Beckley Furnace Dam - Canaan CT
Posted by: 
nomadwillie
N 42° 00.656 W 073° 17.488
18T E 641474 N 4652401
The dam was originally built in 1847 as the power source for the Beckeley Furnance. Today it is a Connecticut State Park.
Waymark Code: WMN9D4
Location: Connecticut, United States
Date Posted: 01/24/2015
Views: 3
The furnace was built in 1847 by John Beckley and William Pierce. It was located in an ideal area for the time, with the Blackberry River for powering the furnace, unlimited lime was located just a short distance up the road, and an iron mine was located close by. By 1880 the mining was having to dig deeper and deeper for iron ore, charcoal was brought in from Pennsylvania and Vermont and the river and its power could not be expanded, so it became very costly to produce the iron. Most of the other furnaces in the area closed down. Beckley, along with Canaan #3, continued operations until 1920-23.
Waterway where the dam is located: Blackberry River
Main use of the Water Dam: Recreation Area
Material used in the structure: masonry
Height of Dam: 8 feet
Date built: 01/01/1847
Fishing Allowed: Not Listed
Motor Sports Allowed: Not Listed
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Visit Instructions:
Photo of the Dam and a description of your visit.