Phoenix Iron Works
Encyclopedia
The Phoenix Iron Works located in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
, was a significant manufacturer of iron
and related products during the 19th century and early 20th century. Phoenix Iron Company was a major producer of cannons for the Union Army
during the American Civil War
. The company also produced the Phoenix column, a significant advance in construction material .
Phoenix Iron Works is a core component of the Phoenixville Historic District
, a National Register of Historic Places
site and in 2006 was recognized as a Historic Landmark by ASM International.
industrialist Robert Waln, the Phoenix Iron Company (later renamed the Phoenix Iron Works) produced pig iron
, wrought iron
, and other iron-related materials and end products. As the complex grew, it featured a huge blast furnace
and puddling furnace, an adjacent iron foundry
, warehouses, ancillary buildings, and associated equipment. In 1825, the company was the first to successfully generate steam through the burning of anthracite coal
to heat water. Other innovations soon followed, and engineers at the foundry invented a power-driven rolling method to weld and forge wrought iron, a process that enabled the iron company to begin producing cannon for the United States Army
.
The company declined as the steel and iron industry of western Pennsylvania waned in the late 20th century. By 1984, production in Phoenixville had ceased. Most of its buildings were dismantled. Only the old foundry and company office buildings remain from the once sprawling complex. The foundry building and the office building have been restored and put to other uses.
By 1986, the new management of renamed Phoenix Steel Corporation announced plans to close its only remaining production plants in Claymont, Delaware
. The rolling mill closed and all production of steel came to an end in 1987. In March 1987, Phoenix made its last shipment of steel and laid off its remaining production and maintenance employees. Throughout 1987 a number of investors approached Phoenix about acquiring the Claymont mill with Phoenix's efforts to sell the mill succeeding in 1988 when CITIC
, a state-owned investment company of the People's Republic of China offered to buy it for $13 million and Phoenix accepted. Phoenix's Claymont mill was formed into a new corporation, CitiSteel, to operate the facility. CitiSteel refurbished and modernized the plant, spending $25,000,000 to convert Claymont from a "specialty mill" producing a number of different low-volume, high-cost steels for specific uses to a "minimill" using technologically advanced equipment to mass produce a few types of steel at high volume and low cost.
In 1998, the Phoenixville Area Economic Development Corporation (PAEDCO) took ownership of the building. Under the guidance of the National Park Service
, PAEDCO undertook exterior renovations and constructed a visitor's center. The Hankin Group acquired the Phoenix Foundry property from PAEDCO in 2006 to create an 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) event space.
Currently as of 2011 the Phoenix Steel site is empty. All of the buildings have been torn down. All that remains is 1 smoke stack and 2 small buildings in the actual steel mill. The giant rolling mill is still in the ground.
and other eastern railroad lines, wrought iron for fencing and home decorative usage, and similar applications, as well as steel products. The Eiffel Tower
in Paris
used puddled iron imported from Phoenixville.
artillery pieces known as Griffen Guns for the inventor, John Griffen. Hundreds were turned out before production shifted in 1861 to other Griffen designs. Daniel Reeves, owner of the company at the time, invested considerable capital in equipment and processes to modernize the factory and make it one of America's leading producers of iron and steel
.
During the Civil War, the factory churned out over 1,000 Griffen-designed 3" Ordnance Rifles, giving it the largest market share of the over 1,400 pieces eventually used by the Army (see Field Artillery in the American Civil War
). The wrought iron barrels weighed 820 pounds and were produced using the company's unique rolling process, making them extremely durable and highly resistant to bursting, a problem that plagued many of Phoenixville's smaller competitors that used cast iron
gun tubes. At its peak, the factory was producing 50 3" Ordnance Rifles a week.
