The following sites are known to have existed at one time. In some cases, the remains of the site remain in existence, but I have not yet visited the location. In other cases, the furnace site may no longer exist. Anyone having any information on these sites is encouraged to forward their knowledge - credit for the source will be acknowledged when posted.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this steam powered ch fn was built in 1827 by A. McNickle. The furnace was located on the west bank of the Allegheny River, two miles above Kittanning. The fn produced 14-15 tons of pig iron per week. Per S&T, no trace of the fn remains. Ray Washlaski indicates that the fn shutdown in 1927.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1811 by Robert Allison and Andrew Henderson. They operated the fn until 1818. The fn remained idle until 1836 when it was purchased by Elias Baker and Roland Diller. The fn was converted to coke in 1867 and blew out in 1884. The stone storehouse (completed just after the fn closed in 1818) is now the home of the Women's Club of Altoona. The furnace was located in Altoona and remains standing to this day. Hopefully, this fn will be visited in the near future.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1846 by Aaron Whittaker, John Jamison, and George Ledlie. The furnace was located in Madison Township near the village of Rimer. It was originally a hot blast charcoal fn, but was adapted to coke in 1868. The fn went out of blast in 1860. Per S&T, no trace of the fn remains, although slag and cinder evidence was found in the area.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1792 by G. Anshutz. The furnace was located in Pittsburg in Allegheny County.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 184 by Joseph A. Conrad and Hugh McNeal. The fn was abandoned in 1851. Only the retaining wall remains, the fn being torn down many years ago. Per S&T, a George Crane attempted to run stone coal and cord wood in 1851 at the Ashland site, but was not successful.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this ch fn was built in 1830 and owned at one time by Lyon, Shorb & Co. The fn was located in the village of Bald Eagle on US Route 222, a few miles east of Tyrone. Parts of the lining are reported to remain standing.
This furnace is known to remain standing and will hopefully be visited in the future.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this ch fn was built in 1814 by Dr. Detmar Basse, founder of Zelienople. It was sold to Daniel Beltzhoover in 1818. The furnace was located about a mile and a half outside of Zelienople. The capacity was 5 tons of iron per week. It went out of blast in 1824. Per S&T, the fn stack remained standing in the 1960's. Richard Parks reported that a large pile of stones remains and provided a picture of the ruin. Much thanks to Dave for allowing use of his picture.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1818 by William Stackpole and Ruggles Whitney. The furnace was located just south of Parker on Bear Creek. It was the first fn built in Armstrong County. The builders failed and the fn was completed by Baldwin, Robinson, McNickle, and Beltzhoover. It was intended for coke, but failed due to a weak blast. When converted to charcoal, the fn worked, producing 40 tons of pig iron in one week. In 1832 it was the largest fn in the US. A tramway with wooden rails took iron from the fn to the river for shipment to Pittsburg. The course of the tramway was reported by S&T to remain visible in some areas. The fn went out of blast in 1850. Per S&T, the fn ruins are still present.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this cold blast furnace was built in 1835 by Leonard Sample. The stack had one tuyere and was powered by a steam engine. Maximum production was 1210 tons in one year. In 1850 the fn was owned by Miller and Lang. The fn was abandoned in 1854. The fn was located on Deer Creek north of Sligo. Few remains were evident in the 1960's and it is unknown if any portion of the stack remains today.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1808 by Hoopes, Townsend & Co. The furnace was located near the "Middle Falls" on the Beaver River. The fn blew out in 1826. Per S&T, the fn was located on the north side of Walnut Run where it enters the Beaver River. According to Richard Parks, no trace of this fn remain.
This site was also known as Brighton Furnace.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1785 by George Ashman, Thomas Cromwell, Charles Ridgely, and Tempest Tucker. The furnace was located in Cromwell Township in Huntingdon County. It was also known as Cromwell Furnace.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this ch fn was built in 1846.
Parts of the stack are reported to remain standing.
