We take a look at some of the county’s
readily accessible historic industrial locations
~ STORY AND PHOTOS ~
BY KAREN PRICE
For Trib Total Media
Westmoreland County is
steeped in the history of
industry, and while many
of the structures used in iron and steel
production no longer exist, there are
still a number of remnants of the area’s
history to which it’s worth paying a
visit.
One person who knows this part of
the area’s history well is Delmont’s Mi-chael
Mance, who was honored in 2017
by the Westmoreland Historical Society
with the Arthur St. Clair Historic Preser-vation
Award.
His website, coalandcoke.blogspot.
com, is an outstanding source of
information on what remains of the
area’s industrial past, and with his help,
Destination Westmoreland put together
a brief guide to several of the county’s
more accessible historic locations.
Much of his research stems from
another source, a 1966 book, “A Guide
to the Old Stone Blast Furnaces in
Western Pennsylvania” by Myron B.
Sharp and William H. Thomas.
Laurel Hill Iron Furnace
This furnace sits just off the road
across from a picturesque farm in New
Florence. It’s easily reachable, and you
don’t even need to leave the car — al-though
it’s worth a close-up look — to
view the furnace, which has been pre-served
and maintained by the National
Park Service.
A sign situated on the property gives a
good amount of information about the
history of the furnace, which was built
in 1846 and operated until 1855, what
made a location ideal for building a
furnace and how the process worked.
It’s a good starting point for view-ing
some of the other nearby furnaces
because one can then see, for instance,
that furnaces needed not only depos-its
of iron ore and limestone but also
nearby wood and water for fuel.
Laurel Hill Iron Furnace
Another interesting note, found on
the sign, is that the furnace ran 24
hours a day with 15 to 20 men working
in 12-hour shifts.
Upon closer inspection, you can step
into the structure itself and look up to
see the sky through the opening at the
top.
Walk around and see the various
openings and admire the stonework
laid more than 170 years ago.
• To get there: From Route 711 in New Flor-ence,
turn on to Furnace Lane and follow the
road until you reach the furnace on the left.
Baldwin Furnace
Just a bit down the road from the
Laurel Hill Furnace sits the Baldwin
Furnace. This furnace requires a walk of
about a half-mile through State Game
Lands, but the reward is worth the ef-fort.
Less is known about this furnace,
which is still in fair shape thanks to
the efforts of Game Commission
INDUSTRIAL HISTORY
REMNANTS
OF THE PAST
Destination Westmoreland 2018 | 7