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Jackson Rockingham Shade Somerset Wellersburg
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SOMERSET COUNTY

in Southwestern PA had 5 furnaces, 4 visited, photographed, and GPS locations verified. Shade is of great interest, with nearby grist mill remains, a good millrace and stone lined wheel pit, plus a nice hike to get to it. Jackson, although only a pile of stones, has a nice charcoal house remains, a good millrace, dam, wagon road and a history booklet available. Wellersburg and Somerset are easy to get to but only Wellersburg is of much interest with all external stones removed. Rockingham does not exist.



Wellersburg Furnace-2003 Wellersburg
Nov.2003
Jackson - is on Pickings Run in Jenner Township. It was built about 1825 by Irwin Horrell, Phillip Murphy and Charles Ogle. It was unsuccessful in their hands, and about 1833 Joseph and William Graham took over and put the plant in blast but were overtaken by speedy disaster. The furnace was then abandoned(s&t).Jfs states it went out of blast in 1834. The furnace is in bad shape, a high pile of stones and rubble, but a well defined tailrace runs from the furnace to the stream. A charcoal house ruins stands on the bench above the furnace. (V)(P)(rp-2003, rp,ph-2004). - From the junction of US30 and PA965 in Jennerstown
N40º 09.572' W079º 03.934' Go west on US30 for 1.1 miles to junction with SR4027, Klines Mill Road to the right N40º 09.877' W079º 05.026'. Bear right on SR4027. Follow this road 1.2 miles to a dirt road, Sequanota Road to the left.
N40º 10.640' W079º 05.818' Turn left on this road leading into Camp Sequanota, a Church Camp. Follow this private road about 0.35 miles to where a road to the right leads by sign to "Athletic Field". N40º 10.845 ' W079º 06.078 ' Follow this road. Where the road splits, the right split is the ancient "Old Forbes Road" which during frontier days was one of the first tracks over the Allegheny Mountains from Fort Bedford to Fort Pitt(jfs). To reach the furnace don't follow this old road but bear left. After about 0.22 miles the furnace remains are on the right next to the hillside.
GPS Coordinates N40º 10.950' W079º 06.309' (P)(V)(rrp2004)
Just a pile of stones and rubble about 15 feet high. Above the ruins are the remains of the charcoal house. The old millrace and tailrace are evident running between the furnace and the hillside, and diagonally across the road and down to the creek. Large slag piles are to the left just before reaching the furnace. Farther up the road you reach a dam which was used to raise the water level so that it could come down the millrace to the furnace which is on a level somewhat higher than the creek(jfs). Since the furnace is on the property of the Sequanota Lutheran Conference Center and Camp you may wish to seek permission
upon entering the area. The camp personnel are quite willing to help and show a great interest in preserving this historic site, and have a good descriptive brochure to help locate the furnace and environs(jfs). To reach the office return to the main camp road, cross the bridge over Pickings Run and continue about ¼ mile to the camp office.
