2. East Furnace c.1822

The East Furnace is located north of the Company Store (#1) just beneath a sharp rise in the land. It is a cube-shaped kiln constructed of dry, random coursed rubblestone with collapsed arched accesses in the base on the north and south faces. The west side has fallen down, revealing the inner layers of the furnace.

Originally about 40 feet tall and tapered toward the top, it was one of three blast furnaces erected north of the Company Store (#1) to manufacture pig iron. From a holding pond, water would travel down a stone lined-canal (#5) and over a waterwheel in the bank to power several bellows that would blast air into the furnace. The tailrace goes underground and resurges beneath the west archway of the West Furnace (#4). The six foot arches provided access to the fire and an exit for the smelting iron. This is the oldest standing blast furnace in Vermont. The structure is in deteriorating condition.

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