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.
Joanna Furnace, outside of Morgantown in Berks County, PA is remarkable as a combination of rich aesthetic architecture and industrial ingenuity. Located in the heart of our nascent nation’s iron hub of southeastern PA, Joanna Furnace was built in 1792 by a who’s who of local iron moguls including members of the Potts, Rutter, May, and Bull families.
Joanna Furnace is an example of an 18th and 19th century “iron plantation” or company town, where a community was built around the iron manufacturing enterprise. In the photo above you can see the engine house to your left, the furnace stack in the middle, and the casting house to the right.
Joanna Furnace was originally built as a cold blast charcoal furnace with water wheel-powered bellows. In 1889 Joanna Furnace underwent a technological upgrade to a hot blast furnace with blast air provided by a steam-powered Weimer blowing engine. Be sure to join us on the video at the bottom of the post to see details of the buildings and the iron-making operations.
The massive stone barn-like charcoal shed is pictured above, and the company store/office is pictured below. The store/office functioned as a social center. Announcements and assignments were given from the balcony. A theme throughout the visit was the beauty of the buildings with their local stone and aesthetic touches like gothic arches. And to think, this was essentially an iron factory!
Beyond the stone wall pictured below is the site of the iron master’s mansion, located just a stone’s throw from the furnace. Unfortunately, after the closure of the Joanna Furnace complex, the opulent mansion fell into disrepair and was later demolished. Listen to a description of the mansion in the video at the end of the post and picture in your imagination what it was like.
Joanna Furnace has a number of other historical buildings, displays, and replicas including a blacksmith forge and wheelwright shop. These buildings are used to give historical lectures and demonstrations.
Here is the replica steam-powered sawmill. When you visit Joanna Furnace, be sure to go when the Mechanical Technology Building (not pictured) is open. The Mechanical Technology Building is a relatively new addition where volunteers demonstrate the operation of a variety of antique belt-powered machinery from saws to corn shellers to broom makers.
After 106 years Joanna Furnace was blown out and ceased operations in 1898.
We had an excellent trip back in time on our walking tour of at the beautiful Joanna Furnace complex. Being a rainy day, we had the whole place to ourselves. But it is even better during one of the Hay Creek Valley Historical Association events. On another visit we came for the Victorian Christmas at Joanna Furnace, and it was a blast (pun intended)! The buildings were staffed by knowledgeable volunteers in period dress giving lectures and demonstrations. Some of our favorite parts were watching the blacksmiths make wrought iron sleigh bells at the forge and the demonstrations of antique machinery at the Mechanical Technology Building. There was also a live nativity, food, music, and a visit from Belsnickel! We can’t wait to go back.
For more information including an events schedule, visit the Hay Creek Valley Historical Association.
Be sure to check out our other adventures.
