Buckeye Furnace

Buckeye Furnace is one of the fewer than five iron furnaces that have been restored in the United States. The furnace was built in 1851 and closed in 1894. The furnace was capable of producing twelve tons of pig iron per day. During the Civil War, most of the iron produced by Buckeye Furnace was used purchased by the military and utilized by the Union Army. Most of the charcoal furnaces were abandoned by the end of World War I, and only the stacks remain standing. In 1972, Buckeye Furnace was restored and now serves as a museum and general store. Buckeye Furnace sits on a 270-acre lot near Wellston, Ohio and east of Jackson, Ohio. The site hosts the Buckeye Furnace Fall Festival each year.

Southern Ohio is located in what is referred to as the Hanging Rock Region. The region itself is rich in iron deposits and spreads across Kentucky and southern Ohio. During the 1800s, the Hanging Rock Region had over sixty iron furnaces. The region provided much-needed iron during the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, and the railroad boom. The furnaces provided well-paying jobs in a region that was relatively poor. However, after the end of World War I, all of the charcoal furnaces in the Hanging Rock region were abandoned. In Jackson County, the only furnaces left operating were the more modern coke foundries, such as the Globe Iron Company and JISCO (Jackson Iron and Steel Company).

http://www.buckeyefurnace.com/
Buckeye Furnace. Touring Ohio. Accessed July 02, 2018. http://touringohio.com/southeast/jackson/buckeye-furnace.html.

Buckeye Furnace Jackson Co., OH 1851-1894. Wellston, Ohio Info. Accessed July 02, 2018. http://www.wellstoninfo.net/buckeye-furnace.html.