Jefferson Iron Furnace, Jefferson, Beaver Twp., Clarion Co., PA

Virtual Museum of Pennsylvania Iron Furnaces & Iron Works

Digital Iron Furnace Research Library
The 19th Century Society of Pennsylvania

Links to:

Pennsylvania Furnaces Every Name Index

Clarion County Iron Furnace & Iron Works Index

Pennsylvania Furnaces County Index

Pennsylvania Clickable County Map

Cited References for Pennsylvania Iron Works & Iron Furnaces

The Iron Furnaces of Clarion County Pennsylvania

Jefferson Furnace
(Quaking Asp Furnace)
Beaver Creek,
Jefferson,
Beaver Twp.,
Clarion County,
Pennsylvania, U.S.A.

Pennsylvania Iron Furnace Source Book
Clarion County Iron Furnaces

A Tribute to the Iron Masters and Iron Workers
that built and keep in-blast
the old Stone Blast Furnaces of Pennsylvania.

by
Raymond A. Washlaski, Historian, Archaeologist & Web Master,
Ryan P. Washlaski, Technical Advisor.

Virtual Museum of Pennsylvania Iron Furnaces
A Publication of the 19th Century Society of Pennsylvania
Updated Nov. 2, 2002

Search the Virtual Museum of Pennsylvania Iron Furnaces & Iron Works Web Sites!
Enter an Iron Furnace Name, Iron Works Name, Person's Name, or Pennsylvania County Name.
powered by FreeFind

Jefferson Furnace & Iron Works: Located on Beaver Creek, Jefferson Station (Jefferson), Beaver Twp., Clarion County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Date Built: ca. 1838
Date Out-of-Blast: ca.1858

Other names Jefferson Furnace was known by:
Quaking Asp Furnace

Jefferson Furnace & Iron Works:
A Stone Blast Furnace & Iron Works
Owners:
Arnold & S.F. Plumer (ca.1838- ? )
Arnold & S.F. Plummer (ca.1838- ? )
S.F. Plummer (ca.1850)
Plummer & Company

Short History of Jefferson Furnace:

Documents Relating to the Manufacture of Iron in Pennsylvania, 1850
A Detailed Statement of all the Charcoal Cold Blast Furnaces in Western Pennsylvania in the year 1850
Published on behalf of the Convention of Iron Masters,
Which met in Philadelphia, on the Twentierth of December, 1849
Philadelphia: Published by the General Committee. 1850

Name of Works	date of Sheriff's sale or failure	Furnaces in-blast 1849	Furnaces out-of-blast 1849	date of construction	Capacity in Tons
Jefferson Furnace		1		1838	1,400 Tons

Owners	Post Office	Kind of ore used	No. of Men & Boys Employed	No. of horses & mules Employed
S. F. Plummer	Jefferson Furnace	Argillareous Carbonate	83	58

Stack No. Tuyeres	Stack Bosh	Stack Height	Kind of Power used	Kind of Metal Made	Largest product	Actual Product in 1849
2	9 feet	32 feet	Water & Steam	Close Gray Iron	1,200 Tons	1,200 Tons

(Iron Masters Association,1850:n.p.)

From "History of Clarion County" 1887.
Jefferson Furnace, 1838, eight feet bosh, thirty feet high; on Beaver Creek at Jefferson Station; built by Arnold Plumer and S. F. Plumer, the latter became sole proprietor; managed by John Haslett. It was run very irregularly; produced, in 1845, 800 tons; in 1856, about 600 tons of forge metal out of limestone and bog ores; abandoned in 1858, chiefly on account of lack of timber. (Davis,1887:116,117)

Jefferson Furnace. Located on Beaver Creek at Jefferson Station. Height 30 feet, 8 foot bosh. Built by Arnold & S. F. Plummer, S.F.Plummer later beacme sole proprietor. Managed by John Haslett. Sporadic use. Production in 1845 and 1847 was 800 tons, 1856 about 600 tons of forge metal out of limestone and bog ores. Abandoned 1858, mainly from lack of timber. (Caldwell,1877: )

Jefferson Furnace. (Quaking Asp Furnace) Built in 1838 on Beaver Creek by Plummer and Company, this was a cold blast furnace, powered by water at first, but later by steam. It was blown out in 1858.
(Sharp & Thomas,1966:33)

LOCATION:
To visit the site of Jeffeson Furnace follow PA Rt.338 south from Knox, to Wentlings Corners, and the Junction of T-332. Turn right on T-332. The road will cross the old K. & K. RR railroad bed at Jefferson Station, and just beyond the old railroad bed the road will cross a bridge over Beaver Creek. Park near the bridge. The site of Jefferson Furnace was located halfway between the old Railroad bed and Beaver Creek, on the left side of T-332. Leave the road and walk around back of a small hill. A pile of stone and some slag are all that remain at the site of Jefferson Furnace.

"Sharp & Thomas" give directions to Jefferson Furnace starting from Foxburg.

To inspect the ruins, follow PA Rt.56 east from Foxburg in Richland Twp., to the junction of PA Rt.338. Follow PA Rt. 338 to Wentlings Corners in Beaver Twp.; turn left on T-332. The road crosses a railroad track at Jefferson Station. About halfway between the railroad and the bridge beyond, over Beaver Creek, is the site of the old furnace on the left side of the road. Leave the road and go around back of a small hill. A pile of stones and some slag are all that remain [ca.1966].
(Sharp & Thomas,1966:35)
[The PA Rt. Nos.have been updated. ed.]

(It is recommended that you obtain and use the "Pennsylvania Atlas & Gazetteer" by DeLorne Mapping, as your map source in finding the Clarion County Iron Furnaces.)

The Beaver Township map is cropped from a 1/50,000 USGS Geological Survey Map of Clarion County dated 1986; based on 1/24,000 maps dated 1963 through 1969.
(Map courtesy of the U.S.G.S. Topographic Survey, Washington, D.C.)

Jefferson Furnace, Beaver Township,
Clarion Co.
1872 Map of Beaver Township, Clarion, showing the location of Jefferson Furnace and the settlement around the furnace.
(from "Atlas of the County of Lawrence & The State of Pennsylvania," Published by G.M.Hopkins & Co., Philadelphia, PA, ca.1872)

Bibliographical Sources: This section under construction.

[no pictures are presently available for Jefferson Furnace, Beaver Township, Clarion Co., Pa.]
If you have pictures or know of where pictures of the furnace are located or additional information on Jefferson Furnace, Clarion Co., please contact the Ironmaster

RETURN to Clarion County Furnace Index

RETURN to Pennsylvania Iron Furnace Source Book Index

Mercers, an Undertakers Business - Web Productions

If you have additional information or pictures on the Iron Furnaces of Clarion County, Pennsylvania
Contact: Ray Washlaski, Web Master
Need a web site for your family or organization, The "Mercers, an Undertakers" Web Productions, will do it for you at a reasonable cost, contact the "Mercers, an Undertakers"
Copyright 2002 All rights reserved, by Raymond A. Washlaski, Ryan P. Washlaski & The 19th Century Society of Pennsylvania.
Web site Design by "Mercers, an Undertakers" Web Design Company