Riverfront in Chattanooga in Hamilton County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)

Bluff Furnace Historic Site

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 16, 2021

1. Bluff Furnace Historic Site Marker

Inscription.

Bluff Furnace Historic Site. . Site of the first coke-fired blast furnace in the southern Appalachian iron-producing region., Entered in the National Register of Historic Places, 1980. In front of you is the archaeological site of Bluff Furnace. Originally built in 1854 as a charcoal-fired, hot-blast furnace by the East Tennessee Iron Manufacturing Company under the direction of Robert Cravens and James A. Whiteside, this iron smelter was converted in 1859-60 by James Henderson and Giles Edwards to burn processed coal or coke., When put into blast in May 1860, this plant was the first in the south to use coke in the primary reduction of iron ore. Because coke was a more efficient fuel than charcoal, its use permitted the building of larger-capacity stacks. Using hot exhaust gases from the furnace top to preheat the blast air increased the amount of iron recovered from the ore. This cylindrical stack design at the heart of the plant was advanced for its day; only a handful of plants in the United States were built in such a manner in 1860., Trial runs were in process at the plant as the nation headed toward civil war, but due to a shortage of coke, the first production run of pig iron, begun in May 1860, was halted prematurely., The second blast of November 1860 took place during the election of Abraham Lincoln, but a structural failure in the hearth of the furnace shut down operation and was not re-started prior to the outbreak of the Civil War., As the Civil War progressed and Federal armies invaded Tennessee, the machinery and other reusable components of the facility were moved to Oxford Furnace in Alabama. In April 1863 the East Tennessee Iron Manufacturing Company liquidated its assets, never to resume the production of iron., Occupation of Chattanooga by Federal troops in September 1863 resulted in the demolition of all standing structures at the site except the lower portion of the stack, which was used as a lime kiln. By the end of the Civil War, all above-ground traces of the plant had been destroyed or buried., In the late 1970's, the walls of the casting shed of Bluff Furnace were exposed by erosion, and subsequent excavations by archaeologists at the site have revealed a wealth of information about the operations of the historic plant., Photo credit: Tucker and Perkins, Southern Stereoscopic Views from the Livingood Collection, Chattanooga Regional History Museum Photographer unknown, c 1860.

Site of the first coke-fired blast furnace in the
southern Appalachian iron-producing region.

Entered in the National Register of Historic Places, 1980
In front of you is the archaeological site of Bluff Furnace. Originally built in 1854 as a charcoal-fired, hot-blast furnace by the East Tennessee Iron Manufacturing Company under the direction of Robert Cravens and James A. Whiteside, this iron smelter was converted in 1859-60 by James Henderson and Giles Edwards to burn processed coal or coke.

When put into blast in May 1860, this plant was the first in the south to use coke in the primary reduction of iron ore. Because coke was a more efficient fuel than charcoal, its use permitted the building of larger-capacity stacks. Using hot exhaust gases from the furnace top to preheat the blast air increased the amount of iron recovered from the ore. This cylindrical stack design at the heart of the plant was advanced for its day; only a handful of plants in the United States were built in such a manner in 1860.

Trial runs were in process at the plant as the nation headed toward civil war, but due to a shortage of coke, the first production run of pig iron, begun in May 1860, was halted prematurely.

The second blast of November 1860 took place during the election of

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Abraham Lincoln, but a structural failure in the hearth of the furnace shut down operation and was not re-started prior to the outbreak of the Civil War.

As the Civil War progressed and Federal armies invaded Tennessee, the machinery and other reusable components of the facility were moved to Oxford Furnace in Alabama. In April 1863 the East Tennessee Iron Manufacturing Company liquidated its assets, never to resume the production of iron.

Occupation of Chattanooga by Federal troops in September 1863 resulted in the demolition of all standing structures at the site except the lower portion of the stack, which was used as a lime kiln. By the end of the Civil War, all above-ground traces of the plant had been destroyed or buried.

In the late 1970's, the walls of the casting shed of Bluff Furnace were exposed by erosion, and subsequent excavations by archaeologists at the site have revealed a wealth of information about the operations of the historic plant.

Photo credit: Tucker and Perkins, Southern Stereoscopic Views from the Livingood Collection, Chattanooga Regional History Museum Photographer unknown, c 1860.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • War, US Civil. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1863.

Location.

Bluff Furnace Historic Site Marker detail (copy) image. Click for full size.

Unknown via Tennessee River Valley, 1860

2. Bluff Furnace Historic Site Marker detail (copy)

The Bluff Furnace in 1860.

35° 3.379′ N, 85° 18.453′ W. Marker is in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in Hamilton County. It is in Riverfront. Marker can be reached from Bluff View Avenue or Riverfront Parkway. Marker is on the Tennessee Riverwalk, beneath the Walnut Street Bridge and just north of the Williams Stairway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 10 Bluff View Ave, Chattanooga TN 37403, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Ross's Landing: River Crossing and Port (within shouting distance of this marker); Bluff Furnace Historical Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Innovation and Disaster (within shouting distance of this marker); From Oblivion to Rebirth: Archaeological Research at the Bluff Furnace Site (within shouting distance of this marker); The Beginnings of Iron Manufacture in Chattanooga (within shouting distance of this marker); Headquarters Row (within shouting distance of this marker); Hunter Museum of American Art (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Site of Battery Smartt (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Chattanooga.

Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, October 16, 2021

3. Bluff Furnace Historic Site Marker

Marker is between a support piling for the Walnut Street Bridge (left) and the Williams Stairway (right).

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 19, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 198 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 19, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.