Wharton Furnace
Why it's listed
Built in 1837 by Andrew Stewart on Chaney Run in what is now Hopwood, Fayette County, Wharton Furnace is a stone charcoal iron furnace roughly 31 feet high, with a casting floor arch, a tuyere arch, and an east wheel pit and raceway still in place. It was placed in blast in 1839 and leased to operators including John D. Crea and J. Kennedy Duncan, who employed Alexander Clair as manager. Production halted before 1850, but wartime demand during the Civil War led to renewed operation, and the works supplied cannon balls for the Union Army. Isolated from railroads and water transport, the furnace failed after the war and was blown out by 1872. It is regarded as an important example of the western spread of Pennsylvania ironmaking, and the surviving structure is considered the best preserved iron furnace in Fayette County. A 1961 restoration by local and historical groups helped preserve the site, which lies in a grassy park amid the forest.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the furnace represents the westward expansion of the Pennsylvania iron industry and is a representative example of cold blast charcoal furnaces later retrofitted for hot blast. It is also described as the best preserved iron furnace in Fayette County, with its race, wheel pit and wheel house foundations adding to its importance.
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 91001143, listed September 6, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Wharton Furnace--Hull Rd. S of US 40, Wharton Township, Hopwood |
|---|---|
| County | Fayette County |
| Listed | September 6, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001143 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1837-1872 |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Engineering |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The furnace went out of blast before 1850, was refurbishment-restored in 1961, and is owned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.82569, -79.63800 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 91001143.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7990714
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.