Members of The Rotary Club of Twin Valley visited Joanna Furnace for a tour on Thursday, July 21st.
Joanna Furnace is a historic remnant of Berks County’s thriving early iron industry. Unlike today’s corporations with their large buildings and complex hierarchies, the 19th century iron industry at Joanna Furnace was the product of rugged individualism. From the semi-wilderness of Robeson Township, in 1791, Joanna Furnace was started by Samuel Potts, Thomas Rutter III, Thomas May and Thomas Bull. The furnace was named in honor of Pott’s wife Joanna Holland Potts.
Joanna was a cold blast, single stack, charcoal iron furnace most of her life. Water powered until the mid 1850’s, Joanna used steam power after that. Under the guidance of the ironmaster (after 1800, one of the Smith family) and founder/keeper (or manager), guttermen, fillers, and potters worked in twelve-hour shifts tapping the iron twice daily.