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Other Ironworks/Furnace Parks
The American iron industry, which began in New England in the 1600s, spread across the Mid-Atlantic states, and further south into Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Many reminders of the old ironworks sites still exist and some have been made into state and national parks.
Here are some links to a few of them. The Alabama Ironworks Sourcebook, developed by the Alabama Iron & Steel Museum in cooperation with the Alabama Historic Ironworks Commission, is an excellent digital reference to the industry in this state which began with field forges operated by troops under Andrew Jackson in the Creek Indian War in 1813 and the Cedar Creek Furnace near Russellville in 1815.
Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park is located in Brierfield, AL, and is the site of the Bibb County Iron Works, the Confederacy's most productive Iron Works during the Civil War. Today the Park consists of the ruins of the Bibb Ironworks as well a many carefully reconstructed pioneer-style homes and structures.
Janney Furnace was built by Alfred A. Janney in 1863 & 1864 to produce pig iron during the Civil War for the Confederate States of America. Janney Furnace Park is now part of the Calhoun County Park System and is open to the public daily from 8:00 am to dusk.
Sloss Furnaces produced iron for nearly 90 years, which gave rise to the city of Birmingham. Now recognized as a National Historic Landmark, Sloss Furnaces with its web of pipes and tall smokestacks offers us a glimpse into the great industrial past of the South and our nation.
This is the site of the first integrated ironworks in North America, 1646-1668. It includes the reconstructed blast furnace, forge, rolling mill, and a restored seventeenth century house. Explore this place where European iron makers brought their special skills to a young Massachusetts colony.
Operating from 1771-1883, Hopewell and other "iron plantations" laid the foundation for the transformation of the United States into an industrial giant. The park's 848 acres and historic structures illustrate the business, technology and lifestyle of our growing nation.
Long Pond Ironworks in West Milford, New Jersey is a microcosm of our industrial and cultural heritage. The site takes its name from the nearby "Long Pond," a translation of the Native American name for Greenwood Lake.
Katahdin Iron Works in Maine operated here for a total of about 25 years between 1843 and 1890. Although isolated, it was tied closely to outside markets and technological advances in the iron industry.
The only remains of the bustling industrial town of Etowah, Georgia, is the furnace at Cooper Iron Works. Built by Jacob Stroup in the 1830's, this foundry was the first in the area.
A walk through historic Greenwood Furnace in Central Pennsylvania evokes images of the community that flourished here from 1834 to 1904. Greenwood Furnace was a busy industrial complex, with all the noise and dirt of a 19th century ironmaking community.
In 1764, partners George Stevenson, Robert Thornburgh and John Arthur built an iron furnace along Mountain Creek in Pennsylvania. They named it Pine Grove Iron Works. It manufactured ten plate stoves, fireplace backs, iron kettles and possibly munitions during the American Revolution.
The history of Catoctin Furnace represents in microcosm the history of the Industrial Revolution in America. From 1776 to 1903 different iron companies mined the rich ore banks near Catoctin Mountain in Maryland, smelted it in furnaces, and cast both raw pig iron and iron implements of every description.
One of 2 such mills in the South at the outbreak of the Civil War. This plant produced the armor that covered the hull of famous Confederate gunboat Tennessee. Shelby Iron Works was a going concern from about 1860 until about the 1890s. It officially shut down in 1929.
Buckeye Furnace is a reconstructed charcoal-fired iron blast furnace with original stack, typical of those operating in southeastern Ohio's Hanging Rock Iron Region more than a century ago.
The Nassawango Iron Furnace was started in 1829 near Snow Hill, MD. The Village of Furnace Town developed in support of smelting iron. The furnace produced pig iron from 1831 until 1850. For a while the furnace flourished and became a center of commerce for the area.
Numerous blast furnaces and forges existed in Middle Tennessee, primarily during the nineteenth century. Early adventurer James Robertson and his partners established the first iron furnace in the region in 1797 and others quickly followed suit.
The building of Charcoal Iron Furnaces in Lawrence County began with the building of Union Furnace in Elizabeth Township and ended with the building of the Oak Ridge Furnace in Aid Township. These furnaces continued in operation until around the beginning of the 20th century.
A description of most of the iron works which have existed or still exist in Maryland. The furnaces are first taken up by counties, and as full a description as the information available permits is given of each.
Kentucky has a long history of iron production. The eastern portion of the state was part of the original colonies, and portions of the state encompass the Hanging Rock Iron Region.