Liberty Furnce, Virginia

Liberty Furnace was one of many small pig iron furnaces in Shenandoah County, Virginia. It was founded in about 1821 Iron ore as mined in the area. The original owners sold the furnace and another one in 1871. Production at the furance grew and they became the economic center of the area.

Because tne company hired African Americans.a race riot broke out in January 1880 and the owners and black workers were attacked. This two day event ended when the owner agreed to hire only white workers. This eliminated a major employment source for local African Americans and forced many to emigrate or settle for lower paying service jobs.

The furnace went through several other owners who built a narrow gauge railroad, nicknamed the Dinky to haul the ore produced and goods to the furnaces and surrounding communities. It proved to be hard to make a profit and the furnace was sold in 1907.

The new owners closed the furnace and used the railrod to transport timber from the area. The railroad and timber operation were closed in 1917 after all the trees in the area had been.

The main building and a few smaller structures are the remain from the furnace site. It is interesting to think about what it looked like when it was in full operation.

Main building Liberty Furnce, Virginia