Hike #987; Washington's Crossing Canal Loop

Hike #987; Washington’s Crossing Canal Loop

11/17/16 Washington's Crossing Canal Loop with Sandy Westermann, Sue Bennett, Jessica M. Collins, Kralc Leahcim (Lerch), Shayna Michaels, and Shane Blische

Many historic images and historic items presented here prepared by Shane Blische
My next night hike would be a loop, this time starting right by my place of.employment.
Since getting transferred to Washinton’s Crossing State Park, I’d begun looking at the different trails we could do around the area that would be appropriate for the night hikes, which I could get to with ease after work.

The most convenient one I could come up with was a loop from Washington’s Crossing up to New Hope, across to Lambertville, and then back on the NJ side to Washington’s Crossing. The route was just over 13 miles, and if we did a couple of little side trips and went all the way into town, it would come up to exactly fifteen.
I was thinking to hold off on this hike for a while, but then I remembered that my transfer to Washington’s Crossing is only temporary, and I should not hold off on some of the most convenient hikes to the area. They should go to the top of the list. It was getting too dark, too early to be posting a lot of tough trails, so the loop it was.

Pond in Washington's Crossing PA

I went on my lunch break at work across the bridge to scout out how we would handle parking. I made the meeting point the Dunkin Donuts in Washington’s Crossing PA. There was not good parking, but I figured it was something everyone could see and recognize.
Also during that lunch, I stopped at Dominic’s Pizza; I was blown away.
The pizza place had such a huge variety of slices to choose from I couldn’t believe it. It was like the Frank’s pizza chain, only tastier, and crammed into a smaller place. I told the employees what I was looking to do later, and they allowed for us to park there! I met the group at Dunkin Donuts and then told everyone to head over to the pizza place.
I had had a slice of pizza called “Chicken Maria”, made with chicken, white wine sauce, tomatoes, and spinach. It was so amazing that I had to get another one when we arrived for the hike.

Old bridge pier being utilized as another thing...

We started hiking right from there, up the road to the west on a paved pathway. Shane was going to come but couldn’t get a ride to the start, so he’d meet up with us near his home in New Hope.
When we got to the Delaware Canal, we turned to the right.
The Delaware Canal is officially called “Pennsylvania Canal; Delaware Division”. It was part of the Main Line of Public Works that created the Pennsylvania State Canal system in the early 1800s. This division was sixty miles from Bristol at tidewater on the Delaware to Easton, where it could make connections with the Lehigh Canal and Morris Canal in NJ.
We followed the canal towpath to the north, and even though the sun was going down, there were tons of people using the trail.

Delaware Canal

We moved along at a pretty quick pace. It’s easy to do in an area like this. The canal was nearly empty at most places until we got to just south of New Hope, at an old lock site near Bowmans Hill.
I noticed several properties to the right of the trail that were protected by the Heritage Conservancy, so I’ll have to go back to explore some more of these at some point. We also pass a giant Poplar tree that was about the size of a Giant Sequoia. If I waited just a few seconds to take a picture of a tree, or one of the many old bridge abutments, I would be left in the dust by the group moving very quickly ahead.
The canal skirted some development for a good while, but eventually moved away from all of it and became quite secluded. Some people that use the trail are rather rude. There was one guy going by us quickly; I said hello to which we got no response.

Giant Poplar on the canal

Lerch was planning to meet up late with us for his second time back out with the group since damaging his ankle.
We worked out that he could park somewhere near Bowmans Hill and cross over one of the few bridges over the canal there to join us. One of the only bad things about using this as a night hike is the fact that the canal, being water features, make it difficult to connect along the way because no one is going to want to wade or swim through to get to us. It limits places that can be parked to join.
Lerch found a church just up the hill from Bowmans Hill, and so we waited for him under a bridge out of sight until he arrived. From there, we easily continued to the north toward New Hope.

