National Register of Historic Places

Hope Furnace

Zaleski, Vinton County, Ohio
Listed
May 24, 1973
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
73001546

About this property

The Hope Furnace is a historic blast furnace in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Located along State Route 278, approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of the village of Zaleski, it is one of two extant iron furnaces in Vinton County. Between 1854 and 1874, the furnace was used to smelt iron ore, using coal or charcoal for fuel. It is a rectangular structure, built of sandstone and shaped like a truncated pyramid. Like many other iron furnaces in southeastern Ohio, Hope Furnace was surrounded by a community of at least three hundred residents at its height. The production of iron and the supply of the materials required for iron smelting required a large number of workers, and during a furnace's years of operation, it was the center of a temporary community. No buildings from the community remain to the present day: when the furnace closed, the workers dispersed, and the buildings collapsed or were demolished. Although the buildings are gone, many artifacts still remain in the soil surrounding the furnace; most significant are the many pieces of slag that litter the ground. Today, Hope Furnace is part of Lake Hope State Park. Because of its importance in local history, the furnace was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. It was the second place in Vinton County to be added to the Register, being preceded only by the Ponn Humpback Covered Bridge.

Location

Zaleski, Vinton County, Ohio
39.33200, -82.34018

Categories

INDUSTRY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

Masonic Lodge #472
Industrial
4.5 mi
Trinity Episcopal Church
Industrial
9.5 mi
Haydenville Historic Town
Listed
10.2 mi
Dew House
Industrial
10.6 mi
Stuart's Opera House
Industrial
10.6 mi

Nearby Battles

Morgan's Raid — McArthur Skirmish
1863Civil War
9.6 mi
Morgan's Raid — Vinton County Guerrilla Actions
1863Civil War
11.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Hope Furnace listed on the National Register?

Hope Furnace was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Hope Furnace?

Hope Furnace is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Hope Furnace?

The period of significance for Hope Furnace is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Hope Furnace?

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