Richard Parks provided the following directions: From the Junction of US22 and PA53 south of Cresson,
go east and northeast about 2-1/2 miles on US22 to the next interchange which is SR2014. Go right (east) on
SR2014 about 0.8 mile to County Line Road (Cambria-Blair County Line). Turn left and follow this road 1-1/2
miles to SR4002. Turn right on Sr4002 and go downhill about 0.4 mile. There is a very large slag pile in the
valley on the left. Park here and cross the valley on foot. Go up the hill at the back end of the slag pile.
Just above this spot and below the railroad track which runs along the hillside are the ruins of Bennington Furnace.
The upper side of the furnace had several rows of stone intact, but the other three sides had collapsed
(S&T-1960's) Some retaining walls were on the hillside above the furnace.
Coordinates 40 28.64'N - 78 32.08'W.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1846 by George S. King & Co. This was a hot blast ch fn. Along with the Mill Creek Furnace, it was known as the Cambria Iron Company. The fn was located south of Johnstown and near the Ben's Creek Water Co. Another related fn was the Conemaugh Furnace (Cambria County).
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1825 by James W. Biddle. The furnace was located on Roaring Run near the town of Apollo. The fn went into blast on Christmas Day, but was not successful. The fn changed hands many times until it went out of blast forever in 1855. Per S&T, one side of the fn remains standing.
This site was also known as Rock Furnace.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1779 by Mark Bird. The furnace was located in Birdsboro in Berks County.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this hot blast ch fn was built in 1844 on Black Fox Run. The fn was powered by steam and the stack measured 30 feet high w/9 foot bosh. Adams and Yernon were the owners in 1850. The fn was located west of Callensburg, but no trace of the fn remains.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1830 and owned at one time by H. N. Burroughs. The fn was located outside of Duncansville. No trace of the fn remains.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was originally Elizabeth Furnace. Elizabeth fn was torn down in 1847 and rebuilt at Bloomfield near the Beford-Blair County Line. Some years later it was again dismantled and moved north to Rodman, Blair County, where it became Rodman Furnace - Middle Maria. The final fn location is about 3.5 miles outside of Roaring Springs. Per S&T, the fn stones remained in the 1960's as a pile of stones.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this site was the location of one of the largest iron industry plants of the nineteenth century, consisting of four furnaces, forges, and rolling mills. All except two of the stacks were reported to be gone. The fn was also known as the Great Western Iron Works.
The first stack (Great Western No.1) was built in 1840 by Philander Raymond. It was a hot blast coke fn and was 50 feet high with a 14 foot bosh. Capacity was 100 tons per week.
Great Western No.2 was built in 1841 by Philander Raymond. It was a hot blast coke fn and was 50 feet high with a 14 foot bosh. Capacity was 100 tons per week. S&T reported that the relatively poor performance of these two fn resulted in use of the 12 foot bosh as an industry standard.
Great Western No.3 was built in 1843 by Philander Raymond. It was a hot blast coke fn and was 43 feet high with a 11 foot bosh. Capacity was 100 tons per week.
Great Western No.4 was built in 1846 by Philander Raymond. It was a hot blast charcoal fn and was 43 feet high with a 11 foot bosh. Capacity was 60 tons per week.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1747 by William Branson. The furnace was located the city of Philadelphia.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1818 by Miller, Rogers and Paull. The fn went out of blast in 1837 or 1838. The fn was located on Breakneck Creek and is now under water. Some stones from the fn were utilized to build the nearby dam.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this ch fn was built outside the town of Bruin. No trace of the fn remains. The fn was also known as Dudley Furnace.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this ch fn was built in 1839 by P. Graff & Co. The furnace was located on Buffalo at the crossing of Kittanning and Butler Pike. The fn produced 45 tons per week and was the first fn in the county to utilize a hot blast. The bosh was 9 feet.
The second fn was built in 1846. It was a hot blast ch fn with a 8 foot bosh. Both fn went out of blast in 1864. Per S&T, no trace of the stacks remain, although slag evidence was present.
