Remembering back to when I first moved into the tri-state area of Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia is like remembering yesterday. My newly-retired military father decided that his small hometown in Eastern Ohio was the perfect place to raise a family and we settled into our new digs right as the steel mill industry had fallen in this part of the country- the mid-eighties.
I remember driving past shut down steel mills and thinking how beautiful they looked; I've always been fascinated with abandoned buildings. As a kid it was fun to think about what was inside of these old mills, who worked there, and don't even get me started on how much I love learning about how things are made- I could sit and watch creation all day, everyday.
I also remember many of the kids in my new elementary classes were the children of steel mill workers and, once used living a very comfortable life with annual trips to Disney World, had parents that drove brand new cars, and always had the latest in modern conveniences, had succumbed to barely making ends meet and using the free lunch program at school. It was a confusing time for them and for me, both of us living a new life, both unsure how to do so and still fit in.
I heard stories about the good and bad times of the steel mill crews- Mr. Locke was once an employee in one near Youngstown, Ohio. He would talk of the oppressive heat, the accidents, spending time with his "second family", and the good times which always weighed in above the bad ones. I had asked him about taking a tour of his mill and he told me it would be far too unsafe for a non-worker to enter the mill when it was up and running.
Last weekend my dream of finding out what's inside of a steel mill came true compliments of Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area and its Carrie Blast Furnaces Tour.
The Carrie Blast Furnace Complex in Rankin is one of the steel mill tragedies that define Pennsylvania and Ohio's Rust Belt. Built in 1907, the mill's primary function was to create pig iron which was then sent off to another mill for refining.
Present day, the Carrie Furnaces Complex is a rusty gem of a mill that rises over 92 feet in height and is a complete contrast to the modern style buildings and shopping complexes in Rankin, Homestead, and Braddock- local boroughs that barely made it and are now drawing new, hip residents that have complete faith in the towns and are all for revitalizing and beautifying these rust belt communities. In 2006, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark, Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area acquired it in 2010, and two months later it was opened to the public for touring.
Rivers of Steel has exactly that mentality when it comes to the Carrie Furnaces. They are all about preserving Pittsburgh history and give guided tours of the Blast Furnace complex and the grounds that surround it. The two-hour tours are given by those in the know who love telling guests about the furnaces' heyday.
Want to know more about the tour, its guide, and the gorgeous Carrie Furnaces? This one's for you.
What's On the Tour?
We started the tour off inside the giant Boiler Shop area where we met our guide, Jim Kapusta- a worker at the Carrie Furnaces from the mid-sixties until it closed around 1982. Adamant about attending college after graduation, his relatives told him absolutely not- he was working at the mill where he could make more money than most college professions.
Jim was an absolute pleasure to listen to and he told us about the newbie process (a white stripe of tape down the middle of a hard hat for designation), how now employees were watched like hawks to avoid injuries, and the long, hot days at the mill. His love of the complex was palpable and I was drawn in with his smile and honesty. The orange safety helmet he donned for the tour was not only one from the mill- it was his uncle's.
The equipment inside of the buildings are giant and this bolt definitely gives scale to some of the pieces. Checking out the pieces of no longer used equipment was eye opening and, once I considered the tools that needed to be used to keep them up and running, I realized the sheer power and stamina the workers needed to have.
After a chat indoors we headed outside to hear more about daily life at the Carrie Furnaces. Jim was such a great guide and happily pointed out prominent features and where he, his relatives, and friends worked, their positions, and the jobs he'd choose like working in the yard on fine weather days as opposed to shoveling tons of rock or other heavy labor positions.
A piece of iron ore that was left over from the mill's processing. There's loads of examples all over the mill yard and around the machinery.
There's so many opportunities for incredible photos. Left over pointe shoes are so feminine in relation to the masculine, rusty equipment behind them.
This was Jim's furnace. His eyes sparkled when he talked about working with his crew and the heat they endured everyday. That gap in between the floor? That's called a ladle where the molten material in the 2,700 degree interior would come flying out of the furnace and the workers had to have fast reaction times and skill to maneuver the flowing metal through the gates from one area to another. He told us a story about a young man that fell into that gap and became severely burned and needed an swift trip to hospital via ambulance, only for the boss to order his crew right back to work. The job never stopped.
Jim gave me the scoop on what happened to the raw material once it hit the complex until it was sent out for processing to another mill.
This Place Looks Like It Should Be in a Movie!
And I'm happy to say it's had the opportunity to showcase its rust belt beauty a couple of times. "Out of the Furnace" starring Christian Bale and Zoe Saldana, as well as the popular television show American Ninja Warriors was filmed on location.
The piano above was a prop used during filming and was just left there. So gorgeous.
Art Installations at Carrie Furnaces
The Carrie Deer is a prominent feature of the tour and there's good reason why. Constructed right at the site in 1997 by the Industrial Arts Cooperative, the 40-foot wire frame was made with common hand tools and materials found in and around the furnaces. After completion, it was hoisted and set into place using heavy chains.
Several other art pieces are onsite as well and use common materials found in the mill.
About the Tours
- Tours operate Fridays at 10am June through August and Saturdays at 10am and 11am May through October.
- To celebrate the "100th Anniversary of the Hard Hat", Rivers of Steel is offering a discounted rate of $19.15 for a guided tour.
- Tours last approximately two hours and open toed or high heeled shoes are not permitted
- The recommended age is 8 years and up.
- Wear clothing that you don't mind getting dirty or rusty. I chose white jeans and had to remind myself of the conditions continuously.
- Don't forget your camera. So. Many. Great. Photo ops.
Have you ever visited the Carrie Furnaces Complex? What did you think about the tour? Please let me know in the comments box below!
Happy travels!
A huge thank you goes out to Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area for our complimentary tickets to give you fine folks the scoop on what makes a Carrie Furnaces tour so special. All opinions are my own!
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