York Iron Company Mine
Why it's listed
Iron ore mining in Strickhouser's Ravine, near Seven Valleys in southwestern York County, began when John Musselman opened the first adit in 1854. The York Iron Company later bought the operation and worked it until 1876, and mining continued in the area until 1888. The site has a large open cut, several adits and shafts, and a pump-house foundation, along with a station house foundation that housed employees during mining periods. A stone loading platform and remnants of a railroad spur running to the Hanover Branch Railroad also survive. The ore, sometimes called Codorus Ore, was reported at up to 46 percent metallic iron and was shipped to the Lehigh Valley for pig iron production. The site is considered significant for its surviving evidence of hand-mining methods, including drill marks and pick marks, and for its role in the region's economic history. It is the only remaining place in the county with visible mine shafts from this period.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the site is the only remaining visible reminder of an iron ore industry that shaped the economy and social life of southwestern York County from 1854 to 1888. It states the site contains the only visible shafts in the county's mines and that its drill holes, chisel marks and shaft configurations document 19th-century hand mining techniques. The ore's quality and quantity are cited as further grounds for significance.
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 85000580, listed March 15, 1985. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Green Valley Rd., Spring Grove |
|---|---|
| County | York County |
| Listed | March 15, 1985 |
| Reference number | 85000580 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | 1854-1888 |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Historic - Non-Aboriginal |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Site is in an overgrown wooded condition with ruins and altered features; mining ceased in 1888 and the land remains largely as it was then. |
| Acreage | 71.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.84121, -76.80919 (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 85000580.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q8055484
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.