Wharton Furnace, Iron furnace in Wharton Township, Pennsylvania.
Wharton Furnace is a stone structure built to smelt and shape iron, located near Hopwood in Fayette County. The building displays the sturdy construction typical of early American industrial facilities.
A United States congressman founded this blast furnace facility in 1837 during an early wave of iron production in the region. The operation ran actively until 1850, when the industrial site was abandoned.
The site demonstrates iron-making methods that shaped manufacturing in rural Pennsylvania during the 1800s. These practices were central to the region's economy and craftsmanship of that era.
The furnace sits along Wharton Furnace-Hull Road south of U.S. Route 40 near Hopwood. Visitors should allow time to view the structure from different angles and explore the surrounding grounds.
The furnace was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991, recognizing its importance to Pennsylvania's industrial heritage. This designation was part of a broader documentation of iron and steel resources from that era.
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