Pine Grove Furnace

The Pine Grove Furnace is a closed pig iron furnace located in Mountain Creek, Pennsylvania.

History

The Pine Grove Furnace is a decommissioned pig iron furnace located in Mountain Creek, Pennsylvania. The remaining structures of the surrounding ironworks are historical attractions within Pine Grove Furnace State Park.

In 1764, George Stevenson, Robert Thornburg, and John Arthur constructed Pine Grove Iron Works, an iron furnace along Mountain Creek. ¹⁶ It was the second of nine furnaces in Cumberland County. ³ The furnace featured a 33-foot-high stack ¹ and was fueled by charcoal, using waterwheel-powered bellows for its cold air blast. ² The daily production capacity is unknown. Later, the air blast system was 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, later, components for Baldwin Locomotives. ⁴

In 1782, Michael Ege purchased the iron works and grew his business over the next 32 years until he was the sole owner of the Pine Grove, Carlisle, Cumberland, and Holly furnaces. ¹⁶

Michael’s eldest son, Peter Ege, inherited Pine Grove Iron Works. ¹⁶ In 1829, Peter built a red brick, English Tudor-style mansion. The following year, he expanded his operations by constructing Laurel Forge, which reheated and hammered cast iron from Pine Grove to produce wrought iron. This versatile metal could be shaped into many forms.

The financial panic of 1837 bankrupted Pine Grove Iron Works. ¹⁶ At a sheriff’s sale the following year, Frederick Watts and his law partner, Charles Bingham Penrose, purchased Pine Grove. Watts went on to found Penn State University in 1855 and served as Commissioner of Agriculture under President Grant in 1871. Penrose became a state senator and later served as Solicitor of the Treasury under President Harrison.

In 1864, Jay Cooke & Company purchased the ironworks and established the South Mountain Iron Company. ¹⁶ They appointed Jackson C. Fuller as the furnace manager to oversee daily operations while the company’s business affairs were handled in Philadelphia. In 1870, the new company constructed the South Mountain Railroad to transport raw materials to the furnace and deliver iron products to market. ^{8 16}

Jay Cooke, often called the “Financier of the Civil War,” had raised $1.2 billion by selling federal treasury notes, earning him immense wealth by the war’s end. ¹⁶ However, after purchasing the Northern Pacific Railroad, he faced financial ruin due to the post-war economic depression. Cooke went bankrupt and moved into his son-in-law’s home. The collapse of Jay Cooke & Company triggered the financial panic of 1873.

The South Mountain Iron Company was put up for sheriff’s sale in 1874 but remained unsold. ^{9 16} The engine house continued to pump the ore pit to manage water levels. ¹⁰ In 1877, the railroad and ironworks were sold separately. ¹⁶ Cooke reacquired the ironworks through his friend Fuller, forming the South Mountain Mining & Iron Company.

John Birkinbine became the furnace’s engineer. ¹⁶ Concerned about the state’s dwindling forest reserves and aiming to demonstrate that charcoal-fueled iron furnaces could be operated with coke and coal, Birkinbine converted the furnace to a hot blast system in 1877 to increase capacity. He then remodeled it in 1878 to use coke and anthracite coal. ¹⁰ Connellsville coke was first used on March 22-23, 1879, followed shortly by anthracite coal.

In 1880, a rail extension to the Wild Cat pits, 2.5 miles west of Pine Grove, was considered but never completed. ¹¹ Iron production peaked in 1883 at 6,000 short tons. ⁶

The South Mountain Railroad was succeeded by the Hunter’s Run & Slate Belt Railroad in 1891 and by the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railway in 1910.

Iron production ended in 1895, and on September 12, 1913, the Pine Grove Iron Works was sold as part of three tracts that became the majority of the Pine Grove Division of the South Mountain Forest. ^{12 16} In 1931, the land became Pine Grove Furnace State Park. ¹³ In 1933, the Civilian Conservation Corps established Camp S-51-PA and built roads, trails, and facilities until 1941. ¹⁶

Fuller Lake, an iron ore quarry that filled with groundwater when mining ceased, became a popular swimming area. ¹⁶ Laurel Lake, which had supplied waterpower for the Laurel Forge, also became a popular fishing and swimming spot.

The furnace’s cupola was later rebuilt, incorporating the original plates that covered the tapping holes. ²

Village

A small village developed around Pine Grove Iron Works, including a sawmill built around 1777 ⁶ and an L-shaped ironmaster mansion constructed in 1829 (later referred to as the office in 1872). ⁷

The Ironmaster’s mansion was restored in 1985 ¹⁴ and renovated again in 2010-2011. ¹⁵

Directions: Pine Grove Furnace is located within Pine Grove State Park in Pennsylvania.

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Sources

1. Interpretative displays.
2. “Pine Grove Furnace.” Old Industry, 2002.
3. Way, John H. “Your Guide to the Geology of the Kings Gap Area, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania.” Pennsylvania Geological Survey, 1986.
4. Lesley, J. Peter. Final Report Ordered by Legislature, 1891. Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, 1892.
5. x
6. Frigm, George. “History”. American Foundry Society, Oct. 2005.
7. “Pine Grove.” Adams Sentinel, 20 Dec. 1864.
8. Keefer, Horace Andrew. Recollections, Historical and Otherwise, Relating To Old Pine Grove Furnace. Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, Oct. 1934.
9. Chambers, Theodore Frelinghuysen. The Early Germans of New Jersey: Their History, Churches, and Genealogies. Genealogical Pub. Co, 2000.
10. Birkinbine, John. Experiments With Charcoal, Coke, and Antracite In The Pine Grove Furnace, Pa. Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers. Vol. 8, 1879.
11. “News of Neighboring Counties.” Gettysburg Compiler, 2 Dec. 1880.
12. “Report.” Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters, 1915.
13. “Pine Grove Furnace.” Forges and Furnaces in the Province of Pennsylvania. National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, 1914, pp. 181–7.
14. Lawrence Van Gelder. “Travel Advisory; to California for gold, Pennsylvania for history.” New York Times, 15 Sept. 1985.
15. “Cook Township.” History of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Warner, Beers & Co., 1886.
16. “History of Pine Grove Furnace State Park.” Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources.