Richmond Furnace Historical and Archeological District
Why it's listed
Richmond Furnace is a 290-acre district in southwestern Berkshire County, Massachusetts, centered on the remains of an iron-making complex that used charcoal to produce pig iron. The Richmond Iron Works blast furnace, built about 1829 and altered in 1905, is the focal point. Its squat, battered stack of Stockbridge marble stands 34 feet high and has pointed Gothic arches typical of furnaces built by the I.N. Bartram Company. Around it lie the traces of the whole production process: open-pit and shaft iron mines, ore crusher foundations, brick charcoal kilns, limestone flux quarries, dams, ponds and a headrace that supplied water power. Earlier sawmill and gristmill sites from the 18th century are also included. The district contains 28 contributing buildings, among them ironworker houses from about 1840 and 1873 on State Road, Furnace Lane and Furnace Road. Together, these resources record a long-running industrial community, and its payroll approached 700 workers in the late nineteenth century.
Significance in brief: The district preserves the full chain of charcoal pig iron production, from ore mines and limestone quarries to the blast furnace and water power system. It also includes the worker housing built by the Richmond Iron Works. The furnace stack shows the regional Salisbury Iron District style associated with the I.N. Bartram Company, and the works operated until the early 20th century as one of the last in that district.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 99001044, listed August 31, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | State, Cone Hill, and Furnace Rds., Richmond |
|---|---|
| County | Berkshire County |
| Listed | August 31, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99001044 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Blast furnace construction typical of the I.N. Bartram Company; Richmond Iron Works (RIW) built the furnace and worker housing |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate (dwellings); Salisbury Iron District type blast furnace |
| Areas of significance | Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture, Engineering, Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The blast furnace stack survives but its stones are spalling and exfoliating, which may weaken the structure. Some houses are still used as dwellings. |
| Acreage | 290 |
| Coordinates | 42.35709, -73.37575 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 99001044.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7330832
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.