As we pushed onward towards that concrete stack beckoning us from the distance the sun was beginning to dip behind the tree line, stretching our shadows out across the rocky landscape and signaling our need to speed things up a bit. But before we could reach our destination we were confronted yet again with another detour – a rather substantial one this time. It was only after we had scrambled atop the remains of the Franklin Jr. No.1 rock pile that we noticed its impressive mass sprawled out before us. We recognized it immediately.

Laying at our feet was the substantial foundation belonging to one of the Franklin Jr.’s engine houses. All the usual suspects – the classic “H” shape, the set of symmetric mandibles, the central drum opening, the line of protruding bolts, the crank slot – were present and accounted for. The only oddity was in its construction.

Normally hoists fall into one of two categories depending on their material make-up. A heavy reliance on red-bricks and poor rock identify a 19th century model, while the use of concrete indicated a later 20th century edition. This particular specimen exhibited characteristics from both periods, utilizing both 19th and 20th century building materials. It was a hoist seemingly caught between two worlds.

Taken as a whole, this particular hoist foundation is built up out of poor rock, specifically the red tinted conglomerate rock from the old Albany and Boston rock piles. But unlike other hoists utilizing the same base material, this hoist is topped by a layer of concrete instead of the customary red brick. In addition, the foundation features a few other concrete embellishments along the inner walls and the tail guide pedestals in the back.

Though the sun was setting behind us, we decided a quick tour of this unique structure was in order.

We begin our tour along the remains of the hoist building’s south wall (seen to the right in this photo). By the shear volume of poor rock sprinkled about I would guess that the old building was completely built from poor rock. Sanborn maps simply state the roof as being steel truss and the floor as concrete, but say nothing about the walls.

Climbing atop the foundation’s southern mandible we take a closer look where the crank and cross-head assembly would have sat. We could make out the crank slot as well as more than a few old iron posts on which the engine was once attached. But no red bricks to be found, just the graveled remain of a concrete top.

Turning around and looking in the opposite direction we find one of the foundations more interesting aberrations. Here a pair of concrete pedestals join the more traditional poor-rock version, all three of which would have helped support the engine’s massive steam pistons.

From this angle the juxtoposition is even more extreme, as the concrete pedestals look wholly out of place atop the old poor rock foundation. I wonder if these were a later addition, added when a larger and more capable hoist became necessary here. Perhaps it was a Franklin Jr. renovation necessary to bring the old Peninsula Mine infrastructure up to date.

Looking down between the mandibles we find a rather narrow and small opening. This raised platform is also built of poor rock like the rest of the structure, but here a red tinted concrete “floor” has been laid on top.

Dropping down from the mandible into the hoist opening we discover a few more familiar faces – most notably the pair of staircases which make their way down from the H’s center platform to the drum opening. Though the stairs are concrete, you can also see the poor rock base to the platform.

Turning around we took another look out towards the mandibles stretching forward ahead of us. From this angle we can clearly see they are built up out of poor rock and not concrete as we would have expected from their appearance topside.

Interestingly, those same mandibles are coated in a layer of concrete near that center “H” platform. Here the concrete has been ripped off at the corner, revealing the remains of the massive iron bolt which once made its way up through the foundation. Though missing now, this bolt was also draped in a wood box.

Looking at this particular image it appears as if the foundation could have been added to later in its life. It looks as if the original poor rock version sits at the bottom, with a newer concrete section poured on top.

Climbing on top of the north mandible now, we take another look down into the surrounding maintenance trench, as I like to call it. This is a rather narrow trench, but taking a look down into its depths reveals its sides to be coated in the same white mortar as we have seen in several other old foundations. In this photo the hoist foundation sits to the bottom with the building’s outer foundation wall running along top.

After jumping over the narrow trench we found ourselves at the opposite end of the building, and the end of our short tour. Stretched out before us stands a long pile of debris which – once again – we think might have belonged to the buildings rock walls. The short ledge along the hoist foundation was probably where the buildings floor joists once rested. Out in the distance you can see the remains of the No.1 rock pile, in the direction where the No.1 shaft must surely lay. (we just missed it)

With the sun now clearly on the verge of setting we return our attention to that smokestack. Luckily we didn’t have to go very far, as both it and the remains of its boiler house were sprawled out at our feet.