The Founding of the Pennsylvania Iron Works

1654 Dekalb St, Norristown, PA | Get Directions »
FREE

In 1715, Thomas Rutter, blacksmith, minister and assemblyman, traveled up the Schuylkill River on the Manatawny Road and “on his own strength” built Pennsylvania’s first charcoal ironworks. By 1716, it was producing iron. Speaker Dan Graham will discuss Rutter’s role in the founding of the industry which has become synonymous with Pennsylvania’s and Montgomery County’s industrial past.

Mr. Graham is an early Pennsylvania iron researcher and a Potts and Rutter family historian. He holds a B.S. from West Virginia University and a MPA from George Washington University. He is retired and lives in Montrose, PA.