Helen Furnace - Helen Furnace, PA
Posted by: 
Szuchie
N 41° 17.167 W 079° 19.245
17T E 640617 N 4571879
A 1800’s era iron furnace that played an integral role in the development of Clarion County, Pennsylvania!
Waymark Code: WM36TV
Location: Pennsylvania, United States
Date Posted: 02/19/2008
Views: 75
A 1800’s era iron furnace that played an integral role in the development of Clarion County, Pennsylvania!
At this site, visitors will find a magnificent iron furnace that dates back to the mid-1800’s. The furnace is in good shape, and seekers can park conveniently alongside the furnace in order to take a closer look at this historic structure. According to the website listed below, the history surrounding the furnace is as follows:
Start of Operation: 1845
Blowout: 1856
Daily Tonnage: 1,500 tons per year - best actual output was 1,000 tons.
Built By: Robert Barber and Packer
Stack: 32 feet w/ 9 foot bosh
Blast: Cold
Type: Charcoal
The furnace was built by W.S. Packer & Company, but they soon ran into financial problems and sold out to David Richey. He apparently owned the site for a limited time, and sold the property to Samuel Wilson. The Wilson's were a primary player in the region in terms of materials - they must of owned extensive property in the area. Mr. Wilson operated the furnace until 1857. The furnace was originally named "Highland" furnace after Alexander McNaughton, who prided himself on being a highlander. However, owing to the strong accent, the name sounded like "Hieland", which was adapted over time to "Helen".
In addition to the Furnace, there is a Pennsylvania Historical Marker near the Furnace that states:
Helen Furnace
Just west of this point can be seen the well-preserved interior of cold blast furnace build in 1845. It was one of the numerous iron furnaces operated in Clarion County from about 1829-1867. The County, then, was often referred to as "The Iron County"
Coordinates for the marker are:
41 17.249
79 19.113