Apr 27, 2004 By Joyce Koballa 4 min read

BULLSKIN TWP. – Members of a local historical society are fired up about restoring a 33-foot landmark after waiting seven years to acquire the property it is situated on. With the help of twin sisters Connie Rhodes and Bonnie Brougher, members of the Bullskin Township Historical Society are attempting to preserve the Mount Vernon iron ore furnace located on Eutsey Road.

The two women are credited with having the 1.6-acre parcel the furnace is situated on along with a stone cottage deeded to the historical society last summer by their family, the Jesse and Bertha M. Eutsey heirs.

“That was the purpose of forming the historical society,” said Rhodes, who along with Brougher, Kenneth Bowman, Mary Kay Geary, Bill Geary and the late Bill Glassburn founded the non-profit organization in 1996.

Rhodes noted that the furnace has always been of importance to her and her sister, especially since they used to play around it as children. “It was starting to fall in and we knew we had to do something about it,” said Rhodes.

Jean Bowman, society president, said its time to move on with the restoration. “We just need an expert opinion on how it (the furnace) can be restored,” said Bowman.

During the seven years that the historical society was waiting to acquire the property, Bowman said the organization became involved with other projects relating to the township’s history that included researching its schools and churches.

Bowman added that residents also became involved by donating various items relating to the research that enabled the society create books, maps and photo albums available for the public to review.

Upon completing their research of the township’s one-room schools, the historical society erected a marker they dedicated last fall at the Bullskin Township Elementary School located along Route 982.

The marker is etched in marble with the township’s one-room schools and also features a map of where they were once located.

Once research on the schools was completed, the society took the same approach in a second project by collecting information on the township’s churches, which was completed last year.

Bowman said the society is working on a third project that involves researching all of the township’s cemeteries.

In the two centuries that the furnace has remained intact, Bowman said that with the exception of cleaning up around it, no other work has been done.

Other than being surrounded by debris, Bowman said the structure is missing several bricks from the back.

Bowman added that a brick found inside the furnace inscribed with the date 1801 has led the historical society to believe it was built during that era. “We’ve had people say to us that their grandparents worked there,” said Bowman.

Although the origin of the furnace name remains unknown, Bill Balsley, Connellsville Historical Society member, said to his knowledge, the Mount Vernon furnace was named in honor of George Washington.

The furnace was built by Isaac Meason sometime between 1795 and 1800 and blown out in 1830. It was considered an important part of the early iron and coal industries and situated within walking distance from the iron ore mines. The products of the furnace were transported to Connellsville and shipped by boats on the Youghiogheny River.

Balsley added the furnace was one of several iron ore furnaces Meason owned in the area, including one along East Fairview Avenue in Connellsville, where the former YMCA building is located.

The Mount Vernon furnace was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.

The Connellsville Historical Society initially collected data on the furnace before turning it over to the Bullskin Historical Society upon its formation.

In 1993, the Connellsville Historical Society received a $2,000 grant by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission to conduct a feasibility study of the structure.

Landmarks Design Associates Architects of Pittsburgh conducted the study, which included addressing the existing conditions of the furnace, identifying the need to stabilize and protect it and provide a priority list of the work needed to complete the restoration.

A copy of the study was not available.

Aside from the furnace, the property also houses a one-room stone cottage that the historical society refers to as the “stone cabin.” Bowman said the historical society has been working to restore the structure since last fall and to date has replaced the roof and windows while updating the electric and plumbing.

Bowman said the only feature left in question now is the cabin’s hardwood floor, which is in the process of being determined if it is salvageable.

Bowman added the cabin was constructed in 1938. It was used for about 10 years by a local Boy Scout Troop and also rented by the Eutseys.