Michellin tire Factory Water Tower & Smokestack - Milltown, New Jersey

Charles D. O.

The last surviving icons of Milltown's claim to it's part of the American Industrial Revolution. Truly historic icons from the first Michelin Tire Factory in the US.

Before being bought by Michelin and expanded, to include the water tower and larger smokestack, several other rubber companies were located on the same premises, including the India Rubber Company, and Meyer's Rubber. Michelin closed down it's Milltown factory (after 20+ years of making tires for bicycles and the early American auto industry) shortly after the stock market crash of 1929. Michelin consolidated at that time, and moved the bulk of their production and many of their French-immigrant workers, back to France from Milltown.

Over the years, the property has seen several other companies and industries occupy various portions of the former factory, but none to the extent that Michelin had. In 2016, after several different owners, fires, much neglect, and a redevelopment plan that has been in the works since the turn of the 21st century, the old factory was ordered to be demolished. While a few old brick walls, a pile of rubble, and a small building (that was used for storing various hazardous chemicals) still stand as of 2023, the single most prominent feature, is the historic and iconic smokestack and it's water tower friend. Along with another smokestack (that finally collapsed in the 90's during a hurricane), and a large boiler house, they were used to not just provide coal-powered heat and steam for the old tire factory (that Edouard Michelin himself supervised for some time!), but also to power large machinery to help with tire production, through a series of cranks, belts, pulleys, gears, and wheels.

In 1996, a depiction of the remaining smokestack and water tower, was chosen as the famous icons, that everyone in the area know to be Milltown's, as the small Borough's Centennial logo. The simple logo was on commemorative plates, flags, stationary, shirts, and more, and even featured heavily at the Milltown Centennial Ball.

A petition was spread to save these icons, and hundreds of people signed on in support. Many lifelong Milltowners, people from across the US, and French people whose grandparents worked at the factory, signed the petition to save the smokestack and water tower. The Borough Council has not committed to declaring them the historic icons that they are, and neither the current owner, nor the contracted redevelopment developer, have shown an interest in saving them. As such, their future is uncertain, and seems bleak.

More and more towns realize the importance of their industrial past, and they work to restore, preserve, and even repurpose the historic symbols of industry. For example, nearby Sayreville has even constructed a replica of an early smokestack that started their claim to fame (a very large brick business, known the world over!). We can only hope that our local elected representatives realize the importance of preserving their town's history, before it's too late.

1993 M. M.

Very cool place. The history of the whole town is cool. 1sq mile