Greenwood Furnace State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Greenwood Furnace State Park
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
Stone stack no. 2 of Greenwood Iron Furnace
Greenwood Furnace State Park Location in Pennsylvania
Location	Jackson, Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, United States
Area	423 acres (171 ha)
Elevation	1,020 ft (310 m)
Established	1924
Named for	Greenwood Iron Furnace
Governing body	Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Website	Greenwood Furnace State Park
Pennsylvania Historical Marker
Designated:	April 30, 1947

Greenwood Furnace State Park is a 423-acre (171 ha) state park in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It's close to a historic iron-making area called Greenwood Furnace. The park includes the "ghost town" of Greenwood, which grew around the old ironworks. You can also find old roads and charcoal hearths here.

Greenwood Furnace State Park is next to Rothrock State Forest. It's on the western edge of an area in Central Pennsylvania known as the Seven Mountains. The park is located on Pennsylvania Route 305, about 20 miles (32 km) south of State College.

Inside the park, there's Greenwood Lake. This 6-acre (2.4 ha) lake is filled with trout for fishing. You can even go ice fishing there in winter. The dam that created the lake is a historic site. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) chose Greenwood Furnace State Park as one of "25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks."

Park History

Early Settlers

Long ago, the Juniata tribe lived in this part of Huntingdon County. Their name meant "The People of the Standing Stone." This was a tall stone that once stood in their village. The Juniata people had moved away by the time William Penn started the colony of Pennsylvania.

Penn bought the land from the Iroquois tribe. Other tribes, like the Tuscarora and Shawnee, also lived here for a while. But they were soon forced to move again. By the late 1700s, many European settlers came to the area. Most were farmers from Scotland and Ireland. There were also many Amish and Mennonite Germans. They came to Pennsylvania to escape religious persecution in Europe. Later, settlers built a tavern and a sawmill where Greenwood Furnace State Park is today.

The Greenwood Iron Works

Inside of the reconstructed stack no. 2

Greenwood Furnace State Park gets its name from the iron furnace that was once very important here. An iron furnace is like a giant oven used to melt iron ore and turn it into new iron. The Greenwood Furnace started working on June 5, 1834. The company chose this spot because it had everything needed: iron ore, limestone, trees for charcoal, and a steady water supply. At its best, Greenwood Furnace could make up to five tons of pig iron (raw iron blocks) every day.

Soon, a small village grew around the furnace. It had 20 houses, a company store, offices, stables, and a blacksmith shop. A discovery of good quality iron ore made the area grow even more. A gristmill (for grinding grain) was built in 1842. Greenwood Lake was created then to power this mill with water. Today, visitors use Greenwood Lake for fun activities.

In 1847, John A. Wright took over the ironworks. He was one of the people who started the Pennsylvania Railroad. Andrew Carnegie, a famous businessman, also helped manage the ironworks here. Under their leadership, Greenwood and nearby Freedom Iron Works became very important for making iron for the growing railroad industry. They even built a second furnace at Greenwood.

The village around Greenwood Furnace was busiest in the 1870s. It had two furnaces, a big house for the ironmaster, a church, a school, and many other shops. There were about 300 families living there. They even had their own baseball team called the "Energetics" and a brass band!

However, by the early 1900s, the iron industry changed. The old furnaces were no longer needed. When they closed, people lost their jobs and moved away. Greenwood became a ghost town. The land was later bought by the state of Pennsylvania to become a park and forest.

Tree Nursery and State Park

On February 1, 1906, Pennsylvania bought the land where the ironworks and village used to be. The state started the Greenwood Forest Tree Nursery here. The soil was perfect for growing trees because the old furnace had left behind minerals. This nursery grew millions of seedlings (young trees) each year until 1993. These seedlings were planted in forests all over Pennsylvania.

The state park officially opened by 1924. Former residents of Greenwood village started visiting their old homes again. In 1921, they began an annual reunion called "Old Home Day." Many of the park's buildings were built during the Great Depression by young men from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC boys helped restore one of the furnace stacks. They also fixed six original buildings that were still standing. In the 1930s, it was called "Greenwood Furnace State Forest Park." It became an official Pennsylvania state park in 1966.

In 1976, experts started digging to find the remains of the old village. In 1995, Greenwood Furnace was named a Historical Landmark. This was because of the high-quality iron it produced, which was very important for building railroads across the country.

Fun Activities

Greenwood Furnace State Park lets you explore the area's industrial past. It also offers many fun outdoor activities, just like other Pennsylvania State Parks. You can take a walking tour to see the remains of Greenwood Furnace. This tour teaches you about the history of the town. There's also a working blacksmith shop that sometimes shows how blacksmiths used to work.

