Towns and Nature: New Florence, PA: 1845-1865 Laurel Hill Iron Furnace

Saturday, May 28, 2022

New Florence, PA: 1845-1865 Laurel Hill Iron Furnace

HAER PA,65-NEFLO.V,1-
VIEW OF STACK LOOKING NORTHEAST SHOWING TUYERE ARCH AND SOUTH FACE - Laurel Hill Furnace, Baldwin Run, East of State Route 711, New Florence, Westmoreland County, PA Photos from Survey HAER PA-251c

CompassInn-furnace
"The Laurel Hill Iron Furnace, constructed in 1845, is an unusually well-preserved Pennsylvania iron furnace. During operation, this 35’ furnace would have significantly boosted local economy, adding nearly 100 new jobs to the area. The furnace remained in use, producing pig iron, until 1865. "
[Their plaque below provides the dates of 1846-1855.]

The person on the right in the above photo shows that the throat was about as tall as man.

Lysergia, Jul 2021

"An unusually well-preserved example of mid~19th century Pennsylvania iron furnace, Laurel Hill Furnace was somewhat unusual in that it contained two tuyere and two work arches, rather than one of each, which was customary. The bosh is intact, as are the 35' deep wheel pit and 4' diameter tunnel....The furnace stack is of ashlar stone construction, lined with refractory brick; 35'-9" x 35*-9" in plan; 39' tall; two work arches and two tuyere arches; the large work arch on front is 14' wide; rear arch is 9' x 9' and infilled with ashlar; north and south tuyere arches have cast-iron lintels and are 12' high and 10' wide; wrought-iron tie rods secure the masonry. A wheel pit, 35' deep and lined with stone, connects a 500' tunnel to Baldwin Run at a nearby stone dam. This stone dam crosses Baldwin Run about 500' south of the furnace where the tunnel enters the stream. Archeological features associated with the furnace are located on both sides of the road. HISTORY: This hot-blast furnace was constructed in 1845-6 by Reed, Gallagher and Hale and remained in blast for ten years. John Graff of Blairsville later purchased the furnace and leased it to E. Hoover of New Florence. The stack has a 9' bosh and was originally 33' high. In 1855, the first year of furnace operations, 750 tons of metal were produced. Laurel Hill Furnace has been included on the National Register of Historic Places and the Pennsylvania Inventory. The furnace has been donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy." [HAER-data] It was constructed in 1845-6 but not run until 1855? Or was 1855 the first year of operations by E. Hoover after Reed, Gallagher and Hale ran it for 10 years? No wonder different sources have different start and end dates for this furnace. It appears that there are two start and end dates depending on which owner one is reading about: 1845-55 and 1855-65. It is common to see multiple owners for these old furnaces.

As I now expect, the furnace was built near a hillside so that a charging bridge could be used to easily add material to the top of the furnace. It is interesting that this map marks a Baldwin Furnace near the bottom, but not the Laurel Hill Furnace that was on the east side of Baldwin Creek about half-way between Poplar and Powdermill Runs. I think this is the first time I have seen "run" used as a term for a stream of water. I presume the New Florence Reservoir was the location of the stone dam. There used to be seven furnaces in the Ligonier Valley.