The four massive stone blast furnaces here, built between 1848 and 1857, are the remnants of a once extensive plant operated by the Lackawanna Iron & Steel Company.   Started in 1840 as Scranton, Grant & Company, the firm had the largest iron production capacity in the United States by 1865.   By 1880 it poured 125,000 tons of pig iron, which was converted in its rolling mill and foundry into RR rails and other end products.   In 1902, the company dismantled the plant and moved it to Lackawanna, New York to be closer to the high-grade iron ores coming out of the Mesabi Range.

The four Scranton iron furnaces

Undated photo of the massive iron works operation. The furnaces, with formerly taller stacks, can be seen in the center.   A huge casting shed (on the right) was situated on the current grassy area in front of the furnaces.

I started my exploration from the top of the furnace complex. This is the view looking down into Furnace 1.

Another view down into Furnace 1, from the opposite side. The inner smelting chambers have been removed from all four furnaces.

View down into Furnace 2

Since the other furnaces looked the same from the top, I walked down to the base of the furnace complex.

Roaring Brook runs through the lower complex. This overgrown stone wall is on the opposite side of the furnaces.

Arch in left wall of furnace complex The arch can be seen in the historic photo of the furnaces.

Passage that runs behind the four furnaces

Interior of Furnace 1   (numbered starting from the left) Base of the removed smelting chamber is in the foreground.

Each furnace was separated from the next by a vaulted space like this.

Panoramic view of Furnace 2's interior Each furnace's interior is slightly different, being built at different times...

Interior of Furnace 3 Note differences from previous photo.

Furnace 4's interior

Another view (from the opposite end) of the passage running between the rear of the furnaces and the back stone wall.

A small forge used for iron-smelting demonstrations

The four-furnace complex from the far end

Another vaulted space between two of the furnaces

Interior furnace arch

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