Table Of Content29.74:H 92
1
Huntingdon County, Pennsy.
RFXORD
ClemsonUniversity
3 1604 019 774 167
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania-
An
Inventory of Historic Engineering and
Industrial Sites
U.S. Department
11
of the Interior
National Park Service
Cultural Resources America'sIndustrial
HeritageProject
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2012 with funding from
LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation
http://archive.org/details/huntingdoncountyOOshed
HUNTINGDON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
An Inventory of Historic Engineering
and Industrial Sites
by Nancy S. Shedd
Sarah H. Heald, Editor
with contributions by
Gray Fitzsimons, Deane Mellander,
and the Friends of East Broad Top
Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record
America's Industrial Heritage Project
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Washington, D.C.
1991
—
Library of Congress Catalog1ng-1n-Publ Icat 1on Data
Shedd. Nancy S.
Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania an inventory of historic
:
engineering and industrial sites / by Nancy S. Shedd Sarah H.
;
Heald, editor with contributions by Gray F1tzs1mons, Deane
;
Mellander, and the Friends of East Broad Top.
p . cm .
Includes bibliographical —references and—index.
1. Industrial—archaeology P—ennsylvania Huntingdon County.
2. Engineeering Pennsylvania Huntingdon County History.
I. Heald, Sarah H. , 1958- . II. Historic American Buildings
Survey/Historic American Engineering Record. III. America's
Industrial Heritage Project. IV. Title.
T22.P4S54 1991
609.748*73—dc20 91-4304
CIP
Cover photo: Pennsylvania Railroad, Spruce Creek Tunnel 2, east portal;
photo by Nancy S. Shedd.
Other HABS/HAER publications produced in conjunction with America's Industrial Heritage
Project include:
Bennett, Lola M. The Company Towns of the Rockhill Iron and Coal Company: Robertsdale
and Woodvale, Pennsylvania 1990.
.
Fitzsimons, Gray, ed. Blair and Cambria County, Pennsylvania: An Inventory of Historic
Engineering and Industrial Sites 1990.
.
Heald, Sarah H., ed. Fayette County, Pennsylvania: An Inventory of Historic Engineering and
Industrial Sites 1990.
.
K
Hoagland, Alison and Mulrooney, Margaret M. Norvelt and Penn-Craft, Pennsylvania:
Subsistence-Homestead Communities of the 1930s 1991.
.
Leach, Sara Amy, ed. Two Historic Pennsylvania Canal Towns: Alexandria and Saltsburg 1989.
.
Mulrooney, Margaret M. A Legacy of Coal: The Coal Company Towns of Southwestern
Pennsylvania 1989.
.
Wallace, Kim E., ed. The Character of a Steel Mill City: Four Historic Neighborhoods of
Johnstown, Pennsylvania 1989.
.
Wallace, Kim E., et al. Railroad City: Four Historic Neighborhoods in Altoona, Pennsylvania.
1990.
Ill
THE HAER INVENTORY PROGRAM
The objectives of the HAER Inventory are threefold: (1) it is the initial step in the HAER
documentation process; historic engineering and industrial sites in a given geographic area are
located and identified; (2) it assists states in evaluating these historic resources for planning
purposes and for potential nominations to the National Register of Historic Places; and (3) it
establishes a context for evaluation by the National Park Service of the historic engineering and
industrial sites nominated by the states to the National Register, or for determinations of
eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places.
HAER
All of the inventory material is deposited in the Prints and Photographs Division of the
mm
Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. This includes the many 35 black-and-white
photographs taken in the field, along with copies of the inventory forms containing the brief
histories and descriptions of each site.
HAER
recognizes the importance of publishing the inventories; however, project sponsors are
generally required to cover the cost of printing. The published inventory, available to the
general public, is used by educational institutions, to study technological, industrial, and
engineering history, historic preservation, the history of urban planning, and cultural geography.
Published inventories are also distributed to state, county, and local planning offices, libraries,
and preservation agencies. The HAER inventories thus expand the awareness of engineering
and industrial history, demonstrate consistent methods of identification and evaluation, and
stimulate public interest in a significant part of our American heritage.
AMERICA'S INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE PROJECT
Begun in 1987, America's Industrial Heritage Project (AIHP) is a National Park Service effort
that involves a nine-county region in southwestern Pennsylvania-Bedford, Blair, Cambria,
Fayette, Fulton, Huntingdon, Indiana, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties-the primary focus
of which is to develop and enhance the interpretation of three of the region's major historic
industries: iron and steelmaking, coal, and transportation. In conjunction with identifying the
significant contribution this region made to these industries, AIHP is concentrating on how to
preserve, manage, and interpret the various historic sites and resources. Through a public and
private partnership effort, AIHP will use the region's many historic sites and preservation
A
initiatives to help revitalize the area's economy, promoting regional and national tourism. key
component of AIHP, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission, was
achieved in November 1988 when President Reagan signed a bill (H.R. 3313) creating the
commission. The commission, which works with AIHP to further the goals of the project has its
offices in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania.
IV
Contents
List of Illustrations vi
Preface xiii
Historical Overview 1
by Gray Fitzsimons, Sarah H. Heald, and Nancy S. Shedd
Primary Metals 25
by Nancy S. Shedd
Transportation 53
by Nancy S. Shedd
East Broad Top Railroad 91
by Deane Mellander and the Friends of EBT
Extractive Industries 111
by Nancy S. Shedd
Thermal Products 125
by Nancy S. Shedd
Bulk Products 143
by Nancy S. Shedd
Manufacturing 155
by Nancy S. Shedd
Utilities 165
by Nancy S. Shedd
Bibliography 177
Index 193
List of Illustrations
Unless otherwise noted all photographs were taken by Nancy Shedd, with the exception of
the East Broad Top chapter, in which photos are by the Friends of East Broad Top.
