United States historic place
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.
[3]
All that is left of the site are furnaces #6 and #7, which operated from 1907 to 1978,
[4]
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.
[5]
The site is currently managed by the nonprofit
Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation
, which conducts tours and other programs from May through October.
Location:
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Size:
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Features:
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Owner:
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Current Use
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Past Use:
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Contaminants:
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Total Actual Cost
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Allegheny County, PA
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168 Acres
|
Large Parcel, Flat Land, and Riverfront Location
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Allegheny County
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Vacant Land
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Blast furnace
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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
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History, topography, and environmental concerns
[
edit
]
The timeline below portrays the history of Carrie Furnace. Carrie Furnace is located along the
Monongahela River
, with 135 acres located on the north bank of the river and 33 acres on the south bank. The site, however, is not readily accessible as it is enclosed by railroad tracks. The surrounding areas include Braddock, Rankin,
Swissvale
, Whitaker, and
Munhall
. After the Park Corporation purchased the site from
U.S. Steel
in 1988, both parties agreed to address the environmental concerns. In 2005, Allegheny County purchased the land from Park Corps. for $5.75 million.
[3]
Underground fuel storage tanks were removed in 1994 along with two above ground fuel storage units. In addition,
asbestos
from the buildings was removed. The soil was contaminated with
PCBs
and
sulfates
. Environmental assessment of the site has been conducted in two phases. The first phase was completed in 2007 and the second is currently underway.
-
-
A View on the Hot Blast Stoves
-
Blast Furnace #7, surrounded by ancillary structures left in a state of arrested decay
Future development
[
edit
]
Partners in the redevelopment of Carrie Furnace include Allegheny County, several nearby municipalities, and the Steel Industry Heritage Corporation. These organizations seek to preserve the remaining industrial structures while utilizing the site for economic development. The redevelopment plan is mixed-use as it contains plans for commercial and residential development, as well as light industrial manufacturing.
[6]
Housing, office buildings, a hotel, a conference center, transportation center, and a museum are included in the plan. For example, the hot metal rail bridge that connected Carrie Furnace to Homestead Works is to be converted into an automobile bridge, which will allow access to the site. The bridge also connects the site to
The Waterfront
? a retail development across the Monongahela River.
[3]
Additionally, the Rivers of Steel Heritage Corp. is working with Allegheny County on establishing a museum about the history of steel centered on the two blast furnaces still standing on the site.
[7]
See also
[
edit
]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
a
b
"National Register Information System"
.
National Register of Historic Places
.
National Park Service
. March 13, 2009.
- ^
Historic Landmark Plaques 1968-2009
(PDF)
. Pittsburgh, PA: Pittsburgh History & Landmarks Foundation. 2010
. Retrieved
July 2,
2010
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
"Carrie Furnace Case Study"
(PDF)
. Archived from
the original
(PDF)
on October 8, 2016
. Retrieved
December 3,
2010
.
- ^
"Rivers Of Steel"
. Archived from
the original
on September 27, 2007
. Retrieved
September 15,
2007
.
- ^
"NHL nomination for Carrie Furnaces 6 and 7"
(PDF)
. National Park Service
. Retrieved
April 7,
2017
.
- ^
Rujumba, Karamagi (May 18, 2009).
"Redevelopment of Carrie Furnace Site to Begin This Year"
. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
. Retrieved
December 5,
2010
.
- ^
Muessig, Ben.
"Blast from the Past: Old Steel Mill Forges New Life as a Park"
. AOL News. Archived from
the original
on December 5, 2010
. Retrieved
December 5,
2010
.
External links
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