Elizabeth Furnace was a

blast furnace A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally pig iron, but also others such as lead or copper. ''Blast'' refers to the combustion air being supplied above atmospheric pressure. In a ...

in the

Shenandoah Valley The Shenandoah Valley () is a geographic valley and cultural region of western Virginia and the eastern panhandle of West Virginia in the United States. The Valley is bounded to the east by the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the west by the east ...

that was used to create

pig iron Pig iron, also known as crude iron, is an intermediate good used by the iron industry in the production of steel. It is developed by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace. Pig iron has a high carbon content, typically 3.8–4.7%, along with si ...

from 1836 to 1888 using Passage Creek for water power.

Iron ore Iron ores are rocks and minerals from which metallic iron can be economically extracted. The ores are usually rich in iron oxides and vary in color from dark grey, bright yellow, or deep purple to rusty red. The iron is usually found in the f ...

was mined nearby, purified in the furnace, and then

was transported over the

Massanutten Mountain Massanutten Mountain is a synclinal ridge in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachians, located in the U.S. state of Virginia. The original Native American name for the ridge is unknown. Geography The mountain bisects the Shenandoah Valley just e ...

to the South Fork of the

Shenandoah River The Shenandoah River is the principal tributary of the Potomac River, long with two River fork, forks approximately long each,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed August ...

for forging in

Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Harpers Ferry is a historic town in Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 269 at the 2020 United States census. Situated at the confluence of the Potomac River, Potomac and Shenandoah River, Shenandoah Rivers in the ...

. The road used to transport this iron is still used today by hikers climbing to the top of the Massanutten Mountain via the

Massanutten Trail The Massanutten Trail is a National Recreation Trail located in George Washington National Forest in Central Virginia. Much of the path is steep and rugged terrain, and presents many mountain vistas. The trail traverses the Massanutten Rang ...

. Much of the original stone structure still exists, as well as a restored cabin, and an outdoor recreation area.US Forest Service - Elizabeth Furnace recreation area page
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Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area

The Elizabeth Furnace Recreation Area, located in

George Washington National Forest The George Washington and Jefferson National Forests is an administrative entity combining two U.S. United States National Forest, National Forests into one of the largest areas of public land in the Eastern United States. The forests cover o ...

just north of Fort Valley,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

, consists of three main areas: the group camping area, the picnic area and the family camping area. The group camping area, located at , includes fire rings and open pit toilets. The picnic area, located at , includes picnic tables, open pit toilets, open fields, access to several well blazed and maintained hiking trails (most notably the Massanutten /

Tuscarora Trail The Tuscarora Trail is a hiking trail in the eastern United States, following the Appalachian Mountains through portions of Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Its route is roughly parallel to, and to the west of, the Appalachia ...

), mountain biking trails and fishing in Passage Creek. There is a trout hatchery near Passage Creek where a fishing license is required. The family camping area, located at , includes 33 first-come, first-served pay camp sites, fire rings, and a restored 1830s cabin.

References

{{reflist History of Virginia Parks in Shenandoah County, Virginia Buildings and structures in Shenandoah County, Virginia George Washington and Jefferson National Forests Ironworks in Virginia 1836 establishments in Virginia 1886 disestablishments in the United States Virginia Historic Landmarks Companies established in 1836 Foundries