Speedwell Lake § Morristown, NJ

Situated at a natural gorge of the Whippany River, several water-powered forges existed, predating the establishment of the iron works by Stephen Vail and two business partners. Vail became sole owner of the works in 1815 and expanded it, producing a variety of agricultural and industrial machinery. The ironworks innovated the first durable iron wheels for railroad locomotives in January 1836.

With changing industrial trends and a decline in the flow of the Whippany River, the iron works were shut down in 1873 and its equipment sold off. The remains of the factory buildings burned in 1908, and the few surviving walls and foundations remain unrestored.

Stephen Vail also bought a 40-acre lot nearby to which he eventually retreated in 1844 for an active retirement. The Vail Homestead or Speedwell Village, as it is now known, is the site of Historic Speedwell, a National Historic Landmark. The site was restored as it was - an open-air 19th century farm, complete with residential buildings, a granary and carriage house. Stephen’s son Alfred worked as a machinist at the forge and partnered with Samuel F.B. Morse, redesigning and milling various parts for the improvement of Morse’s telegraph, for which he received no credit or notoriety. The old Factory Building, a National Historic Landmark, was constructed for hobby purposes by Stephen Vail upon his retirement. It is the site of the first public demonstration of the electric telegraph on January 11, 1838.

The museum includes nine buildings furnished to depict life at Speedwell during the early 19th century. The Vail House, a historic house museum restored to 1840s period style, possesses some original family furniture and Vail memorabilia. The Wheel House houses an operational 24-foot (7.3 m) overshot waterwheel. The Granary displays millstones, hand-crafted wooden farm tools, and ice-harvesting equipment. The Homestead Carriage House houses an exhibit on the SS Savannah, the first steamship to cross the Atlantic Ocean, with an engine built at the Speedwell Iron Works, and an exhibit about its history.

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