Per Bining, this furnace was built "before 1800" by William McDermett. The furnace was located at Bedford Springs in Bedford County. I> Cambria Furnace
Per Sharp & Thomas, four furnaces were built on the Johnstown flats. No remains exist and the fn site is now the Johnstown ballpark. The first two fn were built in 1854, the third in 1856 and the fourth in 1857.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1841 by David Stewart, John K. and William L. Shryock. The fn was rebuilt in 1854. The fn was located south of Cramer near Laurel Run. Remains of the fn were reported to exist by S&T but the current status is not known.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1762 by J.S Rigsby & Co. The furnace was located at Boiling Springs in Cumberland County.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1782. This may be the same furnace as above, with a different owner. The furnace was located "near Carlisle" in Cumberland County.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1846 and was owned in 1850 by Miller & Sons. It was shut down sometime after 1856. The fn was a steam powered cold blast fn.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1815 by Isaac Meason. It was initially known as Dunbar Fn. S&T reported in the 1960's that the fn had fallen into Glade Run. Ruins of various structures (charcoal house, wheel pit, millrace, and casting house) were reported to remain, along with slag piles and a large stone retaining wall.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1791 by John Patton and Samuel Miles. The furnace was located on Spring Creek in Centre County. Centre Furnace is known to remain standing and will hopefully be visited in the future.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this ch fn was built in 1836 and was located in Hollidaysburg. No trace remains of the fn.
Built in 1829 by Henry Bear and Christian Meyers. Thirty feet tall with an eight foot bosh. Cold blast, produced 1300 tons per year. Bear sold out to Meyers (date unknown), who then sold the site to Nelson Hetherington in 1851. The stack blew out in 1852 due to financial considerations and the difficulties associated with reaching the necessary ore. Unknown if this stack remains in existence. I was unable to reach the site due to the fact that the bridge is out over Toby Creek and the water was very high.
Per Sharp & Thomas, Clinton Fn in Allegheny was built in 1859 by Graff, Bennett & Co. It was the second fn built in Allegheny County, located on the sout bank of the Monongahela River. It was located about halfway between the Point Bridge and the Pittsburgh & West Virginia Railroad Bridge, both of which have disappeared. Two piers and the sealed entrance to the tunnel through Mount Washington are the only remains of this coke furnace.
I attempted to find again but was unable to locate Roy Road.
The furnace was built in 1841 and operated for 15 years. Sharp & Thomas reported it was owned by Horner and Eaton in 1850 and in 1859 by S.F. Plumer of Franklin.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1765 by William Bennett. The furnace was located on Codorus Creek in York County.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1791 by Robert Coleman. The furnace was located on Iron Stone Creek in Berks County.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1720 by Thomas Rutter & Company. The furnace was located on Conewago Creek in Lebanon County. The furnace was also known as Mount Joy Furnace.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this fn was built in 1857 by G.W. Hodges of New York. The fn was sold in 1869 to the Cambria Iron Company (See Ben's Creek, who rebuilt the stack in 1873 and operated until 1889. The Johnstown Flood of 1889 is believed to have played a part in the abandoment of the facility. It was a coke fn powered by steam and used local and Blair County ore. Nothing remains of the fn except the charging bench. The fn site is believed to be at the gate of the Bethlehem Mine Corporation.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1820 (or perhaps earlier) by Thomas McKean. The fn was located on Shutes Run in North Union Township. The fn was purchased in 1855 by F.H. Oliphant and operated until 1860. The fn was blown out and abandoned due to uncertain water supply. Part of the lining remains, along with slag. The outer stonework was utilized to build a reservior dam nearby.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this fn was built in 1849 by G.W. Corbett, Solomon Cyphert, and George Reynolds. The fn was owned in 1850 by Brown, Phillips & Co. The fn was torn down by a strip mining operation in 1961 and nothing remains.
