how and whom would preserve the important contributions made to the building of the nation by the cement industry. The Century House Historical Society continues to meet the challenge. The all-volunteer membership organization is dedicated to the history of the American cement industry. Chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, the organization was awarded an Absolute Charter by the Board in 2000, having met their rigorous standards. The mission of the Society is to gather, preserve, display and make available for study artifacts, relics, books, manuscripts, papers, photographs and other records and materials. It holds IRS tax-exempt nonprofit status. Membership is open to anyone with a like interest in the mission and members receive the Natural News, the quarterly publication of the Society.

In 1992 the roughly 300-acre Snyder Estate Natural Cement Historic District, in recognition of its significance in American history and culture, was listed on the State Register of Historic Places under the provisions of the State Historic Preservation Act of 1980 and on the National Register of Historic Places under provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. The Society has a growing library of books, booklets, and trade magazines relating to the cement and lime industry, both in its manufacture as well as its use. The Society also has an ever-expanding collection of reference materials related to the geology of cement regions throughout the United States and Canada.

The Society is interested in growing its collections of cement and lime-related items. Of particularly interest are items from the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Some interesting items in the Society’s Collections: A collection of early 19th century letters written by Canvass White (the patentee of American natural cement), his younger brother Hugh White, Isaac C. Johnson (an English portland cement pioneer), Philip Garbutt (a lime and plaster manufacturer in central New York), and many other letters written by those who helped build the early infrastructure of the United States.

Collections of advertisements and invoices from cement, lime, and plaster manufacturers and dealers. Also, company records (ledgers, operating and sales records, blueprints, advertisements and payroll books) from several natural cement, portland cement and lime companies.

A cement bag collection; cloth, paper, and plastic. The oldest cement bag in the collection is a cloth bag from the Consolidated Rosendale Cement Co. dated 1909.

A newspaper clipping collection that consists of hard-copy clippings and a selection of actual newspapers that contain cement-related advertisements. One of the earliest examples is a 1822 Philadelphia newspaper containing an advertisement for “Whites Patent Hydraulik Cement.” The Society also offers an Internet portal of digitized newspaper archives.

“Stereo-view” cards of mining operations.

This year the Society is undertaking an ambitious project of major repairs to several of its buildings. The most important will be stabilizing and re-roofing the Museum and Archives building. The Century House Historical Society looks forward to welcoming Rosendale natural cement back to the Snyder Estate when it will be used to make repairs to a stone building wall.

www.centuryhouse.org

TM