Center Furnace, alternatively known as Centre Furnace, was established in 1836 in the Hanging Rock Iron Region, Lawrence County, Ohio.
Center Furnace, alternatively known as Centre Furnace, was established in 1836 by William Carpenter and associates in the Hanging Rock Iron Region, Lawrence County, Ohio, near the Iron Railroad. 1 2 3 4 5 Initially owned by Robert B. Hamilton and managed by S. McGugin, the furnace boasted a 40-foot high stack and a 9½ feet wide bosh, with a daily iron production capacity of 16 tons. In 1855, it produced a total of 2,400 tons of iron.
In 1867, the furnace was put up for sale at a Sheriff’s Sale on September 26 and subsequently purchased by William D. Kelly in 1868. 2 By 1885, the furnace had ceased operations, only to be bought in June 1898 for $19,700 by Lindsey Kelly at a trustee’s sale. 3 5 Lindsey Kelly then leased the property to a consortium led by W.C. Amos, with H.L. Amos serving as President and Superintendent, L.D. Davis as Secretary, and other members including O. Ellison, H.B. Justice, and Wm. Laird. 2 In 1898, Nannie Kelly Wright took over management and later assumed full managerial responsibilities in 1903. 1 Wright was notable as the first and only female Iron Furnace Master in the United States.
As the local pig iron industry declined, the area around the furnace, once used for sourcing raw materials, began to be exploited for its limestone deposits. This shift led to the founding of the Superior Portland Cement Company, which marked a transition in the region’s industrial focus.
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Sources
- Markiel, J. Old Industry 2006. Articles.
- Kouns, Sharon M. “Iron Furnaces.” The Lawrence Register.
- Ramsey, Virgil, and Marguerite Ramsey. The Hanging Rock Iron Region, 2004.
- Iron Furnaces in the Wayne National Forest Area, United States Forest Service, 2015.
- “Center Furnace.” Briggs Lawrence County Public Library.
