Huntingdon Furnace
Why it's listed
Huntingdon Furnace is an iron plantation in northern Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania, built along Warriors Mark Run, which powered both the furnace and the mill. George Anshutz, an ironmaker from Alsace, established the operation in 1796, and the stone blast furnace stack was rebuilt on the present site in 1805. The furnace lands once covered thousands of acres of timber, ore mines and farm fields. The stone gristmill, built about 1808, supplied flour and feed for the works and served local farmers until about 1920. The ironmasters' mansion, completed in 1851, is a two-and-a-half-story frame house with decorative cast iron balustrades and a fanlight doorway. The district is significant for its industrial role in the county and for the survival of its stack, mansion, log workers' house and mill, which together show how an iron plantation was organized.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that Huntingdon Furnace is the most extensive and best-preserved iron furnace site in Huntingdon County, with its importance rooted in the county's iron industry. It also contends that the ironmasters' mansion, gristmill, workers' houses, mill house and stack together form a good architectural example of a northern iron plantation. The stack is described as an excellent example of original construction techniques.
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 90000407, listed March 20, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Twnshp. Rd. 31106, 2 mi. NW of jct. with PA 45, Franklinville |
|---|---|
| County | Huntingdon County |
| Listed | March 20, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000407 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1805-1869 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The furnace and operations ceased before the 1880s; the grist mill is used only for storage; the office building is used as a residence. |
| Acreage | 35 |
| Coordinates | 40.65794, -78.11615 (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 90000407.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5945121
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.