Lunatics in New Hope

The canal moves closer to Rt 32 again in the section north of Bowmans Hill, but it was still pretty secluded. We passed a couple of cyclists with lights on, so I figure they don’t get bothered too much by anyone for being out there.
We continued soon by the new apartment buildings to the south of New Hope. The canal again had some water in it, and steep masonry walls lined the edge. A fall into the canal would be not only gross, but very difficult to get out should it happen.
We continued to the north from there, and then missed a turn I had intended to make. The canal had a spur canal at this point, out to the Delaware River where down stream wing dams provided enough depth for boats to cross the river and connect with the Delaware and Raritan Feeder Canal on the other side. I don’t think I had ever bothered to walk out to the end of this, so that was pretty cool...and added some distance for us.

Bridge Street, New Hope

We had to walk around a building to continue on the main canal towpath, and then soon after crossed over Rt 32. We continued on the towpath a few blocks into town, and Shane met up with us on this section, just below where he lives.
We headed up from the canal when we got to Bridge Street, which has a sidewalk that sits down lower than the rest of the street. We made a pit stop in Dunkin Donuts to get snacks and use the restroom before heading across the bridge into New Jersey. It was surprising that of all of the people I know who live in or close to the area, no one else wanted to join up.

Historic Lambertville

Above is Lambertville's original station from 1851 to 1873, former home of Bel-Del developer Ashbel Welsh. Pictured in the mid 1860s.

PA/NJ

We continued down Bridge Street and crossed over, and on the other side reached first the beautiful, historic station of the Belvidere Delaware Railroad, now used as a restaurant. Shane stopped forward to give us an historic dissertation about the station, and how this was a sort of headquarters for the Bel Del Railroad.
The original station was rather drab and looked like a normal house, and so it was replaced by the magnificent stone structure that still stands today.
We continued from here past the station, and turned right on the tracks of the Bel Del heading to the south. Shane pointed out to us where there were siding and such and some rather extensive yards that no one would ever know were one there today.

Historic view of the Lambertville Station that still stands

The newers 1870s station was something the railroad could be much more proud of.

Historic view of Lambertville Station

Above is an historic image Lambertville's current station, built and opened in 1874. Today a restaurant. Black and white picture taken around 1885, colored postcard around 1910.

Historic Lambertville view

Above is an historic view of Lambertville Yard seen from Goat Hill.

Historic engine in Lambertville

The railroad yard existed from 1864 to the early 1950s and during its life was used for freight classification and locomotive and rolling stock production and maintenance. Photo dates to 1909, from Ken Stryker collection.
I have been wanting to do a group hike up Goat Hill for a long while, but I’ve just never gotten around to putting one together for there. Maybe soon.

1982 Lambertville

Black River & Western Railroad ALCo RS1 #57 at Lambertville station with a passenger train in 1982.
Shane told us that Black River and Western had been improving trackage on the Flemington Branch, and that it’s hoped that excursion trains will run to Lambertville again in the very near future.

Old passenger car

The next point of interest was the old passenger car just to the south of town. Shane gave us a bit of history on this, how it was intended for restoration, but then damaged.
He wasn’t happy with us, but Lerch and I climbed up inside to have a closer look at it. Shane and I agree that we both like ham.

Old passenger car

The tracks ended when we got to where the towpath joined them.
Originally, the Delaware and Raritan Canal used the route not only for freight, but for freight, but when the Bel Del came in, they obtained permission to place their trackage on much of the towpath.
Much of the rest of the group started going farther ahead. Shane pointed out a lot more historic points to Lerch and I as we walked. Among the historic spots were three old quarry spurs that were once used between Lambertville and Washington’s Crossing.

Historic quarry spur image

The first crossing was altogether gone across the canal. Shane pointed out the remnant of the bridge abutment, and I remember him pointing out where an incline was to the left for the approach.

Historic image of present Rt 29

The above image provided by Shane shows the spur to be pretty much grown over, but this can’t be taken as for certain. These old postcard images were of course taken in black and white, and they’d be sent to Germany to be painted. The artist obviously took some liberties with the leaves and clouds, and probably covered over some of the rail spur.