Rockingham - was on Dark Shade Creek, 6.6 miles north of Reels Corners, in Shade Township. This cold blast charcoal furnace was built in 1844 by John Foust. It was later run by Custer and Little. It was a small furnace with a 6' bosh and 21' stack(s&t). Another account says Rockingham was built in 1841 by William Oldham(s&t). A third account says it was built in 1843 and abandoned in 1856(jp). A coal tipple and coal operations have removed all trace of this furnace(s&t). To reach the site of Rockingham Furnace drive to Reels Corners on US30 in the eastern part of Somerset County. and turn north on PA160 through Central City. At 6.6 miles you will see an enormous slate dump (s&t) on the left. There was an old building on the left which served as the Rockingham Post Office. Nearby was a coal tipple that occupied the site of Rockingham Furnace. No traces are found. Coordinates 40º 8.15'N - 78º 48.8'W. to top
Shade - Is on Shade Creek in Shade Township(rp). Shade Furnace was the first furnace built in Somerset County. George Lambert from 1805 to 1808 held a warrant for a tract land called "furnace seat". Thomas Vikroy was owner from 1808 to 1819. Construction was started in 1808 and first blast in 1809 (bf). Per s&t Gerehart and Reynolds were the builders in 1807 or 1808 (s&t). It was then operated by various owners; Mark Richards and Benjamin Jones 1819 to 1846, forge constructed, Henry Little for 6 months in 1846, John and William Shyrock 1846-47, Robert Bingham, William Shyrock and Andrew Royer 1847 to 1850, Daniel Weyand 1850 to 1880. The furnace and forge were abandoned about 1858. The heirs of Daniel Weyland estate owned the property from 1880 to 1975, when the furnace property and 350 acres surrounding it were obtained by the Historical and Genealogical Society of Somerset County, who are attempting preservation and minor archaeological work in the area (mw,bf). Thomas Vickroy (Vikroy) left certain papers relating to it (mw). According to s&t, in the 1960's, only a pile of rubble remained but we found a poor but well defined furnace, wheel pit, millrace and tailrace in a more northerly location(rp-2004). The location s&t described was actually the site of a grist mill south of the furnace and near two mill dams. The large depression in the hillside at this location was a burrow pit for the dams, and much slag was deposited on the dams(bf).
We will describe three possible routes to the general area of Shade Furnace
(1) Follow US30 to Reels Corners. Turn north on PA160 N40º 03.522' W078º 49.687' Take PA160 3.6 miles to SR1021 to the left. N40º 06.374' W078º 49.018' Follow this road 3.4 miles to dirt(?) road T717 to the right. N40º 08.296' W078º 50.910' Turn right and follow common directions below. (2) This next route may be easier to trace. Go east from Stoystown on US30 about 4.75 miles to SR1021 to the left (just before Buckstown). N40º 04.541' W078º 52.335' Turn left on SR1021 and proceed about 5.25 miles to where SR1021 splits right and becomes School Road. Take the left split (T717). N40º 08.296' W078º 50.910' From here on the directions are the same for routes (1) & (2). From this point go about 0.1 miles to where Coffee Hill Road will bear to the right but continue straight (4WD recommended) about another 0.75 miles to a junction with another road coming in from the right, a gated meadow straight ahead and an old road and parking area left. GPS coordinates N40º 08.733' W078º 50.045'. Park here. The estimated directions from the gated meadow would be to follow the deteriorating road that is slightly left down the slope to the railroad tracks. GPS coordinates N40º 09.126' W078º 49.701'
(3) A third route, which may be longer but easier to traverse, is to go north from Reels Corners on PA160 through Central City to near Rockingham, just south of Reitz. Turn left on Whispering Pines Road and follow it down across Dark Shade Creek to the railroad tracks. GPS coordinates N40º 08.058' W078º 48.872. Park here. Follow the railroad north (downstream) along Dark Shade Creek and Shade Creek. At about 0.7 miles you will pass over Miller Run, and then at about 1.43 miles total, and just beyond a small stream coming down from the left, you will see the road coming down from the left(lh/mw). GPS coordinates N40º 09.126' W078º 49.701'. This is the route we followed in 2004(rp).
At the road and tracks turn right toward the creek along the north bank of a small run, then slightly left and walk down toward a washout area and toward Shade Creek. (lh). About 300-400 feet into the underbrush and Hemlocks toward Shade Creek you will come across the remains of the furnace, about 400 feet from Shade Creek(lh/mw/rp). About 10 rows of stone and several openings remain(rp). You will also see remains of the engine house and casting house foundations, wheel pit and charcoal house(bf). Much slag abounds.
GPS coordinates N40º 09.187' W078º 49.698'.
A race runs from the furnace upstream toward the small run, and beyond toward the grist mill and dam sites. At one time a pig iron and bloomery forge operated about 800 meters north of the furnace, and there was a saw mill between the furnace and the grist mill site. The furnace, saw mill and grist mill all used the same race(bf).
