Vesuvius Furnace
Also known as: Law-290-8
Why it's listed
Vesuvius Furnace is a four-sided, pyramid-shaped sandstone iron furnace stack in the Wayne National Forest near Ironton, Ohio. Hurd, Gould and Company built it in 1833 using unmortared sandstone blocks. The stack stands 30 feet tall and is backed by a 111-foot retaining wall. It is one of the furnaces of the Hanging Rock Iron Region, which reached into Kentucky and West Virginia. Vesuvius adopted the hot blast technique in the 1830s, among the earliest American furnaces to do so, and it was the last cold blast charcoal furnace still operating in the region in 1903. It ceased operation in 1906 after roughly 62 years of nearly continuous use. Beside it, a 1940 Works Progress Administration bridge over Storms Creek is faced with irregular sandstone pieces and is noted as an unusual example of ornamental Depression-era public works. Today the furnace and bridge form the focal point of a picnic area, and the furnace is regarded as one of the best surviving early stacks.
Significance in brief: The furnace is argued to be significant as one of the first American iron furnaces to adopt the hot blast technique and one of the best surviving early furnaces in the Hanging Rock Iron Region. It operated for about 62 years, into the early twentieth century. The WPA-built stone bridge is significant as an unusual example of Depression-era public works with an aesthetic use of stone.
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 89001714, listed June 14, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Co. Hwy. 29 at Storms Creek in Vesuvius Recreation Area of Wayne National Forest, Ironton |
|---|---|
| County | Lawrence County |
| Listed | June 14, 1990 |
| Reference number | 89001714 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1833-1906 (furnace); 1940 (bridge) |
| Architect / builder | Hurd, Gould, & Co. (furnace); WPA (bridge) |
| Architectural style | No style |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | National |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Furnace stack walls are intact and in good condition, interior firebrick is partly intact, metal grates cover the openings, and the site serves as a picnic area in a national forest recreation area. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 38.60546, -82.63008 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
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 89001714.
- 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.