Allegheny Furnace
Why it's listed
Built in 1811 by Andrew Henderson and Robert Allison, the stone iron furnace stack and its office and company store stand on Crescent Avenue in Altoona. Henderson had assembled more than 3,000 acres, and the furnace was named for Allegheny Township. It was the second furnace established in what was then Huntingdon County, now Blair County. Elias Baker acquired the property in 1836, raised the stack, and built a lime kiln, sawmill, charcoal house, and six tenant houses. The furnace was rebuilt in 1847 and again in 1852, then converted to coke around 1864 to 1867 under Sylvester C. Baker. It operated until 1884. The site is valued for representing the iron industry of the Juniata Valley, whose iron was prized for the rolling mills of Pittsburgh, and for the engineering of its surviving stack, which was restored in 1939.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the furnace as a representative example of the westward expansion of the Pennsylvania iron industry and as one of the earlier furnaces in the Juniata ironmaking area. It is also argued to be significant for its furnace stack as an engineering work, which retains its basic integrity despite later alterations.
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 91001131, listed September 6, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3400 Crescent Rd., Altoona |
|---|---|
| County | Blair County |
| Listed | September 6, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001131 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 1811-1884 |
| Architect / builder | Andrew Henderson and Robert Allison (builders of the furnace, 1811) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.49229, -78.40683 (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 91001131.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4731304
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.