{"nrhp_refnum":"75001679","name":"Laurel Hill Furnace","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"SE of New Florence on Baldwin Run","address_restricted":false,"city":"New Florence","county":"Westmoreland County","state":"PA","lat":40.366731876000074,"lon":-79.05864712899995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1975-04-28","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A rectangular stone iron blast furnace on Laurel Hill Creek near New Florence in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1845 by Hezekiah Reed, Gallagher, and Hale.","why_significant":"The nomination describes it as one of the largest and best preserved old iron blast furnaces in western Pennsylvania. It is presented as an unusually well-preserved example of the early iron-making industry that flourished in the region, supported by local ore, limestone, streams and oak forests for charcoal. Its stack is built with four base arches rather than the usual two or three, and the bosh remains intact.","narrative":"Built in 1845 by Hezekiah Reed, Gallagher, and Hale, Laurel Hill Furnace is a rectangular stone blast furnace that tapers from base to top, standing on Laurel Hill Creek in Westmoreland County. Its stack is built of cut stone with four arches at the base, more than the usual two or three, and is tied together with four iron tie rods in each direction. The bosh is intact, so the interior structure can still be examined. The furnace measures 36 by 36 by 38 feet. A 35-foot wheel pit and a four-foot tunnel, both lined with stone, once supplied water power, though neither can now be seen. Blasting ceased between 1855 and 1860. The furnace is regarded as one of the largest and best preserved old iron blast furnaces in western Pennsylvania. It remains a clear record of the early iron industry, which relied on local ore, limestone, streams and charcoal from nearby oak forests. The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy received the property in 1973.","period_of_significance":"1845","architect_builder":"Hezekiah Reed, Gallagher, and Hale (builders)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A"],"status_note":"Blasting was discontinued between 1855 and 1860. The furnace was donated to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1973. Original site, unaltered.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-haiku-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.1-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 17:11:29.655242-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_PA/75001679.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001679/6e0af2acab-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/75001679/6e0af2acab-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Jet Lowe","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laurel_Hill_Furnace.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Jet Lowe</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Laurel_Hill_Furnace.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71996710","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurel_Hill_Furnace","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6499857"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/pennsylvania/westmoreland-county/laurel-hill-furnace-75001679/"}