The Pioneer Furnace is an abandoned pig iron furnace located in the Hanging Rock Iron Region of northern Lawrence County, Ohio.
The Pioneer Furnace is an abandoned pig iron furnace located in the Hanging Rock Iron Region of northern Lawrence County, Ohio, and was constructed between February 6, 1856, and July 1857 by William Colvin, U. Tracy, and additional individuals. 1 2 3 Owned by Ormsby, Colvin & Reed and managed by William Colvin, it featured a stack 45 feet high with a bosh 14 feet wide. Fueled by stone coal, the first in the state, its hot air blast was powered by a steam engine, allowing a daily production capacity of 12 tons.
The furnace proprietors sold their entire interest to John L. Reed of Jackson County on February 18, 1858. 3 The furnace continued to operate until the late 1870s.
Directions: Pioneer Furnace is located along Brady Creek Road in Lawrence County, Ohio.
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Sources
- Rowe, Frank H. “Franklin Furnace.” History of the Iron and Steel Industry in Scioto County, Ohio. Columbus: F.J. Heer, 1938. 80-82. Print.
- Markiel, J. Old Industry 2006. Articles.
- Kouns, Sharon M. “Iron Furnaces.” The Lawrence Register.
2 Comments
Add Yours →[…] Pioneer Furnace stands as a vestige of the once-thriving iron industry that proliferated across the Hanging Rock […]
I have difficulty visualizing the positioning of the steam engine in the vicinity of the furnace. A steam engine required water? Where would the water come from to the furnace which seems to be on higher ground than the surrounding area. 12 tons a day is a lot of weight that needed to be carted off as well. There doesn’t appear to be any evidence of transport like axles or other iron paraphernalia?