Call goes out for information about southwestern York County’s Mary Ann Furnace
Pennsylvania iron furnace
James Rummel holds a cannonball made in the Mary Ann Furnace, a Revolutionary War-era forge that was once on the Rummel Farm in West Manheim Township, York County. The Rummel family sold the historic farm to the adjacent Codorus State Park. in 2005, also of interest: Iron-mine-turned-into-party-spot turned into York County park and Local county and state parks: York County’s best idea? and Mining a rich vein of southwestern York County’s religious history.
Mary Ann Furnace was one of a half dozen or more 18th-century York County forges and ironmakers.
Not much is known about the layout and history of this old furnace, its land now part of Codorus State Park in southwestern York County… .
A release from York County parks geologist Jeri Jones states that Mary Ann Furnace started operation in 1761, making it the oldest cold-blast furnace west of the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania.
Cannonballs, shot and stove plates were produced at the site until about 1800.
Codorus State Park would like to develop an interpretive program on this valuable historical site.
Anyone knowing any information concerning the location of the furnace and related structure or have found artifacts on the property prior to 2005, please call Jeri Jones at (717) 840-7226 or email him at JLJ276@aol.com.
As part of Summer Blast on June 25-27, those interested may stop by the history display near the nature tent to see more information on Mary Ann Furnace.
For more about Mary Ann Furnace, visit: Eighteenth-century York County brownfield now parkland.
