Pine Grove Furnace State Park

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For the Civilian Conservation Corps camp that improved this state park, see Camp Michaux.
Pine Grove Furnace State Park
Pennsylvania State Park
Pine Grove Furnace Stack
Name origin: Pine Grove Furnace
Country United States
State Pennsylvania
County Cumberland
Townships Cooke, Dickinson
Landform
Range		 Mountain Creek valley
South Mountain
Location Pine Grove Furnace Stack [1]
 - coordinates 40°01′52″N 77°18′24″W / 40.03111°N 77.30667°W / 40.03111; -77.30667Coordinates: 40°01′52″N 77°18′24″W / 40.03111°N 77.30667°W / 40.03111; -77.30667
Area 696 acres (282 ha)
Length 3.5 mi (6 km),
dogleg northward then eastward
(along Bendersville Rd & SR3008)
Width 0.31 mi (0 km)
(average along length)
Highest point southern tip of park
 - elevation 1,125 ft (343 m)
Lowest point Mountain Creek at bridge
 - location downstream of Laurel Dam
 - elevation 725 ft (221 m)
Founded c. 1930
Managed by Bureau of State Parks
GNIS ID 1196534 [1]
Locator Red.svg
The furnace stack is ¾ mile N of the Co. line.
The furnace stack is ¾ mile N of the Co. line.
Website : Pine Grove Furnace State Park

Pine Grove Furnace State Park is a protected Pennsylvania area that includes Laurel and Fuller lakes in Cooke Township. The park provides various outdoor recreation activities, has the remains of the Pine Grove Iron Works, and was the site of the 1830 Laurel Forge, 1880s Pine Grove Park, and an 1892 brick plant. Pine Grove Furnace State park is 8 miles (13 km) from exit 37 of Interstate 81 on Pennsylvania Route 233.

Stone barn ruins

Contents

[edit] History

For similarly-named blast furnaces, see Pine Grove Furnace.

The state park's historic place on the national register is the Pine Grove Iron Works of about 176 acres (0.71 km2) with structures associated with the 1764 Pine Grove Furnace, which ended production in 1895.[2] The 1870 South Mountain RR and the subsequent 1891 Hunter's Run and Slate Belt Railroad provided the railway lines to the industrial areas of the state park.

[edit] Laurel Forge

Laurel Forge manufactured wrought iron from Pine Grove Furnace pig iron and was built by Peter Ege in 1830. The Laurel Forge Pond (now Laurel Lake) was created by a dam below the Sage Run confluence at Mountain Creek to provide waterwheel power via the forge's water race. By 1873 the forge area included a boarding house, coal house, several dwellings, 2 railroad spurs, and a train depot; and in 1884 "Laurel Station" was added as a stop for excursions of the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad. Laurel Dam was breached by flooding in 1889 [3] & 1919 (downwash from both breached the Mount Holly Springs dam downstream),[3] and the lake is 25 acres (0.10 km2) of the state park.

[edit] Pine Grove Park

Pine Grove Park was established c. 1881 "in a grove of magnificent trees"[4] east of the iron works[5]:14 by Colonel Jackson C. Fuller after he purchased Pine Grove Furnace in 1877[6] (Fuller also owned a farm in the area.)[4] The park had the "Fuller Cornet Band" for entertainment,[7] and Fuller hosted the American Institute of Mine Engineers in 1881 [5] and "J.C. Fuller’s Fifth Annual Reunion" in 1883.[6] By July 1884 the park included a green field for baseball and other games "at the Park station", water fountains, lunch tables & seats, large dancing pavilion, long bowling alley, children's swings, a carousel (flying horses, etc), and a nearby 200 yd (180 m) rifle range.[8] A Baldwin steam car carried visitors between the park and the iron works,[9] and the "first hard day's practice" of the 1903 Dickinson College football team was at the park.[7] Both "Pine Grove Park" and "Pine Grove Furnace" were listed in 1904 as railway stations of the Hunter's Run and Slate Belt Railroad,[10] but the park ended operations c. 1904 and was in "ruins" when the Reading Company laid new tracks in 1912.[11] A January 1913 plan to restore the private park[11] was superseded by the commonwealth's purchase of the area.

For the corresponding 1884 railroad visitor attraction established by Col Fuller near the Gettysburg Battlefield, see Little Round Top Park.

