| Buena Vista Furnace | LH Side of Stack | RH Side of Stack | Hearth Stones |
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Buena Vista Furnace was the third and final furnace to be constructed in the Blacklick Creek Valley. The other furnaces were Blacklick Furnace and Eliza Furnace. Buena Vista Furnace is reasonably accessible, although a few minutes of hiking through the woods is required, including climbing two fairly steep hills.
The furnace is in fair to poor condition. The rear left hand side of the stack has collapsed, although the keystone arch of the LH tuyere remains intact. The stack could probably be rebuilt in this area. Also, a portion of the right hand side has lost the outer stonework, although the inner portion of the stack wall remains in place. The hearth area still has some of the original firebrick.
The side tuyere design differs from the Ohio furnaces, evidencing a keystone arch instead of the inverted "V" shape.
First Visited: 3Q 2002
Start of Operation: 1847
Blowout: 1856
Daily Tonnage:
Built By: McClelland and Company
Stack:
Blast: Cold
Type: Charcoal
Located on the edge between Indiana and Cambria Counties. Take Route 22 to PA Rt 56, go north 2 1/4 miles to the north
end of the bridge. Just past the bridge, the old road turns off to the left and parallels the new road. A few hundred feet down the
road ends at a barricade. Cross the barricade, go down the hill, over the rail road tracks. Climb the hill on the opposite side.
At the top of the hill, follow the ridge line to the right (east) and you will walk directly into the furnace in less than 1/8 mile.
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