Joppa Iron Works
Encyclopedia
The Joppa Iron Works also known as Patterson's Iron Works was started around 1817 by Joseph and Edward Patterson of Baltimore
who were the brothers of Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte
- who was the sister-in-law of Napoleon I of France
. Built on the "Long Calm" portion of the Big Gunpowder River
in eastern Baltimore County, MD this facility was started as a slitting and nail producing company. Located approximately .75 of a mile below the Maryland Route 7
this facility eventually had six puddling furnaces, one heating furnace, and 37 nail machines with all of the machinery being water-powered.
There are few remnants of the iron works that remain except for a large flat area where the business stood. Prior to the original dam being built at the Loch Raven Reservoir
in 1881, the water depth at the Joppa Iron Works site was much deeper facilitating shipments in and out of the area by deep-water vessels. As late as the 1970s, an old ship's mooring ring was able to be seen in the area. Remnants of slag
from the furnaces can still be found in the area.
The Joppa Iron Works eventually closed around 1865 with the death of Edward Patterson. The Loreley Distilling Company eventually purchased the property and distilled whiskey on the site after Prohibition
, and eventually sold to the Frank L. Wight Distilling Co. - part of Heublein Inc. The distillery was then purchased by Hiram Walker & Sons
of Canada
and subsequently shut down when production moved to their Peoria, Illinois
facility.
In 1970 this property was acquired by the Department of Forest & Parks Maryland
and is now part of the Gunpowder State Park.
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
who were the brothers of Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte
Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte
Elizabeth Patterson Bonaparte , known as "Betsy", was the daughter of a Baltimore, Maryland merchant, and was the first wife of Jérôme Bonaparte, and sister-in-law of Emperor Napoleon I of France.-Ancestry:Elizabeth's father, William Patterson, had been born in Ireland and came to North America...
- who was the sister-in-law of Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. Built on the "Long Calm" portion of the Big Gunpowder River
Gunpowder River
The Gunpowder River is a tidal inlet on the western side of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, United States. It is formed by the joining of two freshwater rivers, Gunpowder Falls and Little Gunpowder Falls.-Gunpowder Falls:The Big Gunpowder, long, begins in the extreme southern part of Pennsylvania's...
in eastern Baltimore County, MD this facility was started as a slitting and nail producing company. Located approximately .75 of a mile below the Maryland Route 7
Maryland Route 7
Maryland Route 7 is a collection of state highways in the U.S. state of Maryland. These highways are sections of old alignment of U.S. Route 40 between Baltimore and Elkton that were bypassed when US 40 was moved to Pulaski Highway, a four-lane divided highway, in the late 1930s and early 1940s...
this facility eventually had six puddling furnaces, one heating furnace, and 37 nail machines with all of the machinery being water-powered.
There are few remnants of the iron works that remain except for a large flat area where the business stood. Prior to the original dam being built at the Loch Raven Reservoir
Loch Raven Reservoir
The Loch Raven Reservoir is a reservoir that provides drinking water for the City of Baltimore and most of Baltimore County, Maryland. Originally built in 1881 as a dam and water tunnel to channel water to Lake Montebello and Lake Clifton, the new dam was constructed in 1914 in efforts to increase...
in 1881, the water depth at the Joppa Iron Works site was much deeper facilitating shipments in and out of the area by deep-water vessels. As late as the 1970s, an old ship's mooring ring was able to be seen in the area. Remnants of slag
Slag
Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
from the furnaces can still be found in the area.
The Joppa Iron Works eventually closed around 1865 with the death of Edward Patterson. The Loreley Distilling Company eventually purchased the property and distilled whiskey on the site after Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
, and eventually sold to the Frank L. Wight Distilling Co. - part of Heublein Inc. The distillery was then purchased by Hiram Walker & Sons
Hiram Walker
Hiram Walker was an American grocer and distiller, and the eponym of the famous distillery in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Walker was born in East Douglas, Massachusetts, and moved to Detroit in the mid-1830s...
of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and subsequently shut down when production moved to their Peoria, Illinois
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...
facility.
In 1970 this property was acquired by the Department of Forest & Parks Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and is now part of the Gunpowder State Park.
Literature
- John W. McGrain, "From Pig Iron to Cotton Duck Volume 1" Page 212-214 (Towson, MD 1985)