Catoctin Furnace African American Cemetery Interpretive Trail - Thurmont MD
Posted by: 
Don.Morfe
N 39° 34.869 W 077° 26.047
18S E 290948 N 4384101
At least 271 enslaved people of African ancestry made up the bulk of Catoctin Furnace's earliest workers. The operation of the furnace depended heavily on the labor of enslaved and freed African Americans until the middle of the nineteenth century.
Waymark Code: WM15BNM
Location: Maryland, United States
Date Posted: 12/01/2021
Views: 1
TEXT FROM HISTORICAL MARKER
Catoctin Furnace African American Cemetery Interpretive Trail
"a large blast furnace— the stack wheel and bellows and all the buildings… are built in the best manner"
— From a notice in the Frederick Town Herald advertising the sale of the furnace property in 1871 workers employed or owned by Thomas Johnson, a lawyer who later became the first governor of Maryland, and his brothers Roger, Baker, and James built Catoctin Furnace. The Johnsons oversaw the construction beginning in 1775 and the furnace was "in blast" in time to provide ammunition to General George Washington and his army.
At least 271 enslaved people of African ancestry made up the bulk of Catoctin Furnace's earliest workers. The operation of the furnace depended heavily on the labor of enslaved and freed African Americans until the middle of the nineteenth century when their labor was replaced by that of European immigrants. This interpretive trail leads into the heart of Catoctin Furnace village and to an overlook near the African American cemetery. It provides information about the history of the furnace, details regarding the craft of ironmaking, and a window into the lives of the people who lived and labored here.
*Audio recording of interpretive trail panels available at catoctinfurnace.org
[Captions:]
» You can see the Isabella stack and restored casting shed from the same vantage point in this ca. 1880 photograph. The casting shed was torn down in 1924 and rebuilt in time for the 1976 Bicentennial.
» Completed in 1873, Deborah was the final of the three, or possibly four, furnaces built at Catoctin. The artist included African American workers, recognizing their contributions.
» Deborah stack ca. 1900 with stock house on the right and Monocacy Valley Railroad tracks coming from the north. Isabella and casting shed are on the far right edge. The slave quarters, which were later converted to a mule barn, and then a blacksmith shop, are to the left.
Group that erected the marker: Maryland Historical Trust; Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture; Maryland Park Service, Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link]
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
12698 Catoctin Furnace Road
Thurmont, MD United States
21788
|
Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.