This first bridge to the Goat Hill Quarry, Shane told us, was called Jack’s Trestle.

2015 image of Jack's Trestle by Shane Blische

We could barely see anything of this, but fortunately Shane has an image he’d taken in 2015 of the remnants of the bridge, shared above.

Historic view of the Bel Del along the old canal

Above is an historic image of the Bel Del Railroad looking northward toward Lambertville, before the Pumpkin Flood of 1903.

Historic Bel Del view south of Lambertville

Northbound iron ore train headed by center cab Baldwin diesels near Fireman's Eddy in 1966. Photo by Martin Zak

Quarry spur bridge

I brought the group briefly to Fireman’s Eddy where the giant Silver Maple stands before they hurried off ahead.
One of the old quarry bridges was still completely intact. Lerch, Shane, and I went out onto a part of it. I remember exploring this bridge myself, back in 2004, but it’s now in worse shape.
We continued along from here, and Shane pointed out another bridge, as well as old mile markers, and where I was surprised to find out there used to be a Goat Hill train station, or rather just a flag stop with a shelter for quarry workers. Still quite interesting.

Photo by Shane Blische

Shane explained that this was the old Montgomery Quarry spur that was stil standing. It’s still intact, but quite dilapidated.

Photo by Shane Blische

There was a third abandoned former quarry spur along the way, to Moore’s Quarry. This bridge had one of two spans that went across the D&R feeder still in place. We commented on how it’s a wonder that the other span was never removed.

Historic view

It didn’t seem like very long at all that we got between Lambertville and Titusville. We passed an old mile marker, and Shane showed us a concrete footing where the signal used to stand.

Old mile marker

The time just flew by. Lerch, Shane, and I were not by any means keeping a slow pace, but the others were really far ahead.
Shane pointed out where the Titusville Station used to be, and then where there used to be some sort of a siding.
The original Titusville Station was a handsome structure, built in 1850 with the arrival of the railroad.
That station was unfortunately gone, destroyed in the 1940s, and then replaced with a modest little shelter station.
After the shelter thing was built in the 40s, passenger service only continued until 1952.

1945 Ed Weber photo

A bit after that, we came upon the rest of the group, within the Washington’s Crossing area, all sitting around a bench, except for Shayna who continued ahead to the end without us.

Nelson House historic view from 1890. Note the old Bel Del station to the left.

Our last little bit of historic documentation from Shane was his pointing out where the Washington’s Crossing Station used to be. At the same time, I pointed out the historic Nelson House, which is still only partially there along the Delaware.

Historic postcard from 1915

The Nelson House was once a very large coach stop of great vintage, with beautiful stone work, redone with stucco and in sort of victorian style. I was told that the state had the place demolished after it was damaged from a train on the Bel Del hitting it.

Historic view of Nelson House

The date on the oustside of the Nelson House states that it was built in 1850, but I wonder if that is only the section standing, and if the original one might be a bit older?
Additionally, I briefly mentioned the General who crossed the Delaware on Christmas Day 1776 at this point, but most everyone already knows about that!

Original Washington's Crossing Station

Shane walked us over to the station site, where the original structure was put in 1850.
Another handsome structure, like the Titusville Station, it too gave way to a drab replacement.

Historic image of second Washington's Crossing Station

Photo by Don Wentzel taken in 1953. The station was closed in 1958 and demolished in the mid 1960s.

We also pointed out that the Washington’s Crossing Bridge had been built by accident to railroad specifications, which accounts for why the trusses stand so abnormally high, and the span is so narrow.
We finished this hike very abnormally early for a night hike. We arrived back at the pizza place just before 10 PM, which meant it was just getting ready to close. There was still pizza left, so I couldn’t resist getting just one more slice. Shayna was just coming out, and so was there just in time for us to get a group shot.
Perhaps soon I’ll have to get around to night hikes covering the remainder of the Bel Del. I now realize I’ve done all of it on night hikes except just north of Lambertville and south to Trenton. More good stuff to come!