Hope Furnace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Hope Furnace
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Hope Furnace, seen from State Route 278
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | State Route 278, 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Zaleski, Ohio |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1854 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73001546 |
| Added to NRHP | May 25, 1973 |
The Hope Furnace is a historic iron-making factory in southeastern Ohio. It stands along Ohio State Route 278, about 5 miles northeast of the village of Zaleski. This furnace is one of only two old iron furnaces still found in Vinton County. From 1854 to 1874, the Hope Furnace was used to smelt iron ore. This means it melted iron ore to separate the pure iron, using coal or charcoal as fuel. The furnace itself is a strong, rectangular building made of sandstone. It looks like a pyramid with its top cut off.
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How Hope Furnace Made Iron
The Hope Furnace was a type of factory called a blast furnace. These furnaces were very important for making iron in the 1800s. Workers would load iron ore, fuel (like coal or charcoal), and limestone into the top of the furnace. Hot air, or "blast," was then blown into the bottom. This intense heat melted the iron ore. The melted iron would collect at the bottom of the furnace. It was then drained out and cooled into solid pieces. These pieces were often called "pig iron."
The Fuel for the Furnace
To make iron, the Hope Furnace needed a lot of fuel. It used either coal or charcoal. Charcoal was made by slowly burning wood in a special way. Both coal and charcoal provided the high heat needed to melt the iron ore. The process of smelting was very hot and smoky. It required many workers to keep the furnace running day and night.
The Community Around Hope Furnace
Like many other iron furnaces in southeastern Ohio, Hope Furnace was once the center of a busy community. At its busiest time, about three hundred people lived and worked there. Making iron and getting all the materials needed for it required many workers. So, during the years a furnace was active, a whole temporary village grew up around it. This village provided homes and services for the workers and their families.
What Happened to the Village?
Today, no buildings from the old Hope Furnace community remain. When the furnace stopped working in 1874, the workers moved away to find new jobs. Over time, the buildings of the village either fell apart or were taken down. Even though the buildings are gone, you can still find many old items in the soil around the furnace. The most common things found are pieces of slag. Slag is a waste material left over after iron ore is melted. It looks like glassy, dark rocks.
Hope Furnace Today
Today, Hope Furnace is a part of Lake Hope State Park. It is a quiet place where visitors can learn about Ohio's industrial past. Because of its important role in local history, the furnace was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This means it is recognized as a special historical site. It was the second place in Vinton County to be listed on the Register. The first was the Ponn Humpback Covered Bridge. Visiting Hope Furnace helps us remember how iron was made long ago. It also shows us how communities grew up around these important factories.
