Tannehill Ironworks
Encyclopedia
The Tannehill Ironworks is a state historic site in Tuscaloosa County
near the unincorporated town of Bucksville
.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
, it was a major supplier of iron for Confederate
ordnance. Remains of the old furnaces are the central attraction of Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park located 12 miles (19 km) south of Bessemer, Alabama off I-59
/20
near the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains
.
The 1,500 acre (6 km²) historical park also includes the John Wesley Hall Grist Mill, May Plantation Cotton Gin House and the Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama
.
Ironmaking at the site began with construction of a bloomery
forge by Daniel Hillman Sr. in 1830.
Built by noted southern ironmaster Moses Stroup from 1859 to 1862, the three charcoal blast furnaces at Tannehill could produce 22 tons of pig iron a day, most of which was shipped to the Naval Gun Works and Arsenal at Selma. Furnaces Nos. 2 and 3 were equipped with hot blast stoves and a steam engine. Brown iron ore mines were present two miles (3 km) distant.
The Tannehill furnaces and its adjacent foundry, where kettles and hollow-ware were cast for southern troops, were attacked and burnt by three companies of the U.S. 8th Iowa Cavalry on March 31, 1865 (Wilson's Raid
). The ruins remain today as one the best preserved 19th century iron furnace sites in the South.
Also known as the Roupes Valley Iron Company, these works had significant influence on the later development of the Birmingham
iron and steel industry. An experiment conducted at Tannehill in 1862 proved red iron ore could successfully be used in Alabama blast furnaces. The test, promoted by South & North Railroad developers, led to the location of government-financed ironworks in the immediate Birmingham area (Jefferson County).
The furnace remains, including reconstructed portions, are an American Society for Metals historical landmark and have been designated as a Civil War Discovery Trail site. The park attracted over 425,000 visitors in 2005.
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Tuscaloosa County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama.It is named in honor of the pre-Choctaw chief Tuskaloosa. In 2010, the population was 194,656...
near the unincorporated town of Bucksville
McCalla, Alabama
McCalla is an unincorporated community in Jefferson and Tuscaloosa Counties, Alabama, United States, southwest of Bessemer and the geographic terminus of the Appalachian Mountains.- Recreation :...
.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, it was a major supplier of iron for Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
ordnance. Remains of the old furnaces are the central attraction of Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park located 12 miles (19 km) south of Bessemer, Alabama off I-59
Interstate 59
Interstate 59 is an Interstate Highway in the southern United States. Its southern terminus is near Slidell, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, at an intersection with Interstate 10 and Interstate 12, its northern terminus is at Wildwood, Georgia, at an intersection with Interstate 24.The road's...
/20
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
near the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
The Appalachian Mountains #Whether the stressed vowel is or ,#Whether the "ch" is pronounced as a fricative or an affricate , and#Whether the final vowel is the monophthong or the diphthong .), often called the Appalachians, are a system of mountains in eastern North America. The Appalachians...
.
The 1,500 acre (6 km²) historical park also includes the John Wesley Hall Grist Mill, May Plantation Cotton Gin House and the Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama
Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama
The Iron & Steel Museum of Alabama also known as the Tannehill Museum is an industrial museum located at Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park in McCalla, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. Opened in 1981, it covers ....
.
Ironmaking at the site began with construction of a bloomery
Bloomery
A bloomery is a type of furnace once widely used for smelting iron from its oxides. The bloomery was the earliest form of smelter capable of smelting iron. A bloomery's product is a porous mass of iron and slag called a bloom. This mix of slag and iron in the bloom is termed sponge iron, which...
forge by Daniel Hillman Sr. in 1830.
Built by noted southern ironmaster Moses Stroup from 1859 to 1862, the three charcoal blast furnaces at Tannehill could produce 22 tons of pig iron a day, most of which was shipped to the Naval Gun Works and Arsenal at Selma. Furnaces Nos. 2 and 3 were equipped with hot blast stoves and a steam engine. Brown iron ore mines were present two miles (3 km) distant.
The Tannehill furnaces and its adjacent foundry, where kettles and hollow-ware were cast for southern troops, were attacked and burnt by three companies of the U.S. 8th Iowa Cavalry on March 31, 1865 (Wilson's Raid
Wilson's Raid
Wilson's Raid was a cavalry operation through Alabama and Georgia in March–April 1865, late in the American Civil War. Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson led his Union Army Cavalry Corps to destroy Southern manufacturing facilities and was opposed unsuccessfully by a much smaller force under ...
). The ruins remain today as one the best preserved 19th century iron furnace sites in the South.
Also known as the Roupes Valley Iron Company, these works had significant influence on the later development of the Birmingham
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
iron and steel industry. An experiment conducted at Tannehill in 1862 proved red iron ore could successfully be used in Alabama blast furnaces. The test, promoted by South & North Railroad developers, led to the location of government-financed ironworks in the immediate Birmingham area (Jefferson County).
The furnace remains, including reconstructed portions, are an American Society for Metals historical landmark and have been designated as a Civil War Discovery Trail site. The park attracted over 425,000 visitors in 2005.
External links
- Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park website
- Tannehill Furnaces page in the Alabama Ironworks Source Book