Allegheny (Alleghany) Furnace and the Baker Mansion

Over the weekend, we had a great opportunity to explore the Allegheny Furnace, as well as the mansion of one of its iron masters. 

 

 

Allegheny Furnace was constructed by Robert Allison and Andrew Henderson in 1811. This was the second iron furnace built in Blair County. Allison and Henderson would operate the furnace until 1818, when it went out of blast. 18 years later, in 1836, the furnace was purchased by Elias Baker and Roland Diller and re-fired. In 1867, the furnace was adjusted to be fueled by coke instead of charcoal. Eventually Baker would buy out his partner and become sole operator of the furnace. Baker employed around 20 men, and produced from 50 to 80 tons of iron per week. The furnace was abandoned in 1884. 

 

 

Allegheny Furnace.

This is the former store of the furnace complex. This structure was built around 1837, and is thought to be the oldest building in Altoona. The building served as a tea house in the 1920's and 1930's. In 1940 the Altoona Women's Club purchased the house and has used it ever since.

There is a large pipe (?) on the back of the furnace, and behind this fence. Possibly used for the blast.

The old store building has this 1811 plaque on it.

Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission sign outside of the stone building. Interesting is the fact that the Baker family spelled the furnace as Alleghany.

 

I found this photo online, and it claims to be the furnace before it was reconstructed. Whether this is accurate or not is unclear. The arch matches up. 

 

 

The Baker Mansion

 

 

 

The Baker Mansion was built between 1844 and 1848. Elias Baker chose the site for his homestead in 1844. The site contained everything that was necessary for the operation of an iron furnace. Farmland, mill, stable, carriage house, barn, and log houses for the iron furnace workers. Of course, it contained a mansion befitting an iron master and his family. The mansion would remain a private residence until 1914, when Anna Baker died in December of that year. 

On February 10, 1922, the Baker heirs agreed to allow the Blair County Historical Society (chartered in 1906) to lease the mansion for use as a museum. In 1941, the Historical Society was able to purchase the mansion outright. They have operated it ever since, offering tours and changing exhibits. The current exhibit is based on World War II in relation to Blair County.

 

The following photos are only a few items of what is available to explore at the mansion. I highly recommend a visit of your own!

These are two views, ca. 1900-1910, from the front porch of the mansion. The view is very different today. Photos courtesy of Blair County Historical Society.

 

The rear of the Baker Mansion.

First floor hallway.

Family portraits.

The dining room. Toward the right of the photo is a dumbwaiter, which went to the kitchen in the basement.

The dumbwaiter.

The basement kitchen.

Subbasement, and refrigeration room. at the back is a troth for a freshwater spring.

Fireplace in the basement.

More portraits. The coal furnace in the back was created at Elizabeth Furnace.

The World War II exhibit on the second floor.

Backtracking a little bit. This is going back to the Elizabeth Furnace coal stove.

One side of the mansion.

Front of the mansion.

The outlet for the spring in the refrigeration room.

The other side of the mansion. 

 

 

 

Blair Limestone Company Kilns

 

 

 

After this, we headed up to Canoe Creek State Park to explore the ruins of the Blair Limestone Company's kilns located inside the park. 

 

These kilns operated in the early 1900's and used limestone quarried nearby. Blair Limestone Company was a subsidiary of the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company of Pittsburgh. Limestone was used in the steel making process, along with coke and iron. 

 

The finished lime was transported along the Petersburg Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad, to the mainline, and on to J&L's mills in Pittsburgh and Alliquipa.  

 

The Blair Limestone Company was formed in 1891, with John King McLanahan, of Hollidaysburg, as President. The name of the organization was changed to the Blair Supply Company around 1907.  According to the National Park Service-America's Industrial Heritage Project (1990), the kilns operated until ca. 1916, employing mainly Hungarian and Italian labor, some of whose descendants still live in the area. Each kiln measures 23 square feet and 30 feet in height. This is a very unique and easily accessible site. 

 

 

Approaching the kilns.

There are interpretive signs, but they are pretty weathered. They're still possible to read, but they have seen better days.

The kiln in the foreground, that is gated off; this is the only one that contains a brick bosh in the center. I'm not sure if the others had them and they're gone.

Between the kilns and the back wall which would have supported the plant. Apparently there is a scale model of the facility at the visitors center in the park.

Brick bosh.

Inside one of the concrete lined kilns.

Behind the kilns.

The top of the kilns.

 

 

 

 

 

Coke Oven Season will be here before you know it. I'm trying to work on stuff now for the season, so I'm ready to go. In the meantime, go check out these sites on this post. There wasn't even any trespassing involved!