Clay Furnace
Jefferson Township, Mercer County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
First successful use of raw bituminous coal in place of charcoal, 1846; and of unmixed Lake Superior iron ore in 1856. Built 1845 by Vincent & Himrod; named for Henry Clay. Abandoned in 1861. The site is 2 miles away.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Built in 1845 by Vincent & Himrod and named for the statesman Henry Clay, this Mercer County furnace became a proving ground for American iron-making. In 1846 it achieved the first successful smelting of iron using raw bituminous coal in place of scarce charcoal, and a decade later, in 1856, it demonstrated that rich Lake Superior ore could be worked unmixed. Both breakthroughs pointed the way to the coal-and-ore industry that would soon make western Pennsylvania the heart of American steel. The furnace was abandoned in 1861.
Why it matters
Clay Furnace's experiments with bituminous coal and Lake Superior ore helped launch the fuel-and-ore revolution that turned Pennsylvania into the forge of industrial America.
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Related people
- · Henry Clay
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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