Photos of the Excavation

Excavation of Elizabeth Furnace

Elizabeth Furnace was a charcoal burning furnace, originally constructed by Jacob Huber in 1746. He owned and operated the furnace until 1757 when his son-in-law Henry William Stiegel and two Philadelphia merchants the Stedman brothers, Charles and Alexander purchased the furnace. Stiegel remodeled the furnace, expanding its capacity and increasing production. This second furnace remained in blast until 1856 when more efficient anthracite coal burning furnaces rendered it obsolete. Some of the cut stone blocks that composed the exterior of the furnace were robbed out and used to build several other structures, including a nearby church. The mortar and rubble that composed the furnace interior (this rock and mortar and debris acted as a heat insulation) was left in place, being of no use as a building material, eventually crumbled and collapsed in on the remaining furnace base. This rubble preserved and protected the bottom several feet of the furnace as the pictures below will show you. For information on the recent 2007 excavations in the furnace core...