The Catoctin Furnace is part of Thurmont’s Cunningham Falls State Park. The furnace can be reached from the Catoctin Furnace trail which goes from the main entrance of the park to the furnace and manor area off of Route 806. In the past ten years the furnace has been reconstructed to preserve its history and to make this area safer for people to visit.
The “Isabella” furnace that remains today is the second of three furnaces that were built. The first furnace was built in 1774 by the four Johnson brothers, including Thomas Johnson, the first governor of Maryland. The furnace was built here because all of the required resources were available. Forests provided wood for charcoal that powered the furnace, the stream powered the bellows of the first furnace, and local mines provided iron ore and limestone. The pig iron produced by the furnace was used to make ammunition to support the American Revolution. The furnace was in use during the Civil War up until 1903 when it was closed.
It is hard to imagine that the mountain was bare only a hundred years ago! It took a whole acre of trees just to power the furnace for one day, which is why the furnace owners used more than 11,000 acres of forest to produce charcoal. After the furnace closed in 1903, the land was purchased by the federal government. During the Great Depression, many people were put to work by transforming the area into a park.
There are more sites to see in addition to the furnace. The Catoctin Furnace trail leads alongside the manor where one of the furnace owners used to live. Many years ago the manor burned down, so today only the stone walls remain (currently the path through the ruins of the manor is off limits). Along the trail you will notice dark, black rocks called slag, which is a byproduct of pig iron production. Next to the trail you can see remnants of the raceway and dam that were used to power the first furnace. The trail leads over the Bowstring Arch bridge, over the highway bridge over US-15, and ultimately to the park. The Cunningham Falls State Park visitor center has examples of native wildlife including fish, snakes, turtles, and birds. The visitor center also has history exhibits on the area including a lot of information about the Catoctin Furnace.
Address: Catoctin Mountain Park, 6602 Foxville Road, Thurmont, MD 21788
Phone: 301-663-9330 Park Headquarters, Visitor Center: 301-663-9388
