Huntingdon Furnace facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Huntingdon Furnace
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Huntingdon Furnace, May 1989
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 Location in Pennsylvania
Location in the United States
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| Location | Township Road 31106 northwest of Franklinville, 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of its junction with Pennsylvania Route 45, Franklin Township, Pennsylvania |
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| Area | 35 acres (14 ha) |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| MPS | Industrial Resources of Huntingdon County, 1780--1939 MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 90000407 |
| Added to NRHP | March 20, 1990 |
Huntingdon Furnace is a very old place in Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It's known as a historic district because it has many important old buildings. The main part of it is an iron furnace, which was used to make iron a long time ago.
This special site also includes other buildings that were part of the furnace's daily life. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990, which means it's a really important historical spot.
Contents
What is Huntingdon Furnace?
Huntingdon Furnace is a collection of old buildings that show how iron was made and how people lived and worked there many years ago. It's like a snapshot of history!
The site has seven main buildings and one structure that are still standing. These include the big iron furnace itself, an office building, and the fancy house where the ironmaster lived. There was also a house for workers, another residence, a farm manager's house, a grist mill, and the miller's house.
The Iron Furnace
The iron furnace was the most important part of this place. It was first built in 1796. Later, in 1805, the furnace was moved to its current spot, about a mile from its original location.
This furnace is quite large! It measures about 30 feet wide by 30 feet tall. It was used to melt iron ore and turn it into iron. The furnace kept working for a long time, from 1796 until the 1880s, when it finally stopped making iron.
Other Important Buildings
Besides the furnace, other buildings were vital for the community that lived and worked here.
The Ironmaster's Mansion
The ironmaster was the person in charge of the furnace. Their home, the ironmaster's mansion, was built in 1851. It's a large, "L"-shaped house with two and a half stories. It shows how important the ironmaster was in the community.
The Grist Mill
The grist mill is another old building at the site, dating back to 1808. A grist mill is where grain, like wheat or corn, was ground into flour. This mill is made of stone and is also quite big, measuring 50 feet by 45 feet and standing three and a half stories tall. It helped feed the people who lived and worked at the furnace.
