Furnace-Side View

Ohio History

Buckeye Furnace From Below

Here is the furnace from the lower level. The charging shed, up on top, held the hot blast oven (right-hand chimney) which heated water boilers inside to power the air compressor engine. Meanwhile, the furnace itself (below charging shed) was loaded with layer upon layer of ore, limestone, and charcoal. The engine then pumped extremely hot air—600°—into the metals for twelve straight hours to melt the iron from the ore. The black, charred wood on the shed testified to months of intense heat—imagine what it was like for the workers!