Cornwall Furnace - Cedar Bluff, AL
N 34° 14.808 W 085° 35.315
16S E 629967 N 3790422
The Cornwall Furnace, also known as Confederate Army Iron Furnace, is located 2 miles north of Cedar Bluff in Cherokee County, Alabama.
Waymark Code: WM5EXM
Location: Alabama, United States
Date Posted: 12/29/2008
Views: 7
The Cornwall Furnace is located in the Cornwall Furnace Memorial Park, which is open year-round from sun-up to sun-down.
From the Cedar Bluff, Alabama website:
Cornwall Furnace is the a preserved furnace built by the Confederate States of America. In 1862, the 35-foot high furnace became the first to supply iron for the construction of Confederate cannons during the Civil War. It took a thousand men seven months to construct the furnace using limestone from the nearby Coosa River. Though General Sherman twice ordered the furnace destroyed in 1864, it still stands in its original location.
Cornwall Furnace was declared a National Historical site in 1972, and is perhaps the best preserved stack in the southeast.
Passing through Cedar Bluff, one can easily understand the origins of the town's name. Cedars still grow through- out the area, many on bluffs overlooking Weiss Lake. Cedar Bluff's history is filled with visits from well-known figures, from Spanish explorer Fernando De Soto in the 1500's to Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest during the Civil War. Cornwall Furnace, built to supply iron for the Confederate army, still stands today.