Per Bining, this steel furnace was built in 1726 by Samuel Nutt, Sr. The furnace was located on French Creek in Chester County.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this ch fn was built in 1845 by James E. Bonner. The furnace was located on Cowanshannock Creek, three miles north of Kittanning. The fn was a cold blast was poorly located and went out of blast in 1851. It was also known as Bonner Furnace. Per S&T, a few stones, rubble, and slag remained in the 1960's.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1794 by Michael Ege. The furnace was located on Yellow Breeches Creek of Cumberland County.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1791 by Samuel Potts. The furnace was located on Perkiomen Creek in Berks County.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1768 by William Potts. The furnace was located on Pine Creek in Berks County.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1727 by Anthony Morris & Company. The furnace was located on the Delaware River in Bucks County.
Per J.P. Lesley,
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1827 by King, Swope, & Co. Dr. Shoenberger was the "company" The fn was located just outside of Woodbury. In 1847 the fn was torn down and moved to Bloomfield Furnace.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1832 and was owned at one time by Martin Bell, and later by Edward Bell. The fn is located just outside of Pinecroft. It is reported to be standing and will hopefully be visited in the future.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1750 by John Jacob Huber. The furnace was located on Middle Creek in Lancaster County.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1842 and was owned in 1850 by W.B. Fetzer. The fn was also known as Soapfat Furnace. It was a cold blast fn with a single tuyere, 7-1/2 foot bosh, and was powered by water. It went out of blast in 1855.
Per Sharp & Thomas, the first furnace built in Erie County was erected in 1833 by Hinckley, Jarvis, & Co. The fn was powered by a blind horse walking in a circle and driving a main drive wheel. The fn utilized bog ore from the Laird Farm at the head of the bay. The firm became Lester, Sennett & Chester and then a long litany of owners purchased and sold the site. In 1909 the fn was owned by the Germer Stove Company. Known as the "Old Furnace", the plant was located on State Street between 11th and 10th streets. S&T reported that it ran along 11th Street 3/4 of the way to Peach Street. In 1840 W.H. Johnson withdrew from the "Old Furnace Company" and organized the "New Furnace Company". His partners included William Himrod, David Himrod, and B.B. Vincent. The "New" fn was located across State Street and one block farther uptown to the square between 11th and 12th Streets. The company changed names many time and in 1900 was known as the Chicago & Erie Stove Co. The fn went out of business in the early 1900's.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1815 by Thomas and Joseph Gibson. The fn was located on Trumps Run, one mile from Connellsville. S&T reported two possible dates for the out of blast year - 1836 or 1840. John Gibson, father of Thomas and Joseph, helped Isaac Meason build Union Furnace (Fayette County).
Bining, identified this fn to be the same as Fairfield Fn, but just a different name. However, Sharp & Thomas, reported this to be a different furnace entirely. S&T stated that Fairchance Fn was built by John Hayden in 1792 in a section of White Rock Hollow. It was sold to the Oliphants in 1805 and blown out in 1827. Only a pile of stone and rubble was reported to exist in the 1960's.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1797 by John Hayden. The furnace was located in George's Township of Fayette County. The site was also known as Fairchance Furnace.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1803 or 1804 and sold to the Oliphants in 1805. The fn was rebuilt several times and blew out in 1887. S&T reported that Fairfield was one of the first fn to have a pre-heated blast system. The system was created somewhat by chance - the piping to the fn was approximately 150 feet long and the fn was freezing at the tuyere. Hayden built a fire under the pipe to clear the problem. The fn site contains stones, slag and rubble, but the fn is gone. S&T reported that the millrace and tailrace remained identifiable. The fn was just south-east of Fairchance.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1794 by Caleb Foulke. The furnace was located the city of Philadelphia.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1836 in the village of Frankstown. The only trace of the fn is the charging bench (inside the school bus garage), and a number of slag remains.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1836 in the village of Hollidaysburg. No trace of the fn remains. The site was also known as Hollidaysburg Furnace.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1799. The furnace was located in Germantown within the city of Philadelphia.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1796 by L. Reese & Co. The furnace was located in Schuylkill Gap of Schuylkill County.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1785 by Isaac Potts & Co. The furnace was located in Valley Creek in Chester County.
