Carrie Furnace
Carrie Furnace is a former blast furnace located along the Monongahela River in the Pittsburgh area industrial town of Swissvale, Pennsylvania, and it had formed a part of the Homestead Steel Works. The Carrie Furnaces were built in 1884 and they operated until 1982. During its peak, the site produced 1,000 to 1,250 tons of iron per day. All that is left of the site are furnaces #6 and #7, which operated from 1907 to 1978, and its hot metal bridge (not to be confused with the Hot Metal Bridge farther downstream). The furnaces, designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006, are among the only pre-World War II 20th century blast furnaces to survive.
Carrie Blast Furnace Number 6 and 7 | |
U.S. National Register of Historic Places | |
U.S. National Historic Landmark District | |
Pittsburgh Landmark – PHLF | |
Carrie Furnace | |
| Location | Northern side of the Monongahela River 0.5 miles west of the Rankin Bridge in Munhall, Rankin, and Swissvale |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 40°24′47.09″N 79°53′24.28″W |
| Area | 168 acres (68 ha) |
| Built | 1884 |
| NRHP reference No. | 06001070 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | September 20, 2006 |
| Designated NHLD | September 20, 2006 |
| Designated PHLF | 1989 |
The site is currently managed by the nonprofit Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation, which conducts tours and other programs from May through October.
| Location: | Size: | Features: | Owner: | Current Use | Past Use: | Contaminants: | Total Actual Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny County, PA | 168 Acres | Large Parcel, Flat Land, and Riverfront Location | Allegheny County | Vacant Land | Blast furnace | PCBs, Sulfates | $70–$100 million to convert Carrie Furnace #6 & #7 into a Steel Heritage Museum and Allegheny County has projected that the environmental clean-up would cost between $3–$5 million |