Two steel furnaces for the production of blister steel were in operation in 1750 in Phila delphia.
After the early failure at manufacturing iron in Virginia, already noted in these columns, no further efforts were made until nearly 100 years later. In 1716 a furnace was in operation near Rappahannock, while in 1732 a blast fur nace 30 miles southwest of Fredericksburg was making 20 tons of iron per week, and blast furnaces were in operation in Spottsylvania County and in Stafford County, the latter fur nace, called the Accokeek Furnace, using iron ore from °England's Iron so called from the dame of the manager but situated on land owned by the father of George Washing ton. At the same period an air furnace, the Spotswood's, for the melting of pig iron and the casting of sundry articles, was in operation at Massaponax.
During the second half of the 18th century many other furnaces and forges were built in the Valley of Virginia. It is stated that pre vious to 1856 at least 88 charcoal furnaces, 59 forges and bloomaries and 12 rolling mills had been built in the Virginias, seven of the rolling milts being located near Wheeling. The char coal furnaces, of which several are in existence to-day, were stone constructions built against a bank at the same level as the tunnel-head; they used a cold blast created by water power and wooden tubs.
In later years the manufacture of iron in the Virginias was given a fresh impetus through the discovery of valuable iron ore deposits and the manufacture of excellent blast furnace coke from Pocahontas coal.
The first iron works in Maryland, cpnsisting probably of bloomaries, are believed to have been erected in 1716 in Cecil County on Chesa peake Bay.
In 1722 the Principio Company, owners of the Accokeek Furnace in Virginia, built a fur nace on Principio Creek in Cecil County, and in 1744 the Kingsbury Furnace in Baltimore County. The Lancashire Furnace situated close by was purchased by the company in 1751 which thus became the owner of four furnaces and two forges. It is said that one-half of the pig iron exported to England before the revo lution was made by these furnaces. Captain
Washington and later his son, Lawrence, a half brother to George Washington, werepart own ers of these works. They were confiscated as British property in 1780. Iron works have never ceased to be in operation at Principio and North East. A charcoal furnace was built in 1837 and it is here also that the important works of the McCullough Iron Company are situated.
Between 1723 and 1730 the Baltimore Com pan y built a blast furnace near Gwynn's fall and the Mount Royal Forge at Jones's Falls. A furnace and two forges were constructed at an early date at the head of Gunpowder River.
During the latter part of the 18th century many other iron works were erected in Maryland.
It is believed that iron works were built in Delaware, in New Castle County, previous to 1730. Emmanuel Swedenborg in his We Ferro,' printed in 1734, mentions the existence of iron works on the Christiana River built by Sir Wil liam Keith. One of the furnaces was known as the Abbington furnace. In 1763 a furnace was erected near Concord in Sussex County, and in 1769 a forge on Nanticoke River. The Pine Grove Furnace was built in 1764 near Concord and the Unity Forge on the Nanticoke River in 1771. The latter remained active until 1816. A rolling mill was in operation in Dela ware in 1787 near Wilmington. Other iron works were built at later dates, but no iron or steel is at present manufactured in the State of Delaware.
Iron works were probably built in North Carolina previous to 1730 near the coast in the neighborhood of bog-ore deposits. It is certain that iron works were in operation in that State before the revolution. The following may be mentioned: furnace and iron works on Deep run, iron works in Guilford County, including the Troublesome Forge, the Buffalo Creek Fur nace, two furnaces, four forges and two bloom aries in Lincoln County, the Union Forge in Stokes County, etc. Practically' all these works as well as those built later have now been abandoned.