The former Rarian Arsenal was established during World War I to provide a storage point for trans-shipments from the Atlantic seaboard. After the war, shipments of materiel from overseas were received at the Arsenal and distributed to other points for permanent storage.

Raritan Arsenal was used as a shipping port for vessels transporting chemical warfare munitions, Chemical munitions and/or containers that developed leaks during transportation or storage were disposed of at Raritan. All containers were 55-gallon drums and all munitions were 1 00-pound bombs.

A small detachment of Chemical Corps personnel assisted by civilians disposed of leaking munitions and containers in an area referred to as the Chemical Burial Grounds, or Area 5. The disposal procedure consisted of digging a 5 by 5 by !&foot pit, pouring the liquid mustard into a decontaminating solution in the pit, and then placing empty containers or bomb casings into the pit. The pit was then covered with earth and signs were posted over it indicating the date of the burial, the type of agent buried, and a warning against digging in the area. The signs have long disappeared and no accurate estimate of the number of pits dug in the area has been obtained.