Estill Furnace is an abandoned pig iron furnace in the Red River Iron Region in Estill County, Kentucky.
Constructed in 1830 by Thomas Dye Owings, Estill Furnace was located in the Red River Iron Region of Estill County, Kentucky. This furnace, with a 34-foot-high stack and a 10-foot-wide bosh, had a production capacity of seven tons per day. 2
After its construction, Owings sold Estill Furnace to Resin H. Gist and James Mason. They operated it until between 1832 and 1833, when it was sold to a group of investors including Samuel G. Jackson, Samuel Wheeler, Luther Mason, and John C. Mason. This group later sold the furnace to another set of investors: Andrew Laywell, Josiah A. Jackson, W.G. Jackson, and Weeden Smith. 2
In 1849, Estill Furnace was rebuilt. Following Smith’s death, the partnership dissolved, leading to Josiah Jackson acquiring the furnace. He subsequently sold it to the Red River Iron Manufacturing Company in 1863. 2 The furnace reopened in 1865 for rebuilding and resumed operations in 1868, continuing until 1874.
Directions: Estill Furnace can be viewed along KY Routes 213 and 1057 in Estill County, Kentucky.
