Basic Ingredients
Greenwood Furnace State Park
Before the age of railroads, the basic ingredients of iron production needed to be nearby. That explains why furnaces were built in rural settings surrounded by the necessary raw materials.
A source of iron ore was essential.
As the furnace fires burned, limestone separated impurities from the molten iron.
Huge forests supplied wood for charcoal, a fuel that burned with intense heat.
A stream or creek provided water power to operate machinery designed to fan the charcoal fire, raising its temperature to nearly 3,000 F.
[Captions:]
Mule drawn wagons loaded ore, limestone, charcoal and pig iron.
Some iron ore was found near the surface while other deposits required miners to descend into tunnels as long as 200 yards.
Colliers built conical mounds of wood, then set them afire.
A controlled slow-burning fire changed wood into charcoal.
Erected by Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Natural Resources.
Location. 40° 39.116′ N, 77° 45.201′ W. Marker is near Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, in Huntingdon County. It is in Jackson Township.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Worker’s Pyramid (here, next to this marker); From Mineral To Metal (a few steps from this marker); An Undeniable Presence (a few steps from this marker); An Industry in Ruins (a few steps from this marker); The “Best” Iron (a few steps from this marker); Greenwood Furnace (within shouting distance of 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 224 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 21, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.