Southfield Furnace Ruin
Why it's listed
Deep in the woods beside a rushing stream, the ruins of Southfield Furnace mark a once busy ironworks begun around 1804 and abandoned in 1887. Surviving parts include the four-sided furnace stack with its brick lining, the twin arches of the charging bridge, the bellows area, traces of the water race, portions of the casting room with brick arches, and a single wall of the foundry building. The furnace was part of a self-sufficient community that also had an iron master's house, blacksmith shop, store, grist mill, barns and a railroad spur. The Peter Townsend family built and ran the works, which made stamped iron. In 1810 Peter Townsend II produced the first blistered steel made in New York State, and in 1816 the first cannon cast in the state from Long Mine ore. Fuel changed from charcoal to anthracite in 1868 and coke in 1880. The last blast came in September 1887, and the ruins remain among the best local illustrations of this industry.
Significance in brief: The remains illustrate the iron-making industry that was once common in Orange County and southern New York, and little evidence of comparable industrial sites survives. The works, run by the Peter Townsend family, produced stamped iron and saw early experiments, including the first blistered steel and the first cannon cast in New York State from Long Mine ore.
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 73001243, listed November 2, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Monroe off NY 17, Monroe |
|---|---|
| County | Orange County |
| Listed | November 2, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001243 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | c. 1804-1887 (dates of operation) |
| Architect / builder | Built and managed by the Peter Townsend family |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Ruins in a wooded area; privately owned and listed as unoccupied. The furnace stack lining is in fairly good condition, and the casting room walls and charging bridge arches partly stand. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.25387, -74.19392 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 73001243.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q67762643
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.