Buckeye Furnace
Why it's listed
Buckeye Furnace is a charcoal iron furnace site in Milton Township, Jackson County, Ohio, about 10 miles east of Jackson. The furnace was erected around 1850 in the Hanging Rock Iron Region, a belt of land with iron ore, timber, limestone and water power. The region produced charcoal iron until 1916 and was among the nation's leading iron producers during the Civil War. A furnace of this kind supported a community of several hundred workers, including teamsters, ore diggers, blacksmiths, charcoal burners and storekeepers. Only the stone stack survived when reconstruction began in 1966. Since then the iron master's residence, store, charcoal shed, engine house, casting house, charging house, foundry, shop and scale pit have been or are being rebuilt. Building locations were confirmed by a 1967 archaeological investigation and by interviews with a former blacksmith. The Ohio Historical Society bought the 270-acre tract in 1935 and runs the site as a museum. The nomination covers 77 acres.
Significance in brief: The furnace represents the charcoal iron industry of the Hanging Rock Iron Region, which was a leading iron producer during the Civil War. Of 46 charcoal furnaces in the Ohio part of the region, only 17 remain standing. The site is being restored as a working museum of southern Ohio's charcoal iron industry.
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 70000503, listed November 10, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 10 mi. E of Jackson, Jackson |
|---|---|
| County | Jackson County |
| Listed | November 10, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000503 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 19th Century; specific date 1850 |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the state historical society and operated as a museum. Only the stone stack was original when reconstruction began in 1966. Other buildings have been or are being reconstructed. Condition is marked good. |
| Acreage | 77 |
| Coordinates | 39.05662, -82.45327 (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 70000503.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.