New Jersey Motorsports Park - Thunderbolt Raceway
Archeological Investigations
Millville, Cumberland County, New Jersey
The Millville Municipal Airport was originally the Millville Army Airfield, the country’s first continental civil defense air base. The First Air Force used the base as a gunnery range for the training of fighter pilots during World War II. No active combat missions were flown from Millville, but the airfield played a valuable role in the war effort and is listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places.
Construction of New Jersey Motorsports Thunderbolt Racetrack on the airport property posed a unique set of difficulties. State and Federal regulations required that potential effects on airfield-related archaeological remains be evaluated. However, since the airfield was a former gunnery training facility; an unknown quantity of military ordnance, possibly unexploded, could be expected to lie below ground surface.
Due to the potential dangers involved, conventional investigation was not an option. Instead, the archaeologist devised a method whereby the unearthing of potentially dangerous materials could be safely monitored. The items recovered were rendered safe by specialists, then analyzed, inventoried, and transferred to the Millville Army Airfield Museum. The success of this plan helped to gain New Jersey Motorsports a Finding of No Significant Impact from the FAA, who acted as Lead Agency for this project. A few months later, construction was underway.
Note: This project was performed by PS&S’ present cultural resource staff for a previous employer.