Built in 1855, this house is the last intact example of iron miners' housing in the area. Located in an area of Mine Hill originally known as "Irishtown," the Smith house was a double house that was inhabited by a miner's family and a farmer's family. Its last owner co-occupied the house from 1912 to 1988.

As its name suggests, Mine Hill (formerly known as Ferromonte, or "Iron Hill" in Italian) was a mining area in the New Jersey Highlands that was heavily developed in the late nineteenth century. The ore deposits were remarkably abundant, but little of the profit remained in the town. Despite the harsh conditions, there was a steady supply of immigrant laborers from Ireland, who quickly became a majority in what was originally a predominantly English and Welsh farming community.

The grant will fund stabilization and restoration of the Smith House exterior. The House will be interpreted as a miner’s home and will be occupied by the Ferromonte Historical Society and a local museum of iron mining.

For more information, visit: www.fhsmhnj.org/aboutbhs.htm