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Satellite)
The Ramapo Mountains had a lot of outcroppings of magnetite, a high-quality iron oxide ore. Production of iron started in 1736 using a bloomery forge. The first blast furnace was built in 1751. It was the first one in New York. The quality of the ore made the iron competitive with European iron. "Sterling's operations marked the inaugural steel manufacturing in New York, achieved through rudimentary cementation processes where wrought iron bars were packed with charcoal in sealed chests and heated for extended periods to carburize the surface, producing blister steel." The furnace provided iron for the needs of the Revolutionary and 1812 wars such as cannon balls, cannons, anchors and chains. Of note was the "forging the 1,700-foot Hudson River Chain in 1778—a 750-link obstruction of 2-inch bar iron, each link approximately 30 inches long and sections weighing over 1,000 pounds—deployed at West Point to block British naval advances up the Hudson. Forged over a period of approximately six to eight weeks of continuous operation, the chain, supported by log booms, deterred enemy warships from severing New England from southern colonies, preserving vital supply lines and fortifications until war's end in 1783, thereby contributing to strategic containment of British forces without direct engagement. Surviving links, preserved at West Point, symbolize American ingenuity in defense manufacturing." The discovery of iron ore in the Mesabi Range in 1866 and the transition of the industry from charcoal to coke (coal) caused the furnace to shut down in 1891. New York State bought the land in 1998 to preserve the ruins. [
grokipedia]
Within just a couple of miles of the furnace, Google Maps has labels for the Augusta, Red Back and Moorhead (Morehead) Mines.
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| hmdb, Photographed by Clifton Patrick, October 15, 2007 |
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hmdb, Photographed by Leslie Smith, August 24, 2008
What we see today is the second Sterling Furnace, which was built adjacent to the original furnace.
[It was reconstructed in 1952. That is when a dome was added above the furnace. [grokipedia]] |
Peter Townsend owned the iron works during the Revolutionary War to support the war effort. But he had a hard time competing with the military for men and food. [
rcls_furnace]
"In early 1778, amid British naval threats along the Hudson River, Continental Army leaders sought to obstruct navigation at West Point, a strategic chokepoint. Following the failure of an earlier chain at Fort Montgomery in 1777, which broke under tidal strain, General George Washington directed the production of a stronger barrier using superior iron from the Sterling Iron Works in Orange County, New York." [
grokipedia]
The iron works were deep in the mountains, so transportation was an issue. "Sections of nine links, exceeding 1,000 pounds each, were forged on-site before ox-cart transport over mountains to assembly points near New Windsor, requiring about 100 sleigh trips." [
grokipedia]
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KingJamesGalleries
"The story of the chain is a fascinating one. During the Revolution, the British ruled the seas. The English with their Hessian allies, occupied Long Island and New York City. The Continentals held New England, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. If the British could sail up the Hudson from New York City and connect with their forces in Canada, they would essentially be able to cut the United States in half. Washington endorsed a scheme that would string a giant chain across the river, resting on pine floats. The entire system of chain and floats had to be removed before the river froze over and then put back in the spring. If frozen into the Hudson, the chain would have been destroyed by the ice. That is the moment I chose to depict."
[I think Mort Kunstler was the painter.] |
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hmdb, Photographed by Bill Coughlin, September 5, 2009
"Thirteen links from the chain that spanned the Hudson River at West Point are seen here at the U.S. Military Academy. They were forged at Sterling Furnace." |
