A few days after we posted our article about volunteers cleaning up Catherine Furnace, someone notified us via message on Shenandoah Newz Facebook and informed us that there was a mode of the Catherine Furnace at the Shenandoah Community Library.
We drove over to the library and saw that the library had it on display on the left as you enter the library.
The model was built by William T. Shuler Sr. and is enclosed with a plexi glass case made by Alpha Industries. It is a very well-done model showing all work aspects of the iron making facility to include:
- Has a bridge to the hillside that workers used to load the furnace with iron ore, limestone and charcoal. Most of all of the Virginia iron furnaces were built on the side of a hill. If you visit Catherine Furnace and look thru the woods on the right side of the furnace, you can see what remains of the rock walls along the side of the hill.
- Shows workers loading iron ore into mine ore cart.
- Has guttermen guiding liquid iron into pig molds in front of the furnace.
- It shows the water wheel on the right side of the furnace that turned and operated the bellows that provided air to the furnace.
- Has black charcoal pit. The furnace property consisted of 22,500 acres which supplied wood for charcoal, iron ore and limestone.
Mr. William T. Shuler Sr. passed away in December 2005. During World War II, he enlisted in the Navel Reserves and served as a First Lieutenant from 1944 to 1946. Upon his retirement, he returned to Shenandoah and with his wife Aurelia and son Bill, began A&B Developments of Shenandoah. In 1972, he became president of the Shenandoah Land and Improvement Co.
More about the iron ore process
To make iron ore, the workers had to dump three key ingredients down into the top of the furnace. They were Limestone, Iron Ore and Charcoal.
See diagram below.
Pictured below shows what remain of some of the rock walls that still can be seen in the woods that may have supported the bridge that went over to the furnace.
The Shenandoah Community Library is located at 418 South Third Street in Shenandoah Va and their hours are Tuesday & Thursday 10am to 6pm; and Saturday 10am to 2 Pm. Their phone number is (540) 652-2665.
They have their Summer Reading Challenge going on from now to August 3, 2025. Summer Reading Challenge engages children and adults in creative and challenging library-based events from June 2 through August 3, 2025. 2025's theme is "Color Our World!" Open to readers of all ages, SRC features a fun reading challenge, as well as dozens of weekly events throughout MRL's seven branches in Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, and Page County. Using the app Beanstack, patrons can track their reading and be entered to win prizes! Register on the Beanstack app or in-person at any MRL branch in: Bridgewater, Broadway, Elkton, Grottoes, Harrisonburg, Luray, and Shenandoah.
