Thomas Rutter
Douglass Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Pioneer ironmaster and opponent of slavery who died 1730. Built Pennsylvania's first ironworks nearby, 1716. In ensuing decade he erected Pine Forge and built this mansion; in 19th century it was an Underground Railroad stop. Academy was founded here, 1945.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Thomas Rutter, an ironmaster who died in 1730, built Pennsylvania's first ironworks nearby in 1716 and went on to raise Pine Forge and this mansion in the decade that followed. Remarkable for his era, he was an outspoken opponent of slavery. Generations later, in the 19th century, the house served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, sheltering freedom seekers; an academy was founded on the grounds in 1945.
Why it matters
The site ties the birth of American iron-making to a long moral thread against slavery, culminating in its role hiding those escaping bondage.
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Related people
- · Thomas Rutter
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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First Iron Bridge
Pottstown, PA · est. 1953
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Colebrookdale Furnace
Colebrookdale Township, PA · est. 1967
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.