Cornwall Iron Furnace

"Fun with the Family"

The massive stone furnace, steam-powered air-blast machinery, and several related buildings survive intact. Cornwall Furnace cast cannon barrels for the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. Cornwall Iron Furnace operated from the 1740s until the 1880s. A guide takes you through the iron-making complex, the highlight of which is the 32-foot-tall furnace.
A handsomely updated museum helps children age ten and up understand the science and business of making iron, with clever interactive displays they can handle and explore. (Kids who are strong readers will gain the most from the exhibits.) They’ll come away with an understanding of why so many towns in southeastern Pennsylvania have “Forge” or “Furnace” in their names: A seam of iron ore runs under most of this region. In colonial days Pennsylvania led the nation in iron production.