Colebrookdale Furnace
Colebrookdale Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Established on Iron Stone Creek, one half mile to the east, by James Lewis, Anthony Morris, Thomas Potts, and Thomas Rutter. Called after Colebrookdale Furnace in England, it is considered the first blast furnace to be erected in Pennsylvania, c. 1720.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Founded around 1720 on Iron Stone Creek by a partnership including Thomas Rutter and Thomas Potts, this ironworks is regarded as the first blast furnace erected in Pennsylvania. Named for a furnace in England, it drew on the region's rich ore and abundant timber for charcoal, casting the iron that a growing colony needed. It launched a Pennsylvania iron industry that would one day help make the state the forge of the nation.
Why it matters
As Pennsylvania's first blast furnace, it marks the birthplace of an iron and steel tradition that became central to American industrial power.
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Related people
- · James Lewis
- · Anthony Morris
- · Thomas Potts
- · Thomas Rutter
Themes & tags
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