[edit] Fuller Brick and Slate Company

The Fuller Brick and Slate Company's operations that began in 1892 were developed by J. W. Ivery at the "Pine Grove works"[8] using clay exposed in the region's quarries. Slate was quarried 3 mi (4.8 km) southwest of the works, the soapstone was "hauled by wagon from the quarry a quarter of a mile from the works, and the clay [was] brought by rail from Laurel Station, three miles away" (the Pine Grove kiln held 12,000 bricks).[12] The soapstone was used for washing the clay (Ivery patent in 1901)[9] and the clay was formed, dried, and kilned south of the iron works at the brick plant in front of cemetery hill[9] until c. 1913.[6]

[edit] State forest and park

The Pine Grove Division of the state's South Mountain Forest began with the South Mountain Mining & Iron Company's sale of 6,993 acres (28.30 km2) acres to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry in 1912.[13] On September 12, 1913, three additional tracts totalling 9,873 acres (39.95 km2) were sold in the areas of land surrounding Pine Grove and Laurel Forge—including 1,817 acres (7.35 km2) in Adams County.[13] By 1921,[10] "Pine Grove" was one of Pennsylvania's 7 "forest parks",[11] within which the smaller Pine Grove Furnace State Park was established by 1931 [12] under the 1929 Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks[13] (the remaining state forest was named the Michaux State Forest.)[when?]

Many of the facilities at the park were built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The young men of the CCC Camp S-51-PA constructed roads throughout the state forests, constructed bridges on the state roads, planted trees for reforestation, and cleaned streams.[14] The 1912 Reading railroad tracks have been removed, and from mid-September 2006 through July 2007, Laurel Lake and its dam were reconditioned.[15] Park lifeguards were eliminated for the 2008 season[16] but were restored to Fuller Lake in 2009[17] after a July 2008 Fuller Lake drowning, the 1st at a state park beach since 1999.[18]

Appalachian Trail[19] @ Pine Grove Furnace SP (west-to-east)
Intersection Coordinates
W park border (pt on PA 233) 40°01′52″N 77°18′43″W / 40.0312°N 77.3119°W / 40.0312; -77.3119 (Appalachian Trail)[14]
PA-233.svg & former "Laurel Road"[20] 40°01′55″N 77°18′36″W / 40.0319°N 77.3101°W / 40.0319; -77.3101 (Appalachian Trail)
T339 & Biker/Hiker Trail 40°01′53″N 77°18′19″W / 40.0314°N 77.3053°W / 40.0314; -77.3053 (Appalachian Trail)
Mountain Cr bridge @ Fuller Lake 40°01′51″N 77°17′52″W / 40.0308°N 77.2978°W / 40.0308; -77.2978 (Appalachian Trail)[15]
E park border (Old RR Bed Rd) 40°01′54″N 77°17′25″W / 40.0317°N 77.2903°W / 40.0317; -77.2903 (Appalachian Trail)

[edit] Recreation

Fuller Lake of 1.7 acres (0.69 ha) has filled an abandoned quarry of the Pine Grove Iron Works. Boating is not permitted on Fuller Lake. Laurel Lake is a 25 acres (10 ha) that was created to supply water power for Laurel Forge. Boaters are limited to using electric powered and non-powered watercraft on Laurel Lake. Gas powered boats are not permitted. All boats must have a valid registration from any state.

In-season archery hunting is permitted in most of the state park, while small areas for seasonal firearms hunting are on the west and south[19] (groundhog hunting is prohibited). The beaches and swimming at Fuller and Laurel lakes are open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

The grist mill is being used as the visitor center and the former inn is now the park office. There are many picnic tables spread throughout the park. In addition to the tables, two pavilions are available for rent at Pine Grove Furnace State Park.[21]

[edit] Hiking

The state park has 1.4 miles (2.3 km) of the Appalachian Trail over the Cumberland County Biker/Hiker Trail (rail trail) and, on the west, along 0.4 miles (0.64 km) of roadways.[19] The marker for the Appalachian Trail midpoint is east of the state park (40°1.827′N 77°17.225′W / 40.03045°N 77.287083°W / 40.03045; -77.287083),[16] and thru-hikers completing the store's half-gallon ice cream challenge receive a commemorative wooden spoon.[22] The trails are open to cross-country skiing and some trails and roads are open to snowmobiling during the winter months.[23]

2010 Appalachian Trail Museum

The nation's first museum to hiking portrays the experience of hiking the Appalachian Trail and "celebrate the culture of hiking".[24] The museum tells the story of the founding and construction of the trail and has been placed in a refurbished mill building of the Pine Grove Iron Works.[24]

  • Creek Trail is a 0.5-mile (0.80 km) trail that begins at the park amphitheater and follows Mountain Creek as it passes vernal pools and a stand of white pine trees.[23]
  • Mountain Creek Trail is a 1.4-mile (2.3 km) trail that passes through wetlands and forests as it follows Mountain Creek. Hikers may get the opportunity to see white-tail deer, heron, beavers and waterfowl.[23]
  • Koppenhaver Trail is 1.0-mile (1.6 km) in length and passes through a stand of mature hemlock and white pine.[23]
  • Swamp Trail is 0.25-mile (0.40 km) in length and passes through a swamp.[23]

