The Fitchburg Furnace

Front-View of the Furnace

Front-View of the Furnace

Dedication Stone

This stone lists the name of the furnace and it’s completion year.

Back Door

This man-sized tunnel runs out the back of the furnace towards what would have been a support building back in the day.

Back-View

This back-side view of the furnace is from the small trail leading behind the furnace.

Repairs

Here you can see a 6x6 wood post and heavy jack that is used to support a crumbling portion of the structure.

Looking Up

This upward view through one of the smoke-stacks shows how smoke and hot air were vented from the furnace.

Looking-In Tunnel

Standing outside, looking into one of the structures tunnels.

Looking-Out Tunnel

Standing inside, looking out through one of the tunnels.

Tunnels

This is one of the many tunnels running through the structure.

Side-View of the Furnace

Another Front-View

For much of the 19th century iron production was a major industry in Kentucky. The region offered rich deposits of iron ore, and ample forests to help fire the furnaces used to convert the ore into a finished product.

In the late 1870’s new developments in the iron making process, combined with the discovery of much higher quality ore in other states killed the industry in the Bluegrass state. Although the communities that sprung up around these iron works quickly dried up, the furnaces themselves were a little harder to get rid of. These large collections of rocks, often built in very rural areas, were simply abandoned where they stood.

Today, just north of the town of Ravenna in Estill county Kentucky stands the remains of the “Fitchburg Furnace”. It is the largest coal-fired iron furnace and the last one to be built in Kentucky. The furnace set for years totally abandoned, and ultimately fell into disrepair.

Oddly enough though, most of the "damage" visible in the structure is the result of an explosion of dynamite within the structure in the early 20th century. One story alleges that locals were attempting to blast residual iron from the lining of the furnace to sell for scrap, while others say that a local moonshiner had a still nearby and attempted to destroy the structure that frequently brought curious onlookers to the area.

Thankfully the parks service has done extensive work to repair & restore the structure, as well as stabilize it to prevent further decay. Modern visitors to the site can walk through the cavernous tunnels of the furnace, and lay hands upon the massive stone blocks that comprise this castle of industry.   The size of this ruin is truly mind boggling considering the technology of the time.  It may be a bit off the beaten path, but is well worth a trip to witness this testament to men who performed back-breaking laboring to extract a living from the earth. 

Want to Experience This Adventure for Yourself? 

The Fitchburg Furnace is located at 1875 Fitchburg Rd, Ravenna, KY 40472, United States