Near Perryville in Cecil County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Principio Company
A leading iron producer during the Colonial period, Principio held Maryland’s first blast furnace, operating 1725, and first refinery forge, constructed 1728. After the American Revolution, Principio made cannons and other ordnance until the British destroyed the complex in a raid during the War of 1812. The Whitaker Family revived the operation in 1837, and Principio remained an active iron manufacturing site for much of the nineteenth century.
Erected by Maryland Historical Trust & Maryland State Highway Administration.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Industry & Commerce • War of 1812 • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the Maryland Historical Trust series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1725.
Location. 39° 34.627′ N, 76° 2.005′ W. Marker is near Perryville, Maryland, in Cecil County. Marker is on Principio Furnace Road (Maryland Route 7) 0.2 miles east of Jackson Station Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Perryville MD 21903, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Striking a Blow (within shouting distance of this marker); Susquehanna Manor (approx. 1.4 miles away); Brookland (approx. 2.1 miles away); The Perryville Mule School (approx. 2.2 miles away); A New Town along the Susquehanna (approx. 2.6 miles away); Building the Company Town (approx. 2.6 miles away); Explore the Chesapeake (approx. 2.7 miles away); The War Effort at Home: Perry Point Ammonium Nitrate Plant (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Perryville.
Also see . . .
1. Principio Furnace. Picture and information on the Maryland Historic Trust website. (Submitted on September 4, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
2. The smelting stack at Principio Iron Furnace, Havre de Grace, Maryland. Chapter 6 of Bay Plain and Piedmont, A Landscape History of the Chesapeake Heartland from 1.3 Billion Years Ago to 2000 by the Chesapeake Bay Heritage Context Project, published in September 2000. See page 80 for a picture of one of Principio’s smelting stacks. (Submitted on September 4, 2007, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
Additional commentary.
1. Other Names
The Principio Company was also cited as Cecil Furnace and Hughes Ironworks on Navy Contracts. Several 24-pdr Navy Guns were delivered in the 1790s for the Frigates outfitted during the quasi-war with France. The only two known survivors are on display in Savannah, Georgia. (Reference, “The Big Guns: Civil War Siege, Seacoast, and Naval Cannon,” by Edwin Olmstead, Wayne E. Stark, and Spencer C. Tucker.)
— Submitted July 3, 2007, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2007, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 3,482 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on June 30, 2007, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 2. submitted on January 9, 2022, by Adam Margolis of Mission Viejo, California. 3, 4, 5. submitted on June 30, 2007, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.