1811 N.J. Laws 300, An Act to Regulate Gun Powder Manufactories and Magazines within this State, § 1.

. . . [N]o person or persons whatsoever, shall be permitted within this state to erect or establish, or cause to be erected or established, any manufactory which shall be actually employed in manufacturing gun-powder, either by himself or any other person, either on his own land or another, within the distance of a quarter of a mile from any town or village or house of public worship; or within the distance of a quarter of a mile from any dwelling house, barn or out house, without the consent under hand and seal of all and every the owner or owners of such dwelling house, barn, or out house as aforesaid; and any person so offending shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof shall be fined any sum not exceeding two thousand dollars: Provided, that nothing in this section shall be so construed as to prevent the completing, rebuilding or repairing any powder mill now erected or erecting in this state on the site on which the same shall be now erected or erecting.