Warwick Furnace Farm

Warwick Furnace Farm LLC is a family-owned and operated lavender farm in rural Pennsylvania. Warwick Furnace was established in 1738 by Anna Nutt & Co. Furnace farm is located in French Creek valley in Chester County. Warwick is a furnace that supplied armaments for George Washington’s army, manufactured the components for the first metal-clad ship during the Civil War, and produced the Franklin stove. Anna Nutt was the widow of Samuel Nutt, an English Quaker who owned the farm. They had already built ironworks at nearby Coventry, and she is considered the first woman industrialist in the United States. The farm incorporates more than a dozen stone buildings and barns from the 18th to 19th centuries, some dating back to the pre-revolution of America. Nowadays, Warwick Furnace Farms is used by everyone as it is publicly accessible. People can take pictures, attend events, and even visit their stores. 

Warwick Furnace Farm is a family-owned and managed lavender farm in rural Pennsylvania. The farm is approximately 61 acres, located in French Creek valley in Chester County. In its day and today, it was one of the most significant iron and steel furnaces in America. This property dates to 1738, with its original owner Samuel Nutt, an English Quaker, and his wife, Anna Nutt, and nephew, Samuel Nutt, Jr., as his heirs. Samuel Nutt died before his dream came to life. He demanded in his will that his wife should build a furnace on 120 acres of land. Anna, her son Samuel Savage and Samuel Nutt Jr. constructed the furnace following the will. To fulfill his wish, her workers built the furnace into a small hill so that the iron ore, limestone, flux, and charcoal. To make this operation successful, it required timber from 240 acres of forest and a water wheel powered by a giant race from the French Creek to produce iron. The iron allowed pig iron production, castings for stoves, pots, kettles, andirons, clock weights, other household hardware, and so much more. The furnace supplied armaments for George Washington's Revolutionary War army, manufactured the components for the first metal-clad ship during the Civil War, and produced the Franklin stove. The Warwick farm contains over a dozen stone buildings and barns from the 18th to 19th centuries of pre-revolution America.

According to the WarwickFurnaceFarm History website, when Samuel Nutt, Jr., died in 1739, his share of the ownership furnace reverted to Anna's daughter and Samuel's widow, Rebecca, who concisely married Robert Grace, Benjamin Franklin's friend. Grace, as the ironmaster, made the first Franklin stove at the furnace. During this time, indentured servant George Taylor, later signer of the Declaration of Independence, became Warwick's clerk. In late 1741, Anna Nutt's son-in-law, John Potts, who later founded Pottstown, became the ironmaster, renting the Grace portion and obtaining Anna's part. Potts made Warwick the lynchpin of his iron empire, making it one of the largest producing furnaces in Pennsylvania and presumably the colonies. Warwick stoves were sold throughout the colonies.

John's sons Thomas, Samuel, and John ran the company and operations when he was elected to the legislature, with Samuel receiving ownership after his father's death. Operation of the furnace was then given to George Taylor, who later became a member of the Second Continental Congress and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Sometime in 1752, Taylor left Warwick and partnered with Samuel Flower to operate the Durham Furnace in upper Bucks County. Shortly after, Samuel Potts, from Pottstown, bought out the remaining heirs and worked the furnace in partnership with Thomas Rutter. During this time, Warwick Farm was run during the Revolutionary War. In 1776-1778 ardent patriots produced cannons for the Pennsylvania Navy and Washington's Army, including munitions, during the remainder of the war.

Warwick Farms served as an essential source of supplies for the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. They supplied shots and cannons for the Revolutionary War. According to ExplorePAHistory.com, the furnace operated almost constantly to produce cannons and cannon balls. On September 16, 1777, General Washington retreated to the French Creek Valley after the "Battle of the Clouds." His troops camped at Warwick and nearby Reading Furnace, rested, and had their ordnance and muskets repaired. While most of his troops remained at Warwick, Washington maintained his headquarters nearby Yellow Springs. Many cannons were buried at this time to keep them out of British hands. Warwick Furnace Farms made the first Franklin stoves in 1842. When Samuel Potts's died, the furnace was passed to his son David and grandson David. During that time, it produced heating and cook stoves by the thousands and iron plates by the ton. In 1867, after producing iron for almost 130 years, the Potts family shut down the furnace. The furnace was then kept as a mansion and furnace stack along with 550 acres; they operated it as a working farm, which has remained since that time.

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3) “Warwick Furnace Farms, Warwick Township, Chester County, Glenmoore PA 19343.” Warwick Furnace Farms, Warwick Township, Chester County, Glenmoore PA 19343, www.livingplaces.com, https://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Chester_County/Warwick_Township/Warwick_Furnace_Farms.html. Accessed 5 July 2022.

4) Warwick Furnace Historical Marker. explorepahistory.com, https://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-2AC. Accessed 5 July 2022.

5) “Mount Pleasant Grist Mill, Warwick Furnace & County Park Roads, Saint Peters, Chester County, PA.” The Library of Congress, www.loc.gov, 1 Jan. 1695, https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.pa1750.sheet?st=gallery.

6) “Warwick Furnace.” YouTube, www.youtube.com, 17 Aug. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwMwQdn87J8&ab_channel=DenisCarpenter.

7) “Warwickfurnacefarm Instagram.” Login • Instagram, www.instagram.com, https://www.instagram.com/warwickfurnacefarm/?hl=en. Accessed 5 July 2022.