Located within Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania, the remains of the Pine Grove Iron Works can be found along Mountain Creek.
Located within Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania, the remains of the Pine Grove Iron Works can be found along Mountain Creek.
Constructed in 1764, Pine Grove Iron Works was the second of nine furnaces built in the county. The furnace featured a 33-foot-high stack and was originally fueled by charcoal, using waterwheel-powered bellows for its cold air blast. This system was later upgraded to a steam-powered blowing engine.
The furnace smelted iron ore to produce cast iron items such as wagon wheel iron, fireplaces, kettles, stoves, and eventually, components for Baldwin Locomotives.
In 1877, Pine Grove Furnace was upgraded to a hot blast system to increase capacity. The following year, it was remodeled to use Connellsville coke and anthracite coal instead of the increasingly scarce charcoal.
Iron production ceased in 1895, and the land was subsequently sold to the state, which established a state forest and later a state park. In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps improved the grounds by building roads, trails, and facilities. The furnace’s cupola was later rebuilt, incorporating the original plates that covered the tapping holes.
Today, visitors to Pine Grove Furnace State Park can enjoy a self-guided walking tour of the ironworks and the surrounding village remnants. The furnace stack has been stabilized, and the hearth has been rebuilt. The Ironmaster’s mansion has been restored and now serves as a hostel for Appalachian Trail hikers. A nearby gristmill has been converted into a museum dedicated to the trail and the park. The Paymaster’s office is now a rentable cottage, and the former stables have been transformed into a general store.