Isabella Furnace
Why it's listed
Built in 1835 by Henry Potts and John P. Rutter on forty-nine acres that already held a sawmill and a fulling mill, Isabella Furnace was an iron-smelting complex on Perkins Run in Chester County. David Potts managed the furnace from 1836 and secured ore from the St. Peter's and St. Mary's mines. After a sale in 1856 to John Irey and James Butler, and later to the Smith brothers in 1864, Col. Joseph Potts reacquired it by 1880, converting the hot blast drive to steam power and building a brick engine house. A narrow gauge siding from the Pennsylvania Railroad's Downingtown branch reached the site. The furnace closed in 1894, when it had ceased to be profitable. Its significance lies in its long operating life, its late construction in the county, and a stone arch railroad bridge that carried rail cars into the charcoal house.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the furnace is significant under Criterion A for industry because it was one of the longest-running iron furnace complexes in eastern Pennsylvania, operating from 1835 to 1894 and among the last built in Chester County. It is also argued to be significant under Criterion C for engineering, particularly its stone arch railroad bridge, which is described as having no other known example of its type in Pennsylvania.
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 91001135, listed September 6, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Bollinger Dr. just N of Creek Rd., Nantmeal Township, Brandywine Manor |
|---|---|
| County | Chester County |
| Listed | September 6, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001135 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1835-1894 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Furnace stack collapsed several years ago; roofs, trussing and machinery were removed and sold for scrap in 1944; a swimming pool was built c. 1975 and is non-contributing. |
| Acreage | 4 |
| Coordinates | 40.11343, -75.82281 (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 91001135.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6077990
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.