Tags:
Gardners Pennsylvania Campgrounds ,
Gardners Pennsylvania Parks ,
Gardners Pennsylvania Trails ,
Pennsylvania State Parks
Welcome to Pennsylvania's Pine Grove Furnace State Park located on the slope of South Mountain in Cumberland County.
Park History: Pine Grove Furnace State Park gets it's name from the fact that an iron furnace was built along the banks of Mountain Creek in 1764. Throughout the American Revolution this operating furnace produced iron kettles, munitions, fireplace backs, and ten plate stoves. In 1782 after the war was over a man named Michael Ege purchased the furnace and withing three decades he owned the Pine Grove, Holly, Cumberland, and Carlisle Iron Works. The oldest son of Michael Ege, Peter Ege, inherited the business from his father and operated the Pine Grove facility until it's bankruptcy in 1837. Ege then sold the Pine Grove furnace to two historically important men, Frederick Watts, founder of Pennsylvania State University, and Charles Bingham Penrose who served as Solicitor of the Treasury for President Benjamin Harrison. The next man to own the Iron Works was Jay Cooke, who is commonly known as the "Financier of the Civil War" and was the richest man in the United States by the war's end.
Finally in 1895 the furnace went out of business for good after over 130 years in operation. In 1913, the State of Pennsylvania purchased the land and created Michaux State Forest and Pine Furnace State Park.
Wildlife: Pine Furnace State Park helps protect the home of numerous wild animals including white-tailed deer, geese, woodpeckers, beavers, and black bears. Please treat their home with respect.
For the lover of the outdoors Pine Grove Furnace State Park boasts fishing lakes stocked with trout, bass, and perch, two simming beaches, a 70 acre campground for tents and trailers, access to the Appalachian Trail, and much more. Come on out and explore.
To contact the office please call 717-486-7174.
Pine Grove Furnace State Park
1100 Pine Grove Road
Gardners, Pennsylvania
17324
United States
40.032347, -77.295728
Map:
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