Welcome to the Hemlock State Explorer
Ultimate Archive of Iron Furnaces and Pre-Industial Relics
Pennsylvania is called the Keystone State for good reason, not the least of which is the Commonwealth’s contribution to innovation and industry. Did you know that Pennsylvania was on the leading edge of the industrial revolution and was once the iron capital of the world? While adventuring through Pennsylvania and the surrounding region you may have encountered mysterious semi-pyramidal stone structures along the road or in the woods and wondered what they were. These are the remains of the iron furnaces, which played a crucial role in the birth, growth, and survival of our nation, supplying the metal needed for everything from cookware to farming implements to cannons.
This page is dedicated to as an archive to these memorials of the region’s role as a pre-industrial powerhouse and the ingenuity of the Imago Dei. Here you will find the locations and descriptions of iron furnaces, kilns of all kinds, shot towers and other pre-industrial relics that you can visit for yourself.
Let’s go on an adventure!
An Amazing Trip to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Founded in 1771 in the heart of colonial iron county, the wonderfully preserved Hopewell Furnace is one of the best examples of a 19th century iron plantation.
Caledonia Furnace
Built by the famous abolitionist Thaddeus Stevens, Caledonia Furnace was burned in an act of revenge by the Confederate Army during the Civil War.
Eagle Furnace
Eagle Furnace was once part of the Clarion County iron boom of the mid-19th Century and is now a relic hidden in the woods waiting to be explored.
Easy Waterfall and Amazing History: Freedom Falls and Rockland Furnace
Come uncover the fantastic Freedom Falls and the imposing ruins of the forgotten Rockland Furnace, just a short walk into a mossy ravine.
Exploring the Boiling Springs Furnace
Founded in 1762, the well-preserved Boiling Springs Furnace (Carlisle Iron Works) is set in a beautiful historic district along the Appalachian Trail
Farrandsville Iron Furnace
Doubly notable as one of the first hot blast iron furnaces in North America and one of the first to burn coke.
Helen Furnace
Helen Furnace 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
Hemlock Furnace was once part of the Clarion County iron boom of the mid-19th Century and is now a hidden relic waiting to be explored.
How to Find the Historic Victoria Furnace Ruins
The short-lived Victoria Furnace fell victim to a collapse in the iron market prior to the Civil War. You can find its ruins hidden in the Dauphin County woods.
Joanna Furnace is a Historical and Cultural Treasure
Built in 1792, the beautifully preserved Joanna Furnace complex combines industry and aesthetic and offers a trip back in time that you won’t want to miss.
Lock Ridge Furnace: The Last of the Anthracite Titans
The historic Lock Ridge Furnace in Lehigh County, PA is locally famous for its beautifully preserved fantasy-like ruins and radiantly blooming landscape.
Oley Furnace
Oley Furnace was built in 1760 and supplied shot for the American Revolution.
Paradise Furnace (Trough Creek Furnace, Mary Ann Furnace)
Paradise Furnace was built in the Trough Creek Gorge by two Berks County iron masters and supplied iron for the Civil War.
Rockland Furnace
After nearly 200 years, the moss-covered Rockland Furnace is one for the best-preserved iron furnaces in the area, and is accessible by a short, easy walk.
Stafford Flint Furnace: The Last Remains of a Once Thriving Town
The Stafford Flint Furnace was built in 1880 to process flint for making porcelain. It stands as the last remains of a once thriving town with colonial roots.
Swatara Furnace: Schuylkill County’s First Iron Furnace
Swatara Furnace is a well-preserved and easily accessible historical relic located on the edge of the adventure-packed St. Anthony’s Wilderness.
Uncovering the Historic Codorus Furnace
The unusual Codorus Furnace supplied munitions for the Revolution and War of 1812 and is the oldest surviving landmark of York County’s iron making history.
Wrightsville Lime Kilns
The Wrightsville Lime Kilns built in 1848 are rare and interesting relics of York County’s once thriving lime industry.
