| Ruins of Monroe Furnace | Monroe Furnace |
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Monroe Furnace is virtually in total ruin, as can be seen from the pictures. The stack has been torn down by a bulldozer and little remains except the shattered remmants of the largest volume iron furnace in the HRIR. This was also one of the first furnaces to have more than one tuyere (it originally had three). At 20 tons of iron production per day, it was the highest producing furnace in it's day. In fact, it was reported by Robert Ervin that iron masters from England visited the site due to the unusually high volume of production. This was significant, because at the time, England possessed the greatest iron and steel production in the world.
Last Visit: 3Q-2002
Start of Operation: 1856, built in 1854.
Blowout: 1882
Daily Tonnage: 20
Built By: John Campbell, William Bolles, John and Isaac Peters
Stack: 37 feet with a 14 foot bosh (Lesley reports 40 foot w/12 foot bosh)
Blast: Hot
Type: Charcoal
Per J.P. Lesley, the fn was owned by McConnell, Bolles & Co. and managed by Mr. Gilbert. In fourty three weeks of 1857 the fn produced 3,700 tons of iron from limestone ore.
Take RT93 south from Jackson, Ohio. Turn right onto Rt 140, go about a half mile to Rt 17, Monroe Hollow Road.
Turn into the cemetery, the furnace ruins are just past the house over the embankment.
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