Catoctin Furnace

 

 

In 1776 Benedict Calvert and Thomas Johnson built the first iron furnace on land known as Mountain track in rural Frederick County. It was a family run business that found a labor force first in black slaves and then later European immigrants. Canon balls for the Continental Army were produced here, and during the Civil War it made the plates of the Union's iron clad ship, the Monitor. Eventually the growth of large corporations and more efficient iron producing techniques drove the Catoctin Furnaces to close in 1903. Today only one furnace stands: the Isabella furnace built in 1867. It is now located in Cunningham State Park. Signs posted along trails leading to the furnace explain how it was operated.

 

Facts and Figures

Directions
Phone: 301-271-7574

Located in Cunningham State Park
  • Take I-70 west to Frederick.
  • Exit to Route 15 north to Catoctin Mountain Park Visitor's Center. It is an easy walk from there.

 

Map

 

References:

The Maryland One Day Trip Book; Maryland: a guide to the Old Line State;
www.mdisfun.com