Historical Marker

Henry Clay Furnace

Furnace built 71/4 miles east in 1832 by Aylette Hartswell Buckner, S. V. Leedom, Cadwallader Churchill. A stone stack about 35 ft. high, 9 ft. across at widest inside, it burned charcoal fuel to produce pig iron and utensils from local ore. Its air-blast machinery was powered by a water wheel. Its operations were discontinued in 1837.

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Iron Made in Kentucky - A major producer since 1791, Ky. ranked 3rd in US in 1830s, 11th in 1965. Charcoal timber, native ore, limestone supplied material for numerous furnaces making pig iron, utensils, munitions in the Hanging Rock, Red River, Between Rivers, Rolling Fork, Green River Regions. Charcoal-furnace era ended in 1880s with depletion of ore and timber and use of modern methods.