The “Best” Iron
Greenwood Furnace State Park
Railroads needed the high quality cast iron produced here. Although hard and brittle, it could withstand great weight. Shipped to Freedom Iron Works, the parent plant 12 miles away, Greenwood Works’ cast iron became locomotive tires, railroad wheels and axles, piston and pump rods.
Greenwood iron performed so well that Enoch Lewis, the General Superintendent of the Pennsylvania Railroad wrote to Col. John A. Wright, Greenwood’s owner, "We have been using your Iron for various purposes on the Pennsylvania Railroad for more than six years, and believe it to be the best Iron we can procure for our most difficult forgings."
[Captions:]
The program started at Greenwood continued in the factories at Burnham. There, pig iron became finished products like locomotive tires, the metal rims surrounding the wheels.
As molten iron ran from the furnace, it filled channels in the sandy floor of the casting shed. Because these connected castings resembled nursing piglets, they earned the name pig iron. The pig iron ingot bears the Greenwood name.
Erected by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources • Railroads & Streetcars.
Location.
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. From Mineral To Metal (here, next to this marker); An Undeniable Presence (here, next to this marker); An Industry in Ruins (here, next to this marker); Basic Ingredients (a few steps from this marker); The Worker’s Pyramid (a few steps from this marker); Greenwood Furnace (a few steps from this marker); Methodist Episcopal Church (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Blacksmith & Wagon Shop (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huntingdon.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 260 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 21, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