To locate the old grist mill and dam site, from the old road and railroad tracks follow down the small stream toward Shade Creek fording to the west (right) side and continue down to the race. Follow the race upstream about 200 yards to the area of the pit and old grist mill location. Here you will see evidences of the old millrace and wheel pit turning toward Shade Creek. To the south (upstream) you will see a large depression in the ground(rp) which was the site of the burrow pit for the dam construction(bf). These depressions a few pieces of slag, some of which was used as fill for the dams.and some timbers are all that remain(rp,bf). The dams along Shade Creek near this point are gone now. Per s&t remains of old building foundations are nearby in the woods. This was the site s&t incorrectly identified as the location of Shade Furnace(rp)
The saw mill was located along the race between the furnace and the grist mill(bf).
GPS coordinates of the grist mill site N40º 09.175' W078º 49.555'.(rp-2004) to top
Somerset - is on the south fork of Bens Creek in Jenner Township. Somerset was built in 1846 by Huber, Linton and Myers. It was later owned by G. Ross Forward; and the area around the furnace was, for many years, know as Forwardstown. It was a fairly large furnace having an 8.5' bosh and 32' stack(s&t). It is now only a pile of stones and dirt. (V)(P)(rp-2003)
From the junction of US30 and PA965 in Jennerstown N40º 09.572' W079º 03.934' go north on PA965 4.7 miles. About 100 feet south of the intersection of Roaring Run Road and to your left (west) will be a house. N40º 13.078' W079º 01.869' Behind the house will be the remains of an old barn, and behind all this will be a field of trash and underbrush. The furnace is to the left here against the hillside and about 100 yards from the road.
GPS Location N40º 13.105' W079º 01.929'(rp-2003)
Another route would be south from Johnstown to SR4027, Roaring Run Road, to the west.to top
Wellersburg - is in Wellersburg in Southampton Township. It was built in 1855 or 1856 by the Union Coal and Iron Company under the management of G. Ross Forward(s&t). When active the furnace produced about 300 tons of iron per month, and the iron company employed about 200 men. It was the primary reason the town of Wellersburg grew, and after its shutdown the town's prosperity diminished(bsf). It was blown out in 1866. A photo in the early 1900's showed a well built furnace with a round arch opening(mm). Much of the outside stone was later removed from the structure leaving only the brick interior. The top of this brickwork was eliminated and a roof put over it. A door was cut into the side. Enough foundations, arches, etc, remain to prove that here was a well built furnace. The wheel on the blast engine had a 15' diameter. Ore was mined about 4 miles away and brought to the furnace on cars, with spool shaped wheels, riding on wooden rails(s&t,mm). (V)(P)(rp-2003)
To find Wellersburg Furnace go south on PA160 to Wellersburg. While descending the hill in Wellersburg turn sharply right on a dirt road that cuts back at a 135º angle just below a white church. There is a sign at this intersection to lead you to "Wellersburg Fireman's Park".
N 39º 44.027' W078º 51.151' Go down this road about 0.2 miles to the Fireman's Ball Park and park here. The stack is to the right at this point and against the hillside.
GPS Location N 39º 44.121' W078º 51.305' (rp-2003)
Somerset County Special Sources:
Jackson Furnace and Iron Works, published by Sequanota Camp, Jennersburg PA, 2002(jfs)
Lawrence Hutchinson (lh), Cairnbrook, PA - Shade Furnace
Mark Ware (mw) Historical and Genealogical Society of Somerset County
IUP Archaeological Services(iup) - www iuparchaeology.iup.edu/shade.htm
Mountain Laurel Trout Unlimited(mlt) - www.mltu.org/Fisheries/shade_creek.htm
Mike McKenzie (mm) - Wellersburg Furnace
History of Bedford, somerset & Fulton Co.PA 1884, Waterman Watkins(bsf).
Brian L. Fritz (bf)


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