Robesonia Furnace Historic District
Also known as: Reading Furnace; Robesonia Iron Co. Ltd.
Why it's listed
Robesonia Furnace Historic District occupies the southern part of Robesonia borough in Berks County, along Furnace Creek. It developed around an iron plantation whose first furnace on the site was established in 1794 by George Ege, who later built a Georgian stone mansion there in 1807. The district's surviving buildings are mainly residential, ranging from high-style houses to vernacular worker's housing built in stone, frame, log and slag block between about 1800 and 1915. The Second Empire Taylor Mansion, the Italianate furnace office and the Georgian ironmaster's mansion stand out among them. Robesonia's ironworks were the centre of production for the Robesonia pig iron, and the company was dismantled in 1927 after Bethlehem Steel acquired the Cornwall ore mines. Its stone foundations, retaining walls and scattered pigs remain on the site, and the district is considered important for both its community history and its archaeological remains.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is significant for industry as an early example of iron-making in eastern Pennsylvania, and for community planning as an ironmaking community that endured and evolved over a long period. It is also cited for architecture, with high-style buildings such as the Second Empire Taylor Mansion, the Italianate furnace office and the Georgian ironmaster's mansion, alongside vernacular workers' housing with unusually sophisticated detailing. Archaeological remains of the industrial component, demolished in 1927, are considered to have potential to yield information about the site.
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 91001128, listed September 6, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Furnace, S. Church and Freeman Sts. and Mountain and E. Meadow Aves., Robesonia |
|---|---|
| County | Berks County |
| Listed | September 6, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001128 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1800-1927 |
| Architectural style | Georgian; Second Empire; Italianate; vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Community Planning and Development, Historic - Non-Aboriginal, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The industrial component was demolished in 1927 and the furnace complex was dismantled; the homes and other buildings were sold off individually. The Ege mansion is now owned by a rehabilitation center. |
| Acreage | 70 |
| Coordinates | 40.34156, -76.14011 (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 91001128.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7352164
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.