Callie Furnace
Why it's listed
Callie Furnace is a pyramid-shaped iron furnace of hand-laid cut stone, assembled without mortar, in the George Washington National Forest about 1.5 miles north of Glen Wilton, Botetourt County, Virginia. D. S. Cook built it in 1873 and named it for his wife, Caroline Wilton Cook. The stack rises 33 feet above the firebox and has an interior diameter of 8 feet. It was designed for charcoal, converted to coke in 1875, and enlarged in 1880. Furnaces of this type were set against a hillside so ore, limestone and fuel could be carried across a bridge to the top, and a water wheel powered the bellows. Ore mined on the property was shipped as pig iron from the rail center at Clifton Forge to mills in Ohio and Pennsylvania. The last recorded mention of the furnace in blast was April 1884, and the nearby Princess Furnace, built that year, probably replaced it. The structure remains in good condition, though the bridge and bellows are gone.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of many iron furnaces built in the 1800s, well sited near ore supply and rail transportation. Its ore was shipped as pig iron via Clifton Forge to mills in Ohio and Pennsylvania. It remains in good condition and is still an impressive sight.
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 74002108, listed January 21, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1.5 mi. N of Glen Wilton in the George Washington National Forest, Glen Wilton |
|---|---|
| County | Botetourt County |
| Listed | January 21, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74002108 |
| Resource type | Structure |
| Period of significance | 19th Century |
| Architect / builder | D. S. Cook |
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition; the bridge to the furnace top and the bellows are gone. The form marks the property as unoccupied. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 37.77705, -79.82373 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary: it recognises significance and does not restrict what a private owner may do without federal money or permits. It unlocks the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit for income-producing buildings, state credits in many states, and Section 106 review when federal agencies are involved. See what listing means in practice.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 74002108.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14712120
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.