Clarion County, PA
Built: 1846
Coordinates: 41.17131, -79.52369
Eagle Furnace was built in 1846 by Kribbs, Reynolds, and Curll on Canoe Creek. It was one of 31 iron furnaces in the “Iron Country” of Clarion County, a leader in the iron boom from 1828 through the middle of the century. Eagle Furnace was a cold-blast charcoal furnace thirty feet high with an eight-foot bosh. The furnace went out of blast in 1858. The remnant of Eagle Furnace is notable for its large, dressed stone and forest setting, giving it an “ancient ruins” mystique. Like many furnaces though, it is collapsing under its own weight as time and seasons take their toll. See it while you can.
To access Eagle furnace, park at one of the pull-offs where Eagle Furnace Rd. (T-385) crosses Canoe Creek, coordinates 41.17250, -79.52322. Walk about 30 feet uphill on the road. On the left side of the road (south) at 41.17235, -79.52360 a trail leads through some beautiful forest to the furnace. The furnace is about 400 feet from the road.
The photo below is a view of the north side of the furnace. The pipe in the foreground is remanent of the western Pennsylvania oil boom (the subject of future adventures, including Drake Well outside of Titusville, PA – the birthplace of the petroleum industry).
Below is a view of the east side, which slopes downhill from the furnace.
This is a shot of the northwestern corner. What a find and in a beautiful location. I wonder how much longer Eagle Furnace will stand.
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