Until recently, one of New Jersey’s most unusual roadside oddities could be found on Mountain Blvd. in the town of Warren. It was the Egg-O-Mat: A 24-hour vending machine offering "Eggs of Distinction."
Now, a mere shell of its former self, the self-service egg dispenser is remembered fondly by local residents who used to travel to the unique device at all hours of the day or night for fresh eggs.
The Egg-O-Mat was built in the early 1950s, and operated by a man named Camillio Epstein. It was refrigerated by an air conditioning unit mounted in the back wall, and offered eggs in a variety of sizes. Though it had not been operational for several years, just seeing it there, right across the street from the Warren library and municipal building, gave a visitor to the town a rare glimpse into the community’s farmland past.
Leaning slightly to the right the last time visited, this roadside oddity was really showing its age. Though some local citizens tried to organize a "Save The Egg-O-Mat" foundation, the kiosk remained in less than eggcellent condition.
During a recent trip to Warren we noticed the Egg-O-Mat’s sign was missing from the top of the weathered wooden structure. We couldn’t tell if it had been plucked off, or if, like Humpty Dumpty, it had toppled on its own. The last time we drove by we were shocked to see that the Egg-O-Mat was gone altogether. We feared that the Egg-O-Mat, like so many of our cherished local landmarks, might have fallen victim to the rampant development so prevalent in our state today.
Fortunately though, one of our readers informed us that the Egg-O Mat has been saved by the Warren Historical Society, and was dismantled and moved to a save location to await restoration. Hopefully all the king’s men will be able to put this Humpty Dumpty back together again.
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