The Joppa Iron Works, also known as Patterson's Iron Works was founded around 1817 by Joseph and Edward Patterson of
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, the brothers of
Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte, the sister-in-law of
Napoleon I of France.
Built at the falls-line of the (Dividing line of the Coastal Plain, the Piedmont Plateau)
Big Gunpowder River in eastern
Baltimore County, Maryland, the plant was started as a slitting and nail-making company. Located about 0.75 mile below current-day
Maryland Route 7
Maryland Route 7 (MD 7) is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. Known for much of their length as Philadelphia Road, there are five disjoint mainline sections of the highway totaling that parallel U.S.&nb ...
, it eventually had six puddling furnaces, one heating furnace, and 37 water-powered nail machines.
[McGrain, John W. "From Pig Iron to Cotton Duck", p. 212.]
The Joppa Iron Works closed around 1865 with the death of Edward Patterson. The Loreley Distilling Company eventually purchased the property and distilled
whiskey
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ...
on the site, closing when
Prohibition
Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcohol ...
took effect; selling the property to the Frank L. Wight Distilling Co. in 1933. Frank Wight sold the company to
Hiram Walker & Sons of
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
in 1941. The site was subsequently shut down in 1948 when production moved to their
Peoria, Illinois, facility.
Few remnants of the iron works that remain; a mill race and some stone foundations are still visible. Iron bolts and an old ship's mooring ring are still visible in various boulders. Remnants of
slag from the furnaces can still be found in the area. In 1970, the property was acquired by the Department of Forest & Parks
Maryland
Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
and is now part of the
Gunpowder State Park.
External links
*
References
* McGrain, John W. (1985) "From Pig Iron to Cotton Duck, Volume 1." Towson, MD: Baltimore Co., pages 212-214.
{{coord, 39, 24, 45, N, 76, 23, 41, W, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-MD, display=title
Buildings and structures in Baltimore County, Maryland
Ironworks and steel mills in Maryland
Industrial buildings and structures in Maryland
1810s establishments in Maryland
Companies based in Maryland
Patterson family of Maryland