Overview/History

Iron making had been a local industry that for 150 years shaped the formation of America. The Beckley blast furnace was built in 1847 and ceased operation in 1919. It produced iron primarily for the manufacture of railroad car wheels that gained a world wide reputation for their excellence and durability. The Furnace was a part of an industry that shaped both the cultural and ecological future of the entire region. The recently refurbished structure stands as the best preserved example of technology that has long since vanished. In 1946 Beckley Furnace was designated as a state park.

Join members of the Friends of Beckley Furnace each Saturday morning from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. from May through mid-October for a personal tour of the Furnace. Learn how iron was made by walking in the footsteps of the iron makers. Stand in the hearth where temperatures reached nearly 3,000 degrees. Visit the only remaining turbine used to power a blast furnace.

The Beckley Furnace Industrial Monument is featured in a publication by Ed Kirby entitled Echoes of Iron in Connecticut’s Northwest Corner (Including a Guide to the Iron Heritage Trail). The publication is for sale and may be purchased at the DEP Bookstore or from the Sharon Historical Society.

For more information on the furnace, contact Ed Kirby at (860) 364-5147 or Ron Jones at (860) 435-9183 or write:
27 Woodcrest Lane
P.O. Box 1942
Lakeville, CT 06039