Nassawango Iron Furnace

In 1788 bog iron ore was found in the Nassawango Swamp of Eastern Maryland. To take advantage of this deposit the Maryland General Assembly chartered the "Maryland Iron Company." Maryland's only operational bog ore furnace was operational in 1832. Its brick stack would be filled with alternating layers of charcoal, ore and oyster shells. The charcoal was then lit. A waterwheel, powered by the nearby creek, would blast heated air through the layers, melting the ore. The oyster shells filtered impurities from the molten iron as it drained to the bottom. It was poured into molds, called pigs. The furnace closed in 1850 and was largely abandoned. In the early 1970's Worchester County Historical Society took over the site and began restoration. By then all that remained was the brick and stone furnace stack. The worker's village, Furnace Town, has been rebuilt to show life in a 19th century factory town. The surrounding area now offers hiking trails and picnic grounds.

Facts and Figures

Directions

Furnace Stack:: Height: 35 feet; Area at base: 24 square feet

At the height of operation the Nassawango Iron Furnace recovered 700 tons of pig iron a year

Grounds: 25 acres for hiking and picnicking

Take Route 50 to Salsibury.
Switch to State 12 south.
Turn right on Old Furnace Road. Furnace Town is one mile ahead on your left.

Map

References:

skipjack.net/le_shore/visitworcester