This area was originally used for copper milling as early as 1814 and lasted about 125 years. The Belleville Rolling Hills Copper Mill supplied copper sheeting for:
In 1939, after operations ended at the mill site, Andrew Jergens purchased the property for the manufacturing of its skincare products. In 1975, the pharmaceutical company Roche Molecular Systems took over and utilized the old Jergens facilities for research and development, as well as diagnostic equipment. In 2008 after Roche vacated, pollutants such as PCBs, arsenic and other heavy metals were discovered in both the soil and the groundwater. Some of the contamination dates back almost two centuries from the copper mill that had resided on the site.
As of 2016, this railroad bridge was demolished. The 1838 arch bridge below it was also threaten to be demolished. Fortunately due to protests by the good citizens of Belleville, the bridge is currently undergoing restoration.
At least 8 nearby historical markers are within one mile of this bridge: Branch Brook Park (approx. 0.3 miles away), The Battle of Second River (approx. half a mile away), Karr/Milburn House (approx. 0.7 miles away), Forest Hill Historic District (approx. 0.8 miles away), Morris Canal (approx. 0.8 miles away), Sydenham House (approx. 0.9 miles away), St. Peter's Church (approx. 0.9 miles away), and Victory (approx. 1.1 miles away).