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| The remnants of Karthaus Furnace Author's Photo |
A partially collapsed monolithic structure stands as a remnant to a forgotten industrial chapter of the quiet river town of Karthaus. Historically, the community was blessed with a plethora of natural resources. While the region's logging history is well known, the quest for iron ore in this section of Pennsylvania is less so. Exploiting this resource would not be without challenges, as one man would soon find out. In a way, this crumbling relic is a testament to him and his endeavor to succeed against the forces of nature.
Our story begins with a German emigrant named Peter Karthaus. Immigrating to the United States in 1796, Karthaus immediately set to work establishing himself in his new home. He settled in Baltimore, Maryland and operated a mercantile company that traded goods between the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. During the War of 1812, Karthaus financed at least ten privateer vessels to harass British shipping, which they did quite admirably.
Peter arrived in Pennsylvania around 1814. Two years later, iron ore was found downstream from the present day community of Karthaus (not officially founded until 1841). Peter quickly purchased the land and partnered with Rev. Frederick W. Geissenheimer, a fellow German immigrant, to construct an iron furnace. By 1817, the furnace was completed. Karthaus also erected a forge, gristmill, and several homes around his new iron works.
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| A cross section of an iron furnace Image Retrieved From:https://upload.wikimedia.org |
The furnace burned charcoal to smelt iron ore. Charcoal was the fuel of choice for iron furnaces of the period, as it burned efficiently and was cheaply produced from the abundant timber in the region. While the furnace operation was successful, the remote location made transporting the finished iron to distant market hazardous and uneconomical.
Karthaus was, and still relatively is, an isolated community in the PA Wilds. Primitive roads existed at the time, but the superior mode of transport by far was the river. The Interstate 80 of the region during that era was undoubtedly the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. In Karthaus’ operation, large wooden arks (rafts) were loaded with the iron and floated down the river to their destinations. However, this window was limited, as rafts could only be floated when river levels were elevated in the spring.
Reports indicate that Karthaus lost several arks laden with iron in the swift rapids of the river. Poor transportation and a limited local market forced the company of Karthaus and Geissenhainer to dissolve in 1818. However, Karthaus did not give up his venture completely and continued to operate his iron works.
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| A notice from the Bellefonte Patriot announcing the dissolvement of the partnership Retrieved From:www.panewsarchive.psu.edu |
By the mid-1820's a new form of transportation had emerged, steam-powered boats. Peter became intrigued with the prospects this technology could bring his business. Reportedly, Peter assisted in financing two steamboats, Codorus and Susquehanna. Trial expeditions in 1826 revealed that the West Branch could only be successfully navigated up to Farrandsville in Clinton County, over 50 river miles short of Karthaus. Yet another potential salvation had diminished.
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| The steamship Codorus Image Retrieved From:https://www.steelmuseum.org |
The furnace’s last hope was that a railroad would be built through the region. Evidence shows that Peter petitioned for one, but his pleas apparently fell on deaf ears. All possible options had now been exhausted. The last mention of the iron works in operation was 1828. However, the story of his furnace was not quite over.
In 1836, two men attempted to try their hand at making the furnace successful. John Say and Peter Ritner purchased or leased the furnace from Peter Karthaus and converted it to burn coke. Coke is a fuel derived from removing impurities from coal through heat. Sources conflict to whether this conversion was successful. Iron-makers in the region struggled with reliably burning coke in their furnaces. Local coal deposits were usually of lower grade and produced substandard coke that did not burn as efficiently, affecting the quality of the iron.
One source reports that their furnace produced a superior grade of iron by burning coke, while another wonders how any iron was made at all with such an ill-suited conversion. This more critical source reports that in 1838, the furnace required three tons of ore, three and one-half tons of coal, and one ton of limestone to produce just one ton of iron.
Regardless of the quality of iron produced, the operation ran headlong into the same bottleneck that had plagued Peter Karthaus, transporting the finished product to market. Arks were still being utilized with mixed results. Hope for the venture soared with the completion of the West Branch Division of the Pennsylvania Canal to Farrandsville in 1835. Plans for an extension from Farrandsville to Keating were contemplated. If implemented, the canal would have provided the missing link for transporting iron from the furnace. Unfortunately, it was never built. By 1839, the furnace was abandoned, never to be used again. The railroad, which would have been the saving grace for the furnace, did not arrive until 1883.
For over a century, the furnace solemnly stood as a reminder of the past, slowly succumbing to the elements. In 1950, the Dept. of Forest and Waters conducted a restoration of the structure. What was exactly done is unknown. A second effort began in 1967. As work was progressing, a heavy rainstorm compromised the integrity of the structure resulting in a partial collapse. Though half of the furnace is now rubble, the structure still stubbornly hangs on, much like its builder who refused to give up under adverse circumstances.
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| Looking at the front of the furnace. The interior chimney can be seen in the center Author's Photo |
The partially intact front wall retains the archway where the tap hole was. As the name implies, molten iron would be “tapped” from the furnace through this opening. On the right side, another archway can be found. This portal contains the remnants of one of the tuyeres, a French word meaning nozzle or pipe. Air would be injected through a pipe on either side of the furnace to increase the temperature inside, much like how you’d blow on a smoldering campfire to get it to burst into flame. The inner chimney is also relatively intact.
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| The portal that contained the taphole Author's Photo |
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| The only completely intact wall Author's Photo |
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| Close up of the wall showing the portal for the tuyere Author's Photo |
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| The tuyere where air was forced through to fan the flames inside Author's Photo |
Please use caution while exploring the furnace. It is recommended that you stay a safe distance away to both protect yourself and what remains of this historic structure. Please do not enter the portals or climb upon the rubble.
Information Retrieved From:
Brown, E. (2010). Commerce on early American waterways. McFarland and Company Retrieved from https://books.google.com/booksid=9gEAlYBAbWYC&pg=PA50&dq=Peter+karthaus+%2B+rafts+%2B+west+branch&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwif7fHhu-jkAhVJmeAKHULUCGoQ6AEwAHoECAEQAg#v=onepage&q=Peter%20karthaus%20%2B%20rafts%20%2B%20west%20branch&f=false
Hagley Museum and Library. Karthaus family papers. Retrieved from
https://findingaids.hagley.org/xtf/view?docId=ead/1340.xml
Karthaus Furnace Historical Marker. (2019). Retrieved from http://explorepahistory.com/hmarker.php?markerId=1-A-2A9
Pearse,J. (1876). A concise history of the iron manufacture of the American colonies up to the Revolution, and of Pennsylvania until the present time. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=mVc3AAAAMAAJ&pg=PA187&lpg=PA187&dq=Peter+karthaus+%2B+furnace+%2B+1820&source=bl&ots=1ZY3pvTSp&sig=ACfU3U31OnzbyuG8LAYT5L2Y5nO3qXGIiw&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjq5OzPwjkAhUsmAKHWSVDngQ6AEwDHoECAkQAQ#v=onepage&q=Peter%20karthaus%20%2B%20furnace%20%2B%201820&f=false
Stone stack amid ruins new monument in Clearfield co.(1950, August).Union Press-Courier. Retrieved From: https://panewsarchive.psu.edu/lccn/sn87079954/1950-08-17/ed-1/seq-9/#city=&rows=20&proxtext=Peter+Karthaus&searchType=basic&sequence=0&index=0&words=Karthaus+Peter&page=1
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