Credit: WITF, Inc., Courtney Howell
Centre Furnace first went into "blast" (began producing iron) in 1792 using very simple technology. Workers layered the raw ingredients into this 35-foot furnace stack, made of native stone. First a burning hearth was created in the stack by filling it with charcoal. Then the furnace was "put in blast" by releasing the water wheel-powered bellows to blow a blast of air through the hearth. Iron ore, charcoal, and limestone were added from the top in alternate layers.
