Scranton Iron Furnaces

Scranton Iron Furnaces

Remains of the stone blast furnaces.
Location	Scranton, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	41°24′16″N 75°39′45″W
Type	Industrial history
Website	www.anthracitemuseum.org
Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company Furnace
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	159 Cedar Ave., Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Area	3.8 acres
Built	1848
Architectural style	Iron furnace
MPS	Iron and Steel Resources of Pennsylvania MPS
NRHP reference No.	91001126[1]
Added to NRHP	September 6, 1991

The Scranton Iron Furnaces is an historic, American manufacturing site that preserves the rich heritage of iron making in Pennsylvania. It is located in Scranton, near the Steamtown National Historic Site.

The site has been managed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission since 1971 and is part of the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum complex. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, as the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company Furnace.^[1]

History and notable features

This historic site preserves the remains of four stone blast furnaces that were built between 1848 and 1857. Iron production on the site was started by Scranton, Grant & Company in 1840. Later, the furnaces were operated by the Lackawanna Iron & Coal Company.

In 1847, iron rails for the Erie Railroad were made at the site. By 1865, Scranton, Grant & Company had the largest iron production capacity in the United States.

In 1875, steel production was initiated at the site. By 1880, the furnaces produced 125,000 tons of pig iron, one of the main uses of which was the manufacture of t-rails.

The plant was closed in 1902, when production was shifted to Lackawanna, New York.^[2]

The site has been managed by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission since 1971 and is part of the Pennsylvania Anthracite Heritage Museum complex. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, as the Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company Furnace.^[1]

During the 2000 U.S. presidential election campaign, former U.S. Vice President Al Gore held a campaign rally at the site.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. "National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania" (Searchable database). CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Note: This includes Daniel Perry and Diane Reed (March 1991). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Lackawanna Iron and Coal Company Furnace" (PDF). Retrieved 2012-01-02.

• Official Scranton Iron Furnaces website
• Online article with many images
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