Catoctin Furnace: Portrait of an Iron Making Village

More about the book

Set against the backdrop of the American Revolution, the narrative explores the founding of Catoctin Furnace by the Johnson brothers, which played a crucial role in producing iron for the war effort. Following independence, the ironworks thrived, relying on the labor of African slaves and European immigrants to create essential goods for the burgeoning nation. The evolution of a small iron-making village is highlighted, alongside its eventual decline and preservation efforts in the 1960s. Local historian Elizabeth Yourtee Anderson chronicles this rich legacy that shaped western Maryland's industrial and cultural identity.