Historic Warwick Blog: Lecture Series: Glenn Rhein Speaks On the Discovery of Spectacular Giant Crystals in Amity, New York in Town of Warwick, Thursday, June 7, 2012, 7-8:30PM

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Lecture Series: Glenn Rhein Speaks On the Discovery of Spectacular Giant Crystals in Amity, New York in Town of Warwick, Thursday, June 7, 2012, 7-8:30PM

Not long ago Glenn Rhein had a geological survey done of his property in Amity, NY in the Town of Warwick. The geologist came back scratching his head explaining that what he had on his property was something of an anomaly; there was a treasure trove of all types of crystals to be found on and under the surface of his property.

What we had and what was more commonly known as far back as the 1820s is a stop along a vein of crystalline formations that runs between Canada and Franklin, New Jersey that was formed some 800 million years ago when Mt. Adam and Mt. Eve pushed up through a marble belt forming these giant and sometimes fluorescent crystals. Many of us know about the crystals to be found in the Franklin, New Jersey, and many us even had a class trip as Warwick students to the mine and broke open a geode or two in search of some spectacular crystals, but most people from the area know nothing about the world-class minerals and stones that literally lay in our backyard.

Minerals like Edenite, Warwickite, and Clintonite are particular to this area with small quantities in existence. Mr. Rhein, a contractor, not long after getting the news from the geologist, dug a huge pit which uncovered a cornucopia of crystals of both rarity and quality. Within a short time he has become somewhat of an expert on this particular vein identifying 19 distinctive varieties on the property. The most obvious distinction of many of the samples that have been uncovered is large size; some of them measure in excess of four inches in diameter.

Since uncovering these crystals, he has shared them with both professional and amateur mineralogists alike. Travelling to Paris with wife Karen, the Rheins presented samples to the Ecoles de Mines where supposedly the largest collection of minerals and rocks from Orange County, NY is housed. Many colleges and universities have expressed much interest in the discovery sending many to the site to document it and to accept samples for their collection.

This Thursday, June 7, 7-8:30PM a presentation will include a talk about the discovery and its relevance to other area finds. There will be many real samples on display as well as a slide presentation narrated by Mr. Rhein which will illustrate the largess and aesthetic magnificence of this discovery. The fluorescence of some of these samples will also be revealed; it is the Rheins' intention to present a display vitrine fixed with a black light that will share the fluorescent qualities of these minerals with Warwick residents on semi-permanent basis.

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At our Summer History Camp this year kids will dig up crystals that fluoresce under a special black light. The crystals were actually discovered in the area as early as the 1820s and collectors from all over the United States and Europe came to the specifically places like Amity in the Town of Warwick to find these rare specimens for their museums, universities and their private collections. One of the largest off site exhibitions of these crystals is found in the Ecoles des Mines in Paris; there are over 150 samples of minerals specifically from Amity, NY in that collection which were discovered in large in the 1830s. What is interesting to imagine is that geologist and mineralogists from the greatest institutions of higher learning were traveling by horseback and carriage to the wilds of Warwick in the 1820s and 1830s to find rocks for their cabinets of curiosities.

Wawayanda Furnace ( 19th century ) the furnace that many of us remember seeing on our trips to the New Jersey State Park actually was integral to iron ore production supplied by Warwick mines. On a recent sojourn into the woods we visited some local iron ore mines that would have supplied the mid-nineteenth century Wawayanda Furnace. Of course, these operations were supplanted by the end of the nineteenth century when places with better quality ore that were closer to cheaper forms of transportation, like water and rail shut them down.

Ken Hamilton, "Woodlands Interpreter", will present the early 18th century life of Algonquin-speaking people, like the Minsi people of the Lenape tribe, of what was later named by Benjamin Aske as "Warwick." Here we see a trade camp with historially accurate artifact reproductions produced by Mr. Hamilton by hand; he an accomplished leatherworker, blacksmith and silversmith. As an "historical artifact artist", Mr. Hamilton produces props used in many living history scenarios and museums throughout the country. He will share some of his knowledge with campers at the Summer History Camp 2012. See further details.