Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument |
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 Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument
Location in Connecticut
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| Location | North Canaan, Connecticut, United States |
| Area | 12 acres (4.9 ha) |
| Designation | Connecticut state park |
| Established | 1946 |
| Administrator | Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection |
| Website | Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument |
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Beckley Furnace
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| Area | 7 acres (2.8 ha) |
| Built | 1847 |
| Built by | John Beckley and William Pierce |
| NRHP reference No. | 78002847 |
| Added to NRHP | February 14, 1978 |
The Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument is a cool historic spot in North Canaan, Connecticut. It's a special place that protects an old iron-making blast furnace from the 1800s. This furnace sits right on the north bank of the Blackberry River.
The area became a state park in 1946, covering about 12 acres. Later, in 1978, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical site in the United States.
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What is the Beckley Furnace?
The Beckley Furnace is located in a quiet, rural part of North Canaan. You'll find the main furnace and its features on the north side of the Blackberry River.
The Giant Stone Furnace
The main furnace is a huge stone building. It stands about 40 feet (12 meters) tall! At its base, it's about 30 feet (9 meters) wide on each side. It gets a bit narrower at the top, measuring 20 feet (6 meters) across. This impressive structure is close to the road, which is built high above a stone wall.
Water Power and Old Remains
About 100 yards (91 meters) upstream, you'll see a stone dam. This dam helped control the water from the Blackberry River. A special channel, called a penstock, brought water to a chamber where a turbine (a type of water wheel) would have been. This turbine created power for the furnace.
Further downstream, you can still see parts of two other dams and furnaces. There are also large piles of "slag" on the south side of the river. Slag is the waste material left over after iron is made. The wooden buildings that were once part of the furnace operations are no longer there.
A Look Back: The Furnace's Story
The Beckley Furnace was built in 1847 by a man named John Adam Beckley. Its main job was to make "pig iron." Pig iron is a basic type of iron that was then used to create other metal products.
How Iron Was Made Here
This furnace was the second of three working blast furnaces built in this spot. A fourth furnace was started in the early 1900s but was never finished. The people running the furnace were good at changing their methods to keep up with new ways of making iron. However, they couldn't produce as much iron as bigger factories. Because of this, the furnace finally closed down in the early 1920s.
Restoring History
The tall stone part of the furnace was restored by the state in 1999. In 2010, the dam on the Blackberry River, which provided power for the furnace, was also repaired by the state. These efforts help keep this important piece of history safe for everyone to see.
Things to Do at Beckley Furnace
Today, the Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument is a great place to visit!
Outdoor Fun
- You can enjoy a picnic with your family or friends.
- If you like fishing, you can try pond fishing here.
Learning About the Past
The Friends of Beckley Furnace group sometimes offers tours of the furnace. This is a fantastic way to learn more about how iron was made long ago and what life was like for the workers. It's a chance to step back in time and see a real piece of industrial history!