Page Number
Map of Huntingdon County xii
Photo 1. Huntingdon Furnace business office. Photo by Jet Lowe 4
Photo 2. East Broad Top Railroad Roundhouse and Turntable. Photo by Jack E. Boucher. 14
Photo 3. Harbison-Walker Refractories plant. Photo by Jet Lowe 20
Map of Primary Metals Sites in Huntingdon County Inventory 24
Photo 4. Remains of Barree Furnace stack, view of work arch 25
Photo 5. Barree Forge and Furnace, ironmaster's mansion 26
Photo 6. Colerain Forges, ironmaster's mansion 29
Photo 7. Colerain Forges, possible worker's or manager's house 30
Photo 8. Greenwood Furnace, stack Nos. 1 and 2. Photo by Jet Lowe 32
Photo 9. Stack No. 2 at Greenwood Furnace. Photo by Jet Lowe 32
Photo 10. Greenwood Furnace, church 33
Photo 11. Greenwood Furnace church interior. Photo by Jet Lowe 34
Photo 12. Huntingdon Furnace stack. Photo by Jet Lowe 35
Photo 13. Huntingdon Furnace, grist mill. Photo by Jet Lowe 36
Photo 14. Huntingdon Furnace grist mill drive train. Photo by Jet Lowe 37
Photo 15. Ironmaster's mansion, Huntingdon Furnace. Photo by Jet Lowe 38
Photo 16. Juniata Iron Works, two-family workers' house 40
Photo 17. First ironmaster's house at Juniata Iron Works 41
Photo 18. Monroe Furnace, view of tuyere arch 43
vi
Photo 19. Paradise Furnace, view of work arch 44
Photo 20. Pennsylvania Furnace, ironmaster's mansion. Photo by Jet Lowe 46
Photo 21. Rear view of Pennsylvania Furnace mansion. Photo by Jet Lowe 46
Photo 22. Pennsylvania Furnace, single family workers' dwelling 47
Photo 23. Remains of two beehive coke ovens at Rockhill Furnace No. 2 49
Map of Transportation Sites in Huntingdon County Inventory 52
Photo 24. Boyle Ice Plant 53
Photo 25. Remains at EBT's Mount Union Yard 55
Photo 26. Long Siding Station of the Huntingdon & Broad Top Mountain Railroad 56
H&BT
Photo 27. Trestle with Piney Ridge in the background 57
Photo 28. Frehn Bridge 59
Photo 29. St. Mary's Bridge 61
Photo 30. Runk Bridge. Photo by Jet Lowe 62
Photo 31. New Fording Bridge 63
Photo 32. Birmingham Bridge 64
Photo 33. Corbin Bridge 66
Photo 34. Survey marker for the Pennsylvania Canal 68
Photo 35. Pennsylvania Canal guard lock 69
Photo 36. Pennsylvania Railroad Bridge over Shaver's Creek 72
Photo 37. Huntingdon Station. Photo by Jet Lowe 74
Photo 38. Pennsylvania Railroad, Hunt Tower. Photo by Jet Lowe 74
Photo 39. Mount Union Freight Depot 77
Photo 40. PRR bridge over Stone Creek 78
Photo 41. East portal of the PRR's Spruce Creek Tunnel 80
vii
Photo 42. View of south side of Standing Stone Creek Bridge. Photo by Jet Lowe 82
PRR
Photo 43. Alexandria Station of the 83
Photo 44. State Reformatory bridge to Cypress Island 86
Photo 45. Swinging bridge over Stone Creek 87
Map of the East Broad Top Region 90
Photo 46. Aughwick Creek Bridge. Photo by Jack E. Boucher 93
Photo 47. Coles Tank House. Photo by FEBT for HAER 93
Photo 48. EBT Fan House. Photo by FEBT for HAER 94
Photo 49. Orbisonia Freight House. Photo by FEBT for HAER 94
Photo 50. EBT Lamp House. Photo by FEBT for HAER 95
Photo 51. La Palace Hotel. Photo by FEBT for HAER 95
Photo 52. Orbisonia Depot. Photo by Jack E. Boucher 96
Photo 53. EBT Paint Shop. Photo by FEBT for HAER 97
Photo 54. Pogue Bridge. Photo by FEBT for HAER 97
Photo 55. Roberstdale Lepot. Photo by Jet Lowe 98
Photo 56. EBT Roundhouse with engine No. 14. Photo by Jack E. Boucher 99
Site plan of East Broad Top Railroad, Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania 100
Cross section of EBT Machine Shop 101
Photo 57. EBT Machine Shop, stationary steam engine. Photo by Jack E. Boucher .... 102
Photo 58. EBT Blacksmith Shop. Photo by Jack E. Boucher 102
Photo 59. Rockhill Iron & Coal Company Office. Photo by FEBT for HAER 103
Photo 60. Rockhill Mine No. 6: Power House. Photo by Jet Lowe 103
Photo 61. Rocky Ridge Station. Photo by FEBT for HAER 104
Photo 62. Saltillo Station. Photo by FEBT for HAER 104
viii
