Beaver Furnace, Clarion County, Pennsylvania

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Beaver - Built along Deer Creek in Beaver Township by Leonard Sample in 1835(jac) or by Long, Blackstone & Co. in 1837(peb/idr). In 1837 the owners were listed in the Pittsburgh Business Directory as Leonard & Sample(pbd). One of its owners, D. B. Long, while in the PA legislature, stimulated passage of a law prohibiting sale of intoxicating liquors within 3 miles of this furnace(hcc). In 1850 it was owned by Miller and Lang(s&t) . It was a cold blast furnace with one tuyere and the blast powered by steam. It had a 9 foot bosh and was 33' high. Various accounts list its production from 1310(s&t) to 12000(idr) tons per year. Beaver shipped its iron on flat boats from Hahn's Ferry at the mouth of Piney Creek(ajd) It was abandoned in 1854(s&t). Hurricane Ivan and the subsequent high water virtually wiped out all remains. (P)(V)(rp-1977-2004).
Take PA68 north through to SR2007 (Curllsville). Turn left and follow SR2007 until it crosses the Clarion River. At the north end of the bridge turn right on SR 4001. Go about 1-1/2 miles. Turn left on Beaver Furnace Road (T411, old T422?) and go about 3/4 mile to where it crosses Deer Creek. Cross bridge and park. Per s&t in the 1960's "About 100 feet up the road is a large slag bank. Between this spot and the road is a large pile of cut stone. Probably the furnace stone. Exact location of original furnace may have been obscured by road relocation and movement of stones". When we visited this site in Oct. 2004 it was obvious that there had been a huge washout due most likely by hurricane Ivan. Almost the entire area between the road and the creek had been severely washed away and probably many of the furnace stones and slag had disappeared. We did find the partial remains of a stone wall about 275 feet from the bridge at 41º 12.013'N - 79º 27.475'W.. and a few loose furnace stones that remained from the washout at 41º 12.014'N - 79º 27.445'W.(rp-2004)

Washout from Hurricane Ivan
near site of Beaver Furnace
October 2004
Washout from Hurricane Ivan near
site of Beaver Furnace - Octoner 2004

Possbble furnace stone near site
of Beaver Furnace - October 2004
. Stone construction remainuing near
Beaver Furnace site - October 2004
Beaver Furnace Special Sources:
A Guide to the Old Stone Blast Furnaces of Western Pennsylvania, Myron B. Sharp and William H. Thomas (s&t)
Caldwell's Illustrated Historical Combination Atlas of Clarion Co. Pa. J. A. Caldwell(jac) 1877*
History of Clarion County, unknown compiler, cir 1976 (hcc)*
History of Clarion County A. J. Davis (ajd) ed. 1887*
Unspecified Clarion Co. Sources from asterisk list above.(unk)
Copyright © Richard Parks, Last updated March31, 2010