Site of First Blast Furnace - Moriah, NY - New York Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

A New York State historical marker identifies the site of the first blast furnace built in the Adirondack area by Major James Dalliba at Moriah, NY. The marker is inscribed:

NEW {Map of NYS} YORK

SITE OF
FIRST BLAST FURNACE
ERECTED IN 1824 BY MAJOR
JAMES DALLIBA CONVERTED
INTO STOVE WORKS IN 1827

STATE EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT 1937

When iron ore was discovered in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State, early in the 19th century, a great deal of economic development ensued which created a need for a blast furnace to free the iron from its ore. The narrative on National Register of Historic Places website, q.v., has the history of this blast furnace.

"Major James Dalliba and John Dickerson, two industrialists based in Troy, specialized in the manufacture of ordnance. Receiving shipments of Cheever ore, they had the opportunity to test its merits at their furnace operations. Impressed with its quality, Dalliba and Dickerson purchased 4,000 acres of land in the northern part of Port Henry in 1824. Dalliba then constructed Moriah's first blast furnace on the property, a short distance from the lakeshore. Although this charcoal-powered furnace produced only 15 to 18 tons of iron per week, it signalled the beginning of serious iron mining and processing in Moriah. (Warner and Hall, pg. 153) The ore itself was taken from the Dalliba Mine located about three-quarters of a mile from the furnace on the Dalliba property. The pig iron produced in his furnace was shipped to Troy. Dalliba's presence at what would become known at "Port Henry" inspired a new phase of settlement in the northern village area."

"In 1827, the Dalliba furnace was converted to a stove and hollow works - the first foundry in northern New York State. Following the death of James Dalliba in 1832, the complex was sold to Stephen Keyes and then passed on to Lansing and Powell, who upgraded the stove plant and established a new furnace closer to the lake shore. The earliest iron industry-related building in Moriah, an altered stone casting house (not eligible for listing due to loss of integrity), located at the north end of Tunnel Avenue, is from this period."

Marker Name: Site of First Blast Furnace Marker Type: Roadside Agency: State Education department Dedication Date: 1937 City/Town/Village Name: Moriah, NY County: Essex Region: The Adirondacks (Region 5) Website: [Web Link]

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