[edit] Camping and lodging

Charcoal Hearth Campground along Bendersville Rd is 0.25 mi (0.40 km) south of the park's store and has 71 sites for travel trailers and tenting, and across the road is a wooded "organized group tenting" area around an open playing field (a YMCA camp is near Laurel Lake).[19] The Paymasters Cabin has central heating and is available for rent. The Ironmaster's Mansion is a youth hostel commonly used by Appalachian Trail thru-hikers.[21]

[edit] Geography and ecology

The park's portions of the Mountain Creek valley[5]:14 and the neighboring mountain slopes (Piney Mountain, Post Steeple, & South Mountain) are part of the Appalachian-Blue Ridge forests ecoregion and have few areas that are not wooded. In addition to the typical mammals, birds, and other fauna of the northeastern US ecoregion, the park's Laurel Lake attracts migratory waterfowl of the Atlantic Flyway (butterflies reach their peak in the summer months.) The lakes have pickerel, trout and perch; while Mountain Creek has brook, brown and rainbow trout.[21]

External images
1872 "Pine Grove" map w/ "South Mountain RR"
1872 Laurel Forge map with "South Mountain Creek"

[edit] Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Pine Grove Furnace State Park:[25][26][27]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b "Pine Grove Furnace, State Park, Furnace Stack". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1198297. Retrieved 2011-05-14. 
  2. ^ Birkinbine, John. "Experiments With Charcoal, Coke And Antracite In The Pine Grove Furnace, Pa." (Google Books). Transactions of the American Institute of Mining Engineers Volume 8. http://books.google.com/books?id=9sRLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA168. Retrieved 2011-05-19. 
  3. ^ "Country Flooded When Dam Broke" (Google News Archive). Gettysburg Times. July 23, 1919. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=X9slAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZvwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6351,4283932&dq=slate-belt-railroad&hl=en. Retrieved 2011-05-17. 
  4. ^ Ege, Rev. Thompson P.-D. D. (1911) (Archive.org text). History and Genealogy Of The Ege Family In The United States, 1738-1911. The Star Printing Company. http://www.archive.org/stream/historygeneologyege00eget/historygeneologyege00eget_djvu.txt. Retrieved 2011-05-21. "December 3, 1783, Jacob Simon conveyed Pine Grove Furnace and land, together with another tract of 100 acres, to Michael Ege, Sr., Thomas and Joseph Thornburg, sons of Eobert Thorn- burg — Michael Ege one-half and the Thornburg brothers one- fourth each. … they re- sumed business, extended the railroad from a junction at Hunters Eun to Gettysburg, laid out a very beautiful excursion park near the furnace in a grove of magnificent trees, which for many years was well patronized." 
  5. ^ a b Way, John H (1986). "Your Guide to the Geology of the Kings Gap Area …" ("booklet"). Pennsylvania Geological Survey. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/pub/EG8.pdf. Retrieved 2011-05-20. "At full capacity, an average furnace used 800 bushels of charcoal every 24 hours … 240 or more acres of woodland"  per year.
    p. 12: Invilliers, Edward V. d'[1] (1886). Figure 6-2 (Map).  (also published: report on the iron ore mines and limestone quarries of the Cumberland-Lebanon Valley,[2] … in the "An. Rept. Geol. Surv. of Pennsylvania," 1886)
    p. 14: Lehman, Ambrose E. (1889). Figure 7-1 (Map). 
  6. ^ a b "Pine Grove Furnace Collection". PHMC.state.pa.us. http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/mg/mg175.htm. Retrieved 2011-05-13. 
  7. ^ "Excursions" (Google News Archives). Gettysburg Compiler. July 29, 1884. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CFQmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JgAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=2882,1199890&dq=fuller+pine-grove&hl=en. Retrieved 2010-05-20. 
  8. ^ "First Gettysburg Excursion to Pine Grove Park" (Google News Archives). Gettysburg Compiler. May 13, 1884. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_VMmAAAAIBAJ&sjid=JgAGAAAAIBAJ&pg=1507,753004&dq=round-top-branch&hl=en. Retrieved 2011-05-11. 
  9. ^ a b Keefer, Horace Andrew (written after January 29, 1927 -- published October 1934). Recollections, Historical and Otherwise, Relating To Old Pine Grove Furnace (Report). Potomac Appalachian Trail Club Bulletin. http://www.patc.us/history/archive/pine_grv.html. Retrieved 2011-05-14. 
  10. ^ (Google Books) The Official Railway Guide: North American Freight Service Edition. 1904. http://books.google.com/books?id=QF5YL8BSkvMC&pg=PA324#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved 2011-05-19. 
