Iron making was one of the first industries in Western Virginia due to plentiful natural resources such as iron ore, charcoal, limestone, and water power. It started in 1742 when William Vestal built a small ironworks, called a bloomery, in present-day Jefferson County.

Over time, bigger ironworks with blast furnaces were built to make larger items. The first blast furnace in Western Virginia was built in 1763, and by the early 1800s, many more were operating. One of the most successful was Jackson’s Ironworks, started in 1809 near Morgantown.

By 1860, there were 28 furnaces in the region, but most closed before the Civil War due to poor transportation and cheaper iron imports from other states. The industry made a short comeback after the war but faded by the 1880s as new technology used coke instead of charcoal, to make steel, a much sturdier product.