Juniata Iron
Woodbury Township, Blair County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Along the streams of this region are ruins of many charcoal iron furnaces and forges built between 1790 and 1850 that produced some of the highest quality iron in the nation. The reign of Juniata Iron ended with the rise of coal and coke iron-making. Nearby Springfield Furnace, in operation from 1820-84, produced this type of iron, as did 11 others in Morrison Cove. Royer Mansion, built here in 1815, was ironmaster Samuel Royer's home.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Between 1790 and 1850 the streams of Morrison Cove powered dozens of charcoal furnaces and forges that turned local ore into some of the finest iron in the country, a trade known as Juniata Iron. Springfield Furnace ran from 1820 to 1884 alongside eleven others, and ironmaster Samuel Royer built his mansion here in 1815. The industry faded once coal and coke made larger, cheaper iron possible.
Why it matters
Juniata Iron represents the early charcoal-era ironworks that armed and built the young republic before the coal-and-coke revolution shifted American industry toward Pittsburgh.
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Related people
- · Samuel Royer
Themes & tags
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