  11. ^ a b "Would Restore Pine Grove Park" (Google News Archive). Gettysburg Times. January 11, 1913. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SqRcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ZVgNAAAAIBAJ&pg=6669,4948332&dq=pine-grove-park&hl=en. Retrieved 2011-05-29. 
  12. ^ Rothwell, Richard P., ed (1902) (Google Books). The Mineral Industry … to the end of 1898. VII. The Engineering and Mining Journal Co. (Inc.). http://books.google.com/books?id=FWzOAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA158&lpg=PA158&dq=%22hunter's+run%22+%22upper+mill%22#v=onepage&q=%22hunter's%20run%22%20%22upper%20mill%22&f=false. Retrieved 2011-05-17. "At Henry Clay Station, on the Hunter's Run & Slate Belt Railway, … The slate is brought to the works by railway from the slate quarry, about 3 miles southwest of the works; the soapstone is hauled by wagon from the quarry, a quarter of a mile from the works, and the clay is brought by rail from Laurel Station, 3 miles away. … about 3 miles below Laurel … At Crane's Siding, on the same railway, one mile above Hunter's Run Station, is a clay refining plant which has been in operation three years … The clay is obtained at the long-since abandoned Crane iron ore mine … obtained its clay from Upper Mill Station, on the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railway"  (similarly-worded Franklin Institute journal of 1899)
  13. ^ a b ...Department of Forestry...Years 1912-1913 (Report). Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters. 1915. http://books.google.com/books?id=ANdUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA10&lpg=PA10&dq=%22South+Mountain+Mining+%26+Iron%22&source=bl&ots=rFFnhu1wT5&sig=IEcf215Lj4A2lsLnJcHZ92LpoP0&hl=en&ei=cCLZTbaeBpTCsAPc2rCODA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBgQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=%22South%20Mountain%20Mining%20%26%20Iron%22&f=false. Retrieved 2011-05-22. "With the final purchase of the lands in Cumberland county at Pine Grove Furnace from the South Mountain Mining & Iron Company, which was consummated by deed bearing date the 12th day of September, 1913" 
  14. ^ "Pennsylvania State Parks: The CCC Years". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/history/historycccyears.aspx. Retrieved 2006-11-28. 
  15. ^ http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/news/resource/res2007/07-0703-pinegrovefurnacesp.aspx
  16. ^[dead link]"Pa. state parks going without life guards at beaches in 2008". The Times Leader. http://www.timesleader.com/news/ap?articleID=384046. Retrieved 2008-02-19. 
  17. ^ DCNR Resource, Feb. 25, 2009 Retrieved on July 13, 2009.
  18. ^[dead link]"Teen's drowning revives debate over state park lifeguards". Philadelphia Inquirer. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20080801_Teen_s_drowning_revives_debate_over_state_park_lifeguards.html. Retrieved 2008-09-17. 
  19. ^ a b c d DCNR.state.pa.us. Pine Grove Furnace State Park (Map). http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/pinegrovefurnace/pinegrovefurnace_mini.pdf. Retrieved 2011-05-13. 
  20. ^ Beers, F. W (1972). Pine Grove, Penn Township (sic) (Map). http://d_cathell.tripod.com/sm2.html. Retrieved 2011-05-16. 
  21. ^ a b c "Pine Grove Furnace State Park". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/pinegrovefurnace/index.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-28. 
  22. ^ Chris A. Courogen. "AT hikers look forward to the ice cream challenge". PennLive.com. http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2008/07/appalachian_trail_hikers_look.html. Retrieved 2008-07-05. 
  23. ^ a b c d e "Pine Grove Furnace State Park: Hiking". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/pinegrovefurnace/index.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-18. 
  24. ^ a b Cress, Joseph (2010-03-09). "Appalachian Trail museum work underway". The Carlisle Sentinel. http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2010/03/29/news/local/doc4bb1419a58eef895909816.txt. Retrieved 2010-03-30. 
  25. ^ "Find a Park by Region (interactive map)". Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/where/index.htm. Retrieved November 18, 2011. 
  26. ^ Michels, Chris (1997). ""Latitude/Longitude Distance Calculation"". Northern Arizona University. http://www2.nau.edu/~cvm/latlongdist.html. Retrieved 2008-04-23. 
  27. ^ Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Planning and Research, Geographic Information Division. "2007 General Highway Map Cumberland County Pennsylvania" (Map). 1:65,000. ftp://ftp.dot.state.pa.us/public/pdf/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/GHS/Roadnames/cumberland_GHSN.PDF. Retrieved 2007-07-27.  Note: shows Pine Grove Furnace State Park

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