Clarion County, PA
Built: 1845
Coordinates: 41.36832, -79.4581
Hemlock Furnace was built in 1845 by W.B. Fetzer and McGuire on Hemlock Creek, Clarion County, PA. 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. Hemlock Furnace was a cold-blast furnace thirty feet high with a seven and a half-foot bosh. The furnace went out of blast in 1865.
Hemlock Furnace is easy to get to, being located at the intersection of McCauley Rd. and Gowdy Rd. There is a parking spot across the road from the furnace. Hemlock Furnace can be seen from the road, although it is quite overgrown. Only the southern side of the furnace remains intact. However, this provides an interesting opportunity to inspect the interior of the furnace. You can go down into what would have been the crucible of the furnace as well as climb the rubble around the furnace to the hillside above the stack.
Down in the crucible.
Here is a view of the overgrown furnace form the road.
Hemlock Furnace is behind the sign and to the left.
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