New Boston Coke was once part of the Portsmouth Steel complex that employed nearly 5,000 during its height in the mid-20th century. Due to foreign competition and outdated technology, the integrated mill was closed in 1980 while the coke plant remained, becoming an independent operation before closing in 2002 due to massive pollution emission violations.

The New Boston Coke essay was originally written in 2004 and is one of the oldest articles at Abandoned. It was also one of the more outdated and has been updated with new historical information regarding its early history as the Burgess Steel and Iron Works. Unfortunately, the property was demolished years ago and these old photographs are all that I have left.