History / The iron furnaces of the Bald Eagle Valley
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The iron furnaces of the Bald Eagle Valley
Julian is named for one. Curtin Village kept one burning until 1921. A driving loop through the Juniata iron district.
AJ Brau · Julian resident · Bald Eagle Valley anglerUpdated September 3, 20261 minJulian, Pennsylvania
Julian began as Juliana Furnace — a charcoal iron furnace named for Julia Ann, wife of proprietor James Irvin. Ten miles down the valley, Eagle Iron Works at Curtin Village is the best-preserved charcoal furnace complex in the state and the place to see the whole industry in one stop.
Julian began as Juliana Furnace, the charcoal iron furnace built by James Irvin and John Adams and named for Julia Ann — part of the Juniata iron district that also produced Eagle Iron Works, Harmony Forge, and Pennsylvania Furnace. Ore was hauled by teamsters from Buffalo Run Valley; 50–100 men worked the furnace and coaling grounds. VERIFY stack remains / marker location with Centre County Historical Society.
Roland Curtin's 1810 forge and 1818 cold-blast charcoal furnace on Bald Eagle Creek — one of the last charcoal furnaces to operate in the US (closed 1921). Restored furnace, 1830 mansion, worker's cabin. State-owned historic site.
B&B and wedding venue at the site of the 1795 Harmony Forge on Spring Creek near Milesburg — iron-heritage lodging.
LodgingBed & Breakfasts
Roland Curtin settled in the valley in 1797 when it was first opened, built Eagle Forge on Bald Eagle Creek in 1810 and the cold-blast charcoal furnace in 1818. The furnace ran, with interruptions, until a fire in 1921 and the forge went quiet in 1922 — among the last charcoal iron works in the country. The 1830 mansion, a rebuilt furnace and a worker’s cabin survive as a state historic site.
The Juliana Furnace employed fifty to a hundred men — teamsters hauling ore from Buffalo Run Valley, colliers on the coaling grounds, founders at the stack. Where the stack stood is being confirmed with the Centre County Historical Society.
Can I go inside Curtin Village?
Seasonal guided tours through the Roland Curtin Foundation; grounds are open year-round. Check hours on the place page.
What is Harmony Forge?
A 1795 forge site on Spring Creek near Milesburg, now Harmony Forge Inn — you can sleep at an iron-heritage site.
