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.
The ruins of Victoria Furnace are easy to access but can be tricky to find because they are hidden in the woods of Clarks Valley with no marked trails. Join us and we’ll show you how to get there.
Directions:
- Park at the Victoria Trail lot (40.42173, -76.86177). There was ample parking for at least a dozen vehicles.
- Walk east on Route 325 (Clarks Valley Road) for about 600 feet.
- Take the state Game Lands road until you reach the bridge at Clarks Creek.
- Do not cross Clarks Creek. Rather, take a fisherman’s path to the right (west) immediately before the bridge.
- The trail will quickly fizzle out but continue following Clarks Creek as it curves north then back west. You will encounter small tributaries to step over at 40.41827, -76.86623 and 40.41776, -76.86820, indicating that you are on the right track.
- Victoria Furnace is located against the side of an embankment at 40.41726, -76.86931. The distance from the parking area to Victoria Furnace is approximately 0.7 miles.
Alexander Cardon built two iron forges near this site in 1829 and 1830. The forges were powered by water from Clark’s Creek. By 1836 Cardon constructed the charcoal blast Victoria Furnace. The complex was known as Victoria Iron Works. However, the venture was short-lived. Victoria Iron Works closed in 1845 due to a collapse in the iron market.
Victoria Furnace is in the process of being overgrown, with a number of small trees growing out of the crevices. The furnace was constructed with a step pyramid design. The interior is partially collapsed, but you can still go inside and look up through the stack. There is a large retaining wall on the north side where the iron ore, limestone, and charcoal would have been charged into the furnace via a bridge between the retaining wall and stack. Sockets are visible in the retaining wall where beams would have been placed. The remnants of a headrace and perhaps a water wheel pit are still visible on the south side of the furnace.
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