Per Bining, this furnace was built "before 1800"and was located in Greene County.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this ch fn was built in 1846.
Parts of the stack are reported to remain standing.
Richard Parks provided the following directions: To reach the site of Harriet furnace, return to the car and drive down hill about 0.3 mile. At this point
there was an old lane leading to the left and back. Follow this lane on foot for about 200 feet to where it
crosses two streams just above their junction. On the far bank of the second stream, and to the left of the road
there was a large salamander. Although no trace of the stack remains S&T were sure that it stood just about where
the salamander lies or within a few feet of it. The charcoal slag begins at this point and goes downstream between
the two creeks and also between the creek and the highway.
S&T assumed this was the site of the original
Bennington Furnace (Called Hentietta [or Harriet]) and that no other furnace was built in Allegheny Towwnship.
Coordinates 40 28.73'N - 78 31.76'W.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this ch fn was built in 1836 by Joseph P. Swearingen. It was sold at sherrif's sale to William Stewart and C.C. Sullivan in 1846. A few stones are reported to remain, but the majority of the stack has been carted off and used in other projects.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1858 by James Wood of Pittsburgh. The furnace was located a little south of the junction of the Conoquenessing Creek and the Beaver River. It operated until 1867 or 1868. S&T reported that a foundation wall existed that may have been the base for the blower or compressor house. According to Richard Parks, the site has buried under the town dump and no trace of this fn remain visible at this time.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1797 by William Lewis. The furnace was located Brightsfield of Fayette County.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1802 by Lane & Davis. The furnace was located on the Juniata River opposite the mouth of Little Creek. It operated until 1830 or 1831, when the stack was rebuilt to 31 feet high w/8 foot bosh. The original fn produced 15 tons per week, while the modified structure increased the production rate to 5 tons per day, or 35 tons per week. When it was blown out sometime after 1884 it was owned by Lowry, Eichelberger & Co. Richard Parks reported that in 1981 only a few stones and a piece of lining remained to be seen.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1762 by Whitehead Humphreys. The furnace was located in the city of Philadelphia.
Per Bining, this furnace was built in 1796 by Mordecai Massey & Co. The furnace was located on Spruce Creek in Huntingdon County.
To locate the site, take 338 South from Knox to T332. Park at the bridge, the site is on the south side of the road. I did not locate any stones, although slag is extensive throughout the area.
The furnace was built in 1838 on Beaver Creek by Plummer and Company. It was a cold blast furnace, powered by water and then later converted to steam. It blew out in 1858.
The furnace was also known as Quaking Asp Furnace
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1857 by Neff, Dean & Co. The furnace was located in Williamsburg near the river bank. A power substation now stands at the site of the fn. The fn was also known as Williamsburg Furnace.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1817 by Peter Karthaus. The fn was located at the mouth of Mosquito Creek (also known as Little Moshannon Creek) in Clearfield County. Bog ore was brought up from Buttermile Falls in flatboats and canoes for the stock. Karthaus and his partner Geisenheimer operated the fn until 1822, producing about 1000 tons of iron. The fn was not operated again until 1837. The fn operated between 1837 and 1839, producing about 400 tons of iron. The iron was shipped downriver, with some portions lost to the river. The fn was abandoned in 1839 and is reported to remain in almost perfect condition at the edge of the public school grounds in Karthaus.
Per Sharp & Thomas, this furnace was built in 1846 by Church, Carothers, and Crawford. It was a ch fn and produced about 6 tons of pig iron per day. Various dates of abandoment include 1852, 1853, 1859, and 1862. The fn was located outside of Parker. Nothing remains of the fn except rubble and a large salamander.