Greenwood Lake Fun

Greenwood Lake Dam

Greenwood Lake was first built to provide water for a gristmill. Today, it's a beautiful reminder of the small town that once thrived here. The lake is great for fishing, ice fishing in winter, and swimming. Just remember, there are no lifeguards at the beach.

Picnic Areas

Greenwood Furnace State Park has a central picnic area. It's located in a lovely spruce and pine grove. You'll find many picnic tables and seven pavilions that you can rent. The picnic area is close to a playground, a horseshoe pit, volleyball courts, a snack bar, and a softball field.

Camping Trips

The park has a campground with 51 sites. It opens in mid-April when trout season begins and closes in late December after deer season. Forty-six of the campsites have electric hook-ups. There's also a showerhouse with flush toilets and laundry tubs nearby.

Hunting

About 320 acres (130 ha) of the park's woods are open for hunting. Hunters must follow the rules of the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Common animals hunted here include ruffed grouse, squirrels, white-tailed deer, and turkeys. Hunting groundhogs is not allowed. Hunters can also reach the nearby Rothrock State Forest from the park's parking lots.

Hiking Trails

The trails at Greenwood Furnace State Park let you explore the park's forests. Some trails also go into Rothrock State Forest. They pass by the historical remains of the old ironworks. You can use these trails for hiking, cross-country skiing, and some are open for snowmobiling.

• Chestnut Spring Trail is a 0.5-mile (800 m) "easy/moderate" trail. It has yellow markers. You'll see springs, an old charcoal maker's hut, and a charcoal hearth as it goes up a valley.
• Dogtown Trail is a 1-mile (1.6 km) "easy/moderate" trail with blue markers. It's named after a former village called Dogtown. That village was named for the dogs that barked at the iron ore trains. This trail is good for hiking and snowmobiling. It starts at the campground and connects to Brush Ridge Trail.
• Fire Tower Loop is a 7-mile (11 km) "moderate/difficult" trail. It has blue markers on the Greenwood Spur and red markers on Ruff Gap and Snowmobile Road. This trail goes around the park and passes the Greenwood Fire Tower on Broad Mountain. You'll also see old house foundations and charcoal hearths. The CCC built the fire tower in the 1930s. Forest rangers still use it to watch for fires.
• Greenwood Trail is a 0.5-mile (800 m) "easy/moderate" trail with red markers. This short loop starts near picnic pavilion six. It goes through many different trees, ferns, and wildflowers.
• Lakeview Trail is a 0.25-mile (400 m) "easy/moderate" trail with white markers. It runs along part of Greenwood Lake.
• Monsell Trail is a 1-mile (1.6 km) "moderate" trail with yellow markers. It connects the campground to the Standing Stone Trail. This trail goes through a pine forest that was planted when the ironworks were still active.
• Ore Banks Trail is a 1-mile (1.6 km) "moderate" trail with yellow and red markers. It shares parts with Chestnut Springs Trail and Brush Ridge Trail. This trail goes over a ridge with views of the park. You can also see the remains of the Brush Ridge Ore Banks, where iron ore was dug up. The trail then follows the path of the mule-drawn railroad that carried the ore to the furnace.
• Stone Valley Vista Loop Trail is a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) "moderate" trail with blue (Turkey Trail) and orange (Standing Stone Trail) markers. Part of it follows an old logging slide used during the iron furnace days.
• Viantown Trail is a 0.25-mile (400 m) "moderate" trail with yellow markers. It follows an old wagon road that connected Greenwood Furnace with Viantown. It also crosses Brush Ridge.

Greenwood Furnace State Park is also a starting point for two much longer backpacking trails in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Mid State Trail is a 522.6-kilometre (324.7 mi) trail that goes from the Maryland state line to the New York state line. It connects to the park using the Greenwood Spur. The Standing Stone Trail is a 72-mile (116 km) backpacking trail that links the park to the Tuscarora Trail, which then connects to the famous Appalachian Trail.

Nearby State Parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Greenwood Furnace State Park:

• Bald Eagle State Park (Centre County)
• Big Spring State Forest Picnic Area (Perry County)
• Black Moshannon State Park (Centre County)
• Canoe Creek State Park (Blair County)
• Fowlers Hollow State Park (Perry County)
• Penn-Roosevelt State Park (Centre County)
• Poe Paddy State Park (Centre County)
• Poe Valley State Park (Centre County)
• Reeds Gap State Park (Mifflin County)
• Whipple Dam State Park (Huntingdon County)