Buchanan Furnace facts for kids
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Buchanan Furnace
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Off Pennsylvania Route 378 at the Clarion River near Callensburg, Licking Township, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1844 |
| Architectural style | Iron furnace |
| MPS | Iron and Steel Resources of Pennsylvania MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 91001129 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 06, 1991 |
The Buchanan Furnace is a very old iron-making factory located in Licking Township, Clarion County, Pennsylvania. It was built way back in 1844. This special furnace used a "cold blast charcoal" method to make iron.
It was quite large, measuring 30 feet by 33 feet at its base and standing 33 feet tall. At its best, it could make 1,200 tons of iron each year. The furnace stopped working in 1858 because it ran out of wood. Wood was needed to make charcoal, which was the fuel for the furnace.
Contents
What Was the Buchanan Furnace?
The Buchanan Furnace was a type of factory called an iron furnace. It was designed to turn iron ore into usable iron. This process was very important for making tools and other metal items.
How Iron Furnaces Worked
The Buchanan Furnace was a "cold blast charcoal furnace." This means it used charcoal as its fuel. Charcoal is made by burning wood in a special way. The "cold blast" part means that cold air was blown into the furnace. This helped the charcoal burn hotter.
The furnace would get very hot, melting the iron ore. The melted iron would then be shaped into useful products.
Why Wood Was So Important
To make iron, the furnace needed a lot of heat. This heat came from burning charcoal. Charcoal was made from wood. So, if there wasn't enough wood nearby, the furnace couldn't keep running. This is why the Buchanan Furnace closed down in 1858.
Iron Making in Clarion County
Clarion County, Pennsylvania, was a busy place for making iron. Between 1840 and 1850, 31 iron furnaces were built there. These furnaces helped supply iron to the local area. They also sent iron to bigger factories in Pittsburgh.
A Historic Landmark
The Buchanan Furnace is an important piece of history. It shows us how iron was made long ago. Because of its historical value, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. This list helps protect important places in the United States.
