Lock Ridge Park facts for kids
Lock Ridge Park is a special place in Alburtis, Pennsylvania. It's built around an old iron-making factory called a blast furnace. This park is in the beautiful Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. It's a great spot to learn about history and enjoy nature.
Contents
The Story of Lock Ridge Park
Building the Iron Works
The park protects parts of what used to be the Lock Ridge Iron Works. The first big furnace here was built in 1868. It was made by the Lock Ridge Iron Company. This factory was right next to the Catasauqua and Fogelsville Railroad tracks. These tracks connected to another important railway, the East Pennsylvania Railroad.
Just one year later, the Thomas Iron Company took over the Lock Ridge Iron Company. They quickly built a second furnace. At that time, making iron was a very busy business in the Lehigh Valley. The Lock Ridge furnaces were typical for their time. They were called No. 7 and No. 8 by Thomas Iron. Instead of using charcoal, they used a "hot blast" method. This method burned a type of coal called anthracite. David Thomas, who started the company, brought this technology to the United States in 1839.
Changes and Closing
By the early 1900s, these furnaces were getting old. Even with some updates, they were not as modern as other factories. People said they were the last furnaces in the United States still using anthracite coal to make iron. In 1913, the president of Thomas Iron, B. F. Fackenthal, suggested closing them down.
But the next president, Ralph Sweetser, decided to try something different. Furnace No. 8 was rebuilt in 1914. Furnace No. 7 was rebuilt the next year. Also, they stopped using anthracite coal. Instead, they started using coke, which is another type of fuel. However, even these changes were not enough. The Lock Ridge furnaces stopped making iron in 1921.
Becoming a Park
After the furnaces closed, they were sold to William Butz. He took apart most of the buildings to sell the metal and wood. But the strong stone parts of the furnaces were left behind. They slowly started to decay. The leftover waste material, called slag, was crushed and used for roofing and filling until 1958.
The railroad tracks that ran through the site were removed in the 1940s. Since the factory work was long finished, the Butz family gave the land to Lehigh County. They wanted it to be used as a park for everyone.
In August 1976, Lock Ridge Park officially opened. It is a public park that covers about 59.2 acres. Lehigh County owns and takes care of the park. The Lehigh County Historical Society offers tours of the old furnace area. The park includes the remains of the old factory, which is now called the Lock Ridge Furnace Museum. It also has all the land around it.
What You Can Do at Lock Ridge Park
Swabia Creek flows through the park. You can do some fishing there. The park also has a Little League Baseball field. There is a picnic area with restrooms and a fireplace, perfect for a family outing. You can also take a self-guided walking tour to explore the historic site on your own.
