Sepia Saturday ~ The Stafford Flint Furnace
I thought I would share more Stafford Flint Furnace photos for #sepiasaturday. The Stafford Flint Furnace is a historic location at the Susquehanna State Park in Havre de Grace, Maryland. It is all that remains of the town of Stafford.
The old furnace now has several large cracks and has a lean to it.
The plaque above reads:
"The "flint furnace" is all that remains of the once thriving town of Stafford. Beginning in 1749 with the building of the Rock Forge, an iron works, by George Rock, a succession of furnaces, forges and mills, and other industries occupied the surrounding area. The population of the town fluctuated with the fortunes of the men who owned the companies. During one prosperous era the town boasted a school, boarding house and post office. Much of the town was destroyed by an ice gorge in 1904 after several years of decline."
"Various types of china that were similar to what was made using the flint from the Stafford Flint Furnace."
"The flint furnace was the last of these industries to survive. White flint was quarried several miles north of Stafford and brought to the furnace by wagons on the canal. The flint was layered in the furnace alternating with wood and set a fire. Heat from the fire drove water out of the flint, cracking it and reducing it to large pebbles. These pebbles were ground into a fine powder. Washed and bagged the flint powder was sent by canal to Trenton, N.J. where it was used to porcelainize pots and pans and to make porcelain china."
It's hard and sad to imagine that an entire town is no longer there and all that is left is the furnace.
The area is very scenic and I can't help but wonder how it may have looked many years ago.
We only saw a handful of people on our visit on this particular day. Well...a handful of people and one dog!
The Furnace is made of granite (from Port Deposit, Maryland), stones and bricks. The top brick portion of the furnace has been described as being shaped like a beehive.
Last photo! This is the view across from the furnace and shows part of the bridge we walked across to get to the park.
Thank you @old-guy-photos for #sepiasaturday!!
Very interesting post and some cool sepia shots. Amazing that the furnace is still standing - nice that some history has been preserved!
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Thank you so much @violetmed!! So hard to believe that it is all that's left of a once thriving town. They did a pretty good job cleaning it up since the last time I saw it years ago.
I love the photos and the history.
I guess the 'sepia' part is for some challenge,
But I would have liked to see some in full color for the contrast.
Upvoted 100% (for what my meager upvotes are worth) @deerjay
Thank you so much @jerrytsuseer!! I posted color photos on a Wednesday walk about a month ago. Here is the link if you would like to see them. https://steemit.com/wednesdaywalk/@deerjay/wednesday-walk-to-see-a-piece-of-history
That is so cool @deerjay and I DO know where that is and I think I also have pictures of it!
I cannot imagine a whole town disappearing into the sunset like that either. But, those were the town and when the business ceased, the town dried up and blew away.
Lovely shots and a really cool story! I hope they are able to keep it up and repair what is damaged. These are pieces of our past! You go to the coolest places!
Thank you for being an awesome team member at #SteemUSA!
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Thank you so much Denise!! I was actually thinking you may have been there.
It is hard to imagine. I hope they reinforced it enough to keep it from leaning and cracking anymore. :)
Thanks so much @pixresteemer!!
These shots all work so well in Sepia, a shame to see the cracks and the lean to the old Furnace I hope it can be repaired and stand proud and long
Thanks for the great post and being an active member of SteemUSA !tip
Thank you so much Jay!! The cracks have been there a long time so I don't think they will be fixed but hopefully they won't get any worse. :)
OK thanks for the info lets hope it stays stable for a very long time
An interesting place to explore! Thank you for sharing the history of the furnace!
Thank you @jamethiel!! 🙂
Wow what a awesome place ❤ @deerjay! All these 'rock' names and rocks! :-)
Love how it looks in sepia! You have so many cool things to see, imagine
not knowing it was there and walking along see it appear out of the forest!
Will the crack be fixed I wonder? Mind blowing what ice can do!
Thank you @shasta!! It was really overgrown with vines and such years ago and the county had it cleaned up and the fence erected. I don't think the cracks will ever be fixed but hopefully it won't further deteriorate!! :)
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Wow, all that's left of the poor town. Very nice photos and article!
Thank you @blueeyes8960!!
It’s always sad to see the abandonment of a way of life. At least the furnace has stood the test of time and a great landmark. Thanks for sharing the history, Dee. 💕
Thanks so much Jo!! Yes, there is a sadness. I'm sure it will be there though for a long time barring any major storm events. They did a great job cleaning it up and making the area around it nice. :)