| Estill Furnace Sign | Estill Furnace | LH Side of Furnace | Estil Furnace 1962 |
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Estil Furnace is in very poor condition. The front of the stack has fallen in and the right hand wall is heavily damaged. Extensive brush accompanies trees that grow from the dirt filled stack and break the stones apart. The furnace is quickly crumbling and will be nothing except a pile of debris within the near future.
The picture from 1962 was kindly donated by Mrs. Carol Dailey of Kentucky.
First Visited: 1Q 2003
Start of Operation: 1830 - Rebuilt in 1849
Blowout: 1874
Daily Tonnage: 1,967 tons per year - about 7 tons per day on a 9 month production window
Built By: Thomas Dye Owings
Stack: 34 feet w/10 foot bosh (Lesley reports 33 feet high w/10-1/2 foot bosh)
Blast: Cold
Type: Charcoal
Although Owings built the stack, he sold the stack to Resin H. Gist and James Mason after it was built. They operated
the furnace for a few years and sold out in 1832 or 1833 to a group of investors, including Samuel G. Jackson, Samuel
Wheeler, Luther Mason, and his brother John C. Mason. They operated the furnace for several years, and then sold out to a second
set of investors, including Andrew Laywell, Josiah A. Jackson, W.G. Jackson, and Weeden Smith. When Smith died, the partnership
was dissolved and the furnace was sold to Josiah, who then sold to the Red River Iron Manufacturing Company in 1863. It
reopened in 1865 for rebuilding and went into blast in 1868. It operated successfully until 1874.
Per J.P. Lesley,
Located at the intersection of State Routes 213 and 1057. It is an interesting drive on 213 South from Stanton - I
do not recommend it at night, in the winter, or if you are in a hurry.
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