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
PGFSP Furnace.jpg
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 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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 of Cumberland County. The Park accommodates various outdoor recreation activities, protects the remains of the Pine Grove Iron Works (1764), and was the site of Laurel Forge (1830), Pine Grove Park (1880s), and a brick plant (1892). The Park is 8 miles (13 km) from exit 37 of Interstate 81 on Pennsylvania Route 233.

Pine Grove Furnace State Park was chosen by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and its Bureau of State Parks as one of "25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks".[2]

History

Stone barn ruins

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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.[3] 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.

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 [2] & 1919 (downwash from both breached the Mount Holly Springs dam downstream),[4] and the lake is 25 acres (0.10 km2) of the state park.

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For the c. 1881-1904 excursion park[5] with railroad station between Pine Grove Furnace and Laural Forge, see Pine Grove Park.

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"[3] 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).[6] The soapstone was used for washing the clay (Ivery patent in 1901)[4] and the clay was formed, dried, and kilned south of the iron works at the brick plant in front of cemetery hill[7] until c. 1913.[8]

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.[9] On September 12, 1913, three additional tracts totaling 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.[9] By 1921,[5] "Pine Grove" was one of Pennsylvania's 7 "forest parks",[6] within which the smaller Pine Grove Furnace State Park was established by 1931 [7] under the 1929 Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks[8] (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.[10] The 1912 Reading railroad tracks have been removed, and from mid-September 2006 through July 2007, Laurel Lake and its dam were reconditioned.[11] Park lifeguards were eliminated for the 2008 season[12] but were restored to Fuller Lake in 2009[13] after a July 2008 Fuller Lake drowning, the 1st at a state park beach since 1999.[14]

Appalachian Trail[15] @ Pine Grove Furnace SP (west-to-east)
Intersection Coordinates[16]
W park border (pt on PA 233) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[9]
PA-233.svg & former "Laurel Road"[17] Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
T339 & Biker/Hiker Trail Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Mountain Cr bridge @ Fuller Lake Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[10]
E park border (Old RR Bed Rd) Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

Recreation

Fuller Lake is 1.7 acres (0.69 ha) in area and is a filled, abandoned quarry of the Pine Grove Iron Works. Boating is not permitted. Laurel Lake is a 25 acres (10 ha) body of water that was created to supply water power for Laurel Forge. Boaters are limited to using electric powered and non-powered watercraft and 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[15] (groundhog hunting is prohibited). The beaches and swimming at Fuller and Laurel Lakes are open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

A former grist mill is now used as the Appalachian Trail Museum and a former inn is now the park office.

There are many picnic tables throughout the Park and two pavilions are available for rent.[18]

Hiking

The 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.[15] The marker for the Appalachian Trail midpoint is east of the state park (Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.),[11] and thru-hikers completing the store's half-gallon ice cream challenge receive a commemorative wooden spoon.[19] The trails are open to cross-country skiing and some trails and roads are open to snowmobiling during the winter months.[20]

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For the hiking exhibits at this state park, see Appalachian Trail Museum.
  • 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.[20]
  • 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.[20]
  • Koppenhaver Trail is 1.0-mile (1.6 km) in length and passes through a stand of mature hemlock and white pine.[20]
  • Swamp Trail is 0.25-mile (0.40 km) in length and, quite naturally, passes through a swamp.[20]

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).[15] 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.[18]

Geography and ecology

The park's portions of the Mountain Creek valley[21]:14 and the neighboring mountain slopes (Piney Mountain, Pole 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.[18]

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

Nearby state parks

The following state parks are within 30 miles (48 km) of Pine Grove Furnace State Park:[22][23][24]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (similarly-worded Franklin Institute journal of 1899)
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/news/resource/res2007/07-0703-pinegrovefurnacesp.aspx
  12. ↑ [dead link]Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ DCNR Resource, Feb. 25, 2009 Retrieved on July 13, 2009.
  14. ↑ [dead link]Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ http://www.trimbleoutdoors.com/ViewTrip/270666
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. per year.
    p. 12: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. (also published: report on the iron ore mines and limestone quarries of the Cumberland-Lebanon Valley,[1] … in the "An. Rept. Geol. Surv. of Pennsylvania," 1886)
    p. 14: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Note: shows Pine Grove Furnace State Park
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