Many of the Phoenixville-produced rifled guns are still extant in private collections, municipal parks, and at battlefields across the country. A number are on the Gettysburg Battlefield
, as well as in other locations in Pennsylvania. They are easily recognizable by the inscription PIC stamped on the muzzle of the gun tube (for Phoenix Iron Company).
truss railway bridges. Phoenix Bridge was involved with the construction of the Manhattan Bridge
, the Walnut Street Bridge in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
, and the Calhoun Street Bridge, between Trenton, New Jersey
and Morrisville, Pennsylvania
, and reached an international market with projects as far away Russia
and China
. In 1900 the Bridge Company was awarded the contract for the Quebec Bridge
across the St. Lawrence River. The 1907 collapse of that bridge during construction was a blow to its reputation. Phoenix Bridge eventually closed in 1962.
Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Phoenixville is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States, northwest of Philadelphia, at the junction of French Creek with the Schuylkill River. The population is 16,440 as of the 2010 Census.- History :...
, was a significant manufacturer of iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
and related products during the 19th century and early 20th century. Phoenix Iron Company was a major producer of cannons for the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The company also produced the Phoenix column, a significant advance in construction material .
Phoenix Iron Works is a core component of the Phoenixville Historic District
Phoenixville Historic District
The Phoenixville Historic District is a National Register of Historic Places site. The district consists of the older part of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, especially the former Phoenix Iron Works site and its employee and owner housing....
, a National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
site and in 2006 was recognized as a Historic Landmark by ASM International.
History
Originally founded in 1790 to produce nails and purchased in 1812 by New JerseyNew Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
industrialist Robert Waln, the Phoenix Iron Company (later renamed the Phoenix Iron Works) produced pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
, wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
, and other iron-related materials and end products. As the complex grew, it featured a huge blast furnace
Blast furnace
A blast furnace is a type of metallurgical furnace used for smelting to produce industrial metals, generally iron.In a blast furnace, fuel and ore and flux are continuously supplied through the top of the furnace, while air is blown into the bottom of the chamber, so that the chemical reactions...
and puddling furnace, an adjacent iron foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
, warehouses, ancillary buildings, and associated equipment. In 1825, the company was the first to successfully generate steam through the burning of anthracite coal
Anthracite coal
Anthracite is a hard, compact variety of mineral coal that has a high luster...
to heat water. Other innovations soon followed, and engineers at the foundry invented a power-driven rolling method to weld and forge wrought iron, a process that enabled the iron company to begin producing cannon for the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
.
The company declined as the steel and iron industry of western Pennsylvania waned in the late 20th century. By 1984, production in Phoenixville had ceased. Most of its buildings were dismantled. Only the old foundry and company office buildings remain from the once sprawling complex. The foundry building and the office building have been restored and put to other uses.
By 1986, the new management of renamed Phoenix Steel Corporation announced plans to close its only remaining production plants in Claymont, Delaware
Claymont, Delaware
Claymont is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 9,220 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. The rolling mill closed and all production of steel came to an end in 1987. In March 1987, Phoenix made its last shipment of steel and laid off its remaining production and maintenance employees. Throughout 1987 a number of investors approached Phoenix about acquiring the Claymont mill with Phoenix's efforts to sell the mill succeeding in 1988 when CITIC
CITIC
Not to be confused with Citigroup, another large financial services company.Not to be confused with CIT Group, another large financial services company....
, a state-owned investment company of the People's Republic of China offered to buy it for $13 million and Phoenix accepted. Phoenix's Claymont mill was formed into a new corporation, CitiSteel, to operate the facility. CitiSteel refurbished and modernized the plant, spending $25,000,000 to convert Claymont from a "specialty mill" producing a number of different low-volume, high-cost steels for specific uses to a "minimill" using technologically advanced equipment to mass produce a few types of steel at high volume and low cost.
In 1998, the Phoenixville Area Economic Development Corporation (PAEDCO) took ownership of the building. Under the guidance of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, PAEDCO undertook exterior renovations and constructed a visitor's center. The Hankin Group acquired the Phoenix Foundry property from PAEDCO in 2006 to create an 18000 square feet (1,672.3 m²) event space.
Currently as of 2011 the Phoenix Steel site is empty. All of the buildings have been torn down. All that remains is 1 smoke stack and 2 small buildings in the actual steel mill. The giant rolling mill is still in the ground.
