‘Matters are Very Well Handled There, and No Expense is Spared to Make Them Profitable’: Accokeek Furnace and the Early Iron Industry in Virginia

Summary

In the summer of 2012, Dovetail Cultural Resource Group conducted Phase II investigations at Accokeek Furnace, an 18th century ironworks in Stafford County, Virginia. While the furnace’s historical claim to fame may be its association with George Washington’s father, Augustine, it was well-known during its heyday as a large, profitable, and well-managed operation producing some of the highest-quality iron of any of the local works. Although the complex around the furnace comprised hundreds of acres and as many workers involved in both the operations of the ironworks itself as well as myriad supporting roles, Dovetail’s investigations focused on the industrial core of the site. A major component of the archaeological study involved the detailed mapping of the many above-ground features present. The resulting data provide much insight into the layout and operation of Accokeek Furnace and other Virginia ironworks of the period.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeologies of Mining and Industry   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2014

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): SYM-81,04