Community Attractions Visitor Information Lonaconing, Maryland

George's Creek Regional History Exhibit George's Creek Regional Library, 76 Main Street, Lonaconing, MD 21539 A display room contains a collection of documents, publications, memorabilia, photographs, and artifacts relating to the history of the town of Lonaconing, Maryland, and to the surrounding George's Creek area in western Maryland. Items of interest include family histories, civic groups, businesses, churches, schools, and other local organizations. A display case is devoted to Lefty Grove and houses his 1931 Most Valuable Player award, the first award of the continuing series. The exhibit is open to the public at no fee during regular library hours. An illustrated catalog of the History Exhibit's holdings is at www.lonaconing.cc

Lonaconing Iron Furnace George's Creek Coal and Iron Company Blast Furnace Number One Furnace Park, Main Street, Lonaconing, Maryland Structure Number 73000886, National Register of Historical Places In 1837, the founders of the George's Creek Coal and Iron Company built a coal fueled, blast furnace for the production of cast iron, in what has now become the town of Lonaconing, Maryland. First fired in 1839, it operated as a commercial production furnace until 1855, when the nearby deposits of suitable iron ore became exhausted. This furnace was the first in the U.S., possibly the first in the world, to do continuous commercial production using bituminous coal (instead of charcoal) as the furnace fuel, thus creating the basis of the modern worldwide iron and steel industry. A very small furnace by modern standards, optimally it could produce 75 tons of iron, in pig iron form, per week. Although the ancillary air compressors and steam engines no longer exist, the massive block-stone furnace structure, which houses the fire-brick walled furnace, is the centerpiece of Iron Furnace Park on Main Street in Lonaconing. The park is utilized for local and regional events, such as the Sunday in the Park crafts and games festival and the Iron Furnace 5 Kilometer Run which finishes next to the park where the award ceremonies take place. Multiple page web site at www.midatlantic.cc