V. CENTURY CEMENT WORKS
During 1927 and early 1928, A.J. Snyder II leased land in the northern part of the district to a group of investors from Ohio. These investors incorporated as the Interstate Cement Co., constructing a new mill that began operation in 1929. This first company was followed in rapid succession by a number of others until the Century Cement Manufacturing Co. Inc. took possession in 1935, wholly owned by A.J. Snyder II. All cement manufacturing was carried on by this company in its own mill within the district and in another mill in nearby Tillson (no longer extant; site substantially altered) . The company continued to use the kilns at the Beach Mine, adding ten more by 1955. Between 1956 and 1961, the company also leased additional kilns off the property at nearby Williams Lake (extant, known as the F.O. Norton kilns). This company’s mining operation was at the Lawrenceville Mine and its primary product was Rosendale Natural Cement (made from the cement rock in the geological bed designated as the Rosendale formation) . In 1958, A.J. Snyder ordered the construction of a Portland cement plant to the west of the natural cement plant; Portland cement is made from Becraft limestone, also mined on Snyder’s property; the Portland plant operated only until 1970.
Century Cement Company Office – [Map 1, 22]
The office (c1929) is a one and one-half story frame office building sheathed in asbestos shingles and capped with a steeply pitched gable roof.
(one contributing building)
Cement Mill Building – [Map 1, 23]
This building, completed c1929, includes grinding and finishing departments. It is built of heavy structural steel framing and reinforced concrete (using Rosendale Cement) for the foundations and main floors; the walls and roof are metal clad with steel sash. From the main floor to the top of the working floor is a distance of approximately seventy feet. The southern end of the mill building has been partially demolished.
(one contributing building)
Storage Silos – [Map 1, 24]
There are 12 storage silos for natural cement, having an aggregate capacity of 79,000 bbl. Each one in a group of four is 53 feet high with a diameter of 23 feet and reinforced concrete walls that are 7 inches thick walls; each has a capacity of 6,000 bbl. A working floor of reinforced concrete covers these four silos at the top of the bins. There are two additional silos with a capacity of 5,000 each. Two additional storage silos were installed in 1938, with a storage capacity of about 7,500 bbl each. In 1953, in order to meet the demand for natural cement for construction of the New York State Thruway, four more storage silos were added, with a storage capacity of 7,500 bbl each [these two are non-contributing due to age]. There is one additional storage silo for masonry cement (with a capacity of 5,000bbl.) that was erected along the railroad siding at an unknown date, probably outside of the period of significance. This silo is noncontributing due to age.
(one contributing structure, two non-contributing structures)
Coal Storage – [Map 1, 25]
There is an outdoor coal storage enclosure (c1929)) consisting of reinforced concrete walls on three sides.
(one contributing structure)
Fuel Storage – [Map 1, 26]
There are two tanks: one holding 1,000 gallons and the other holding 5,000 gallons. (c1929)
(one contributing structure)
Loading Shed – [Map 1, 27] – There is a one-story, wood frame metal clad shed 36 ft. by 25 ft. (c1929)
(one contributing building)
Bath House – [Map 1, 28]
This in a long, one-story building, of cement block, with lockers, toilets and showers. (c1929)
(one contributing building)
Garage. Repair and Storage Shed – [Map 1, 29]
This is a one-story wood frame, metal clad building. (c1929)
(one contributing building)
Screening House – [Map 1, 30]
This is a four-story reinforced concrete structure with a 148-foot inclined conveyor system. Used to separate stone by size, this feature is located northeast of the Snyder kilns. (cl929)
(one contributing structure)
Transformers – [Map 1, 31]
This bank of transformers was the original source of electricity for the 1929 plant. It is located several hundred feet west of the northern entrance to the Lawrenceville Mine.
(one contributing structure)
Portland Cement Plant – [Map 1, 41]
The Portland Cement Plant is just west of the natural cement plant. The Portland plant is very compact with all the buildings attached. The storage bin and crane are at the north end, the mill in the middle and mixing silos at the south end. Purchased in April 1958, the Portland plant is a Swiss Von Roll vertical kiln and plant that A.J. Snyder II imported from Europe. The 150-ton Von Roll kiln is 28 feet high and 6.3 feet in diameter; it is sheltered by a structure with a heavy steel frame that was designed and built locally. This plant was the first vertical kiln constructed in the United States since the 1890s (other Portland cement manufacturers having switched to horizontal rotary kilns) . The plant began production of Portland cement in January 1961; this feature is non-contributing because it falls outside of the period of significance.
(one non-contributing structure)
Laboratory – [Map 1, 33]
This is a one-story cement block building with full cellar, non-contributing because it falls outside the period of significance. (1958)
(one non-contributing building)
Compressor House – [Map 1, 34]
This is a one-story cement block building housing an air compressor; this feature is non-contributing because it falls outside the period of significance. (1958)
(one non-contributing building)
Open Pit Quarry – [Map 1, 35]
Century Cement opened a new quarry 600 feet west of the plant to quarry the Becraft limestone used in the Portland cement factory between 1960-1970. After the quarry had been opened wide enough, room and pillar mining was begun. On the western face of the quarry are two entrances to a mine of undetermined size. The quarry is non-contributing to the significance because it falls outside of the period of significance,
(one non-contributing structure)