Juniata Iron Works
Also known as: Hatfield Iron Works
The pin is a point inside the NPS boundary polygon, not a surveyed location.
Why it's listed
Six buildings survive from the Juniata Iron Works, a complex on the Frankstown Branch of the Juniata River one mile east of Alexandria, Huntingdon County. The works began in 1838 with a forge and rolling mill founded by Abraham and Samuel Hatfield, and moved to the north bank of the river in the late 1840s. Production in 1850 employed 60 men. The surviving group includes two ironmasters' mansions, the first built in 1841 and the second in 1867, along with a store and post office, a grist mill dating from 1856, and two workers' houses from the 1840s. The complex declined after the Pennsylvania Canal closed in 1875, which had carried its products. Only the grist mill kept operating, later known as Hellyer's Mill. The district is regarded as locally significant for its industrial history and for the architecture of its two mansions, which are described as fine examples of ironmasters' residences influenced by the Federal and Georgian styles. The survival of two workers' houses is considered unusual in Huntingdon County.
Significance in brief: The district is argued to be eligible under Criterion A for its association with the iron industry in Huntingdon County, and the two ironmasters' mansions are argued to be eligible under Criterion C for their architecture. The document describes the surviving group as a fine example of an iron plantation in the county, and notes that the survival of two worker houses is unusual there. The resource is assessed as locally significant.
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 90000404, listed March 20, 1990. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Off PA 885, 1.5 mil E of Alexandria, Alexandria |
|---|---|
| County | Huntingdon County |
| Listed | March 20, 1990 |
| Reference number | 90000404 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1841-1875 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The store/post office building is presently in use as a bed-and-breakfast; the grist mill is overgrown and rapidly deteriorating; one small frame house is noted as not contributing. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 40.54243, -78.08535 (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 90000404.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q15229864
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.