Products
The Works produced many significant products during its history, the two most notable were the Griffen Gun and the Phoenix Column. Other products included iron for fashioning rails for the Pennsylvania RailroadPennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
and other eastern railroad lines, wrought iron for fencing and home decorative usage, and similar applications, as well as steel products. The Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
used puddled iron imported from Phoenixville.
Griffen gun
In 1855, the foundry began producing 6# smoothboreSmoothbore
A smoothbore weapon is one which has a barrel without rifling. Smoothbores range from handheld firearms to powerful tank guns and large artillery mortars.-History of firearms and rifling:...
artillery pieces known as Griffen Guns for the inventor, John Griffen. Hundreds were turned out before production shifted in 1861 to other Griffen designs. Daniel Reeves, owner of the company at the time, invested considerable capital in equipment and processes to modernize the factory and make it one of America's leading producers of iron and steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
.
During the Civil War, the factory churned out over 1,000 Griffen-designed 3" Ordnance Rifles, giving it the largest market share of the over 1,400 pieces eventually used by the Army (see Field Artillery in the American Civil War
Field Artillery in the American Civil War
Field artillery in the American Civil War refers to the important artillery weapons, equipment, and practices used by the Artillery branch to support the infantry and cavalry forces in the field. It does not include siege artillery, use of artillery in fixed fortifications, or coastal or naval...
). The wrought iron barrels weighed 820 pounds and were produced using the company's unique rolling process, making them extremely durable and highly resistant to bursting, a problem that plagued many of Phoenixville's smaller competitors that used cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
gun tubes. At its peak, the factory was producing 50 3" Ordnance Rifles a week.
Many of the Phoenixville-produced rifled guns are still extant in private collections, municipal parks, and at battlefields across the country. A number are on the Gettysburg Battlefield
Gettysburg Battlefield
The Gettysburg Battlefield is the area of the July 1–3, 1863, military engagements of the Battle of Gettysburg within and around the borough of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Locations of military engagements extend from the 4 acre site of the first shot & at on the west of the borough, to East...
, as well as in other locations in Pennsylvania. They are easily recognizable by the inscription PIC stamped on the muzzle of the gun tube (for Phoenix Iron Company).
Phoenix column
The "Phoenix Column" (patented by Samuel Reeves in 1862 during the Civil War), was a hollow cylinder composed of four, six, or eight wrought iron segments that were riveted together into a single column. The result was much lighter and stronger than the usual solid cast iron columns of the day and advanced the ability to build massive structures without the usual brutally heavy load bearing walls. Taller and taller buildings could now be built on narrow urban plots, helping facilitate the creation of the skyscraper and high stress load bearing bridges.Phoenix Bridge Company
The success of the Phoenix column led to the formation of a construction subsidiary. Initially it was named Clarke, Reeves & Co., then the Phoenixville Bridge Works, and finally the Phoenix Bridge Company. The firm ultimately built some 4,200 bridges, primarily wrought ironWrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
truss railway bridges. Phoenix Bridge was involved with the construction of the Manhattan Bridge
Manhattan Bridge
The Manhattan Bridge is a suspension bridge that crosses the East River in New York City, connecting Lower Manhattan with Brooklyn . It was the last of the three suspension bridges built across the lower East River, following the Brooklyn and the Williamsburg bridges...
, the Walnut Street Bridge in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
, and the Calhoun Street Bridge, between Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton, New Jersey
Trenton is the capital of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the county seat of Mercer County. As of the 2010 United States Census, Trenton had a population of 84,913...
and Morrisville, Pennsylvania
Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Morrisville is a borough in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 8,728 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Morrisville is located at . It is situated on the Delaware River directly across from Trenton, New Jersey...
, and reached an international market with projects as far away Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. In 1900 the Bridge Company was awarded the contract for the Quebec Bridge
Quebec Bridge
right|thumb|Lifting the centre span in place was considered to be a major engineering achievement. Photo caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, December 1917...
across the St. Lawrence River. The 1907 collapse of that bridge during construction was a blow to its reputation. Phoenix Bridge eventually closed in 1962.