On a recent hike in the Catoctin Mountain Park, we hiked the Charcoal trail.  It was super informative and sparked our interest in the industry.  We had stumbled upon the preserved Catoctin Furnace a few months earlier while we were the way to the Catoctin Zoo.  We hadn't explored to deeply, so we decided to go back and check it out and see where the charcoal that we created up on in the mountains was used.

The signs along the road are unobtrusive, announcing the 'historic Catoctin Furnace District".  I had driven by them numerous times and paid them no attention, but when I finally drove down that road, a whole new world of history opened up to me.  

The Catoctin Furnace was in blast and operational as early as 1776 when it was instrumental in providing munitions to George Washington and his men.  The furnace remained in operation, under different ownership until 1903.  The grounds are well maintained and where applicable, beautifully restored. The Catoctin Furnace complex is spread out throughout the historic district but is all within short walking distance 

The Catoctin Furnace Museum is housed in a restored iron workers house.  This free museum is bright and cheery and the volunteers were quite friendly.  As you walk in, a map of the complex is affixed to the floor allowing you to get a clear view of where you are and what there is to see as you explore this historical site. 

The museum has a good number of artifacts on display.  There are both items that were used at the iron works as well as items that were created and manufactured at this site.  The displays are informative and interesting to see.  The museum is not large.  It only took us about 30 minutes give or take to view all it had to offer.  Before we left, the volunteer manning the visitor center reminded us of the places that we should check out within the complex.   We headed outside and started to explore. 

The museum has restored two of the old houses in the area to use for museum purposes.  The first building is a two story log cabin that was a colliers house.  This home in particular housed two different families.  Many times, these families would take in boarders to supplement their income.

The second house  is the Forgemans house  This stone house is absolutely adorable and has been renovated to include a working bathroom and kitchen.  We were advised that we could peer into the windows but this building can be rented out for overnight trips. 

The furnace is still standing and the historical society has rebuilt the shed that is connected with it.    The size of the furnaces always enthralls me as I can only imagine the heat that must have emanated!

Some of the buildings at the Catoctin Furnace complex are lying in ruins, too far gone to restore.   One of these is the Iron masters Mansion.  This mansion was built on a small hill so that the iron master could keep an eye on the workings of the whole village from the comfort of his own home.   

It is hard to not stand at the ruins of what was once a large and grand house and not notice the difference between the iron master and the colliers houses.

There are two main trails at the Catoctin Furnace.  The first is a short interactive trail that is dotted with signs that give information about the history of the area and the ironworks.  The trail ends at the site of an African America gravesite where workers from the ironwork lay.  The gravesites were discovered during the building of the nearby route 15.  In recent years, archeologists have worked to identify the remains in that are buried here and in the museum they have two busts that were created using the information that they discovered during their archeology expeditions.

The other trail that is on this property is a trail that meanders over streams and through the woods.  It is also an interactive trail that has signs to give more historical information.  This trail will lead you right to the Cunningham Falls State Park. 

This small historical site has been well maintained and preserved.  The history is rich and displayed in a manner that is interesting as well as easy to understand.   Our entire visit took about 2 hours.  That includes visiting all sites and hiking all portions of the short trails.  It is well worth the visit!

To see where they made Charcoal to fuel this furnace check out the Catoctin Charcoal Trail post. 

​

In June of 2020, we visited the area near Summersville, West Virginia and Fayetteville, West Virginia to see the New River Gorge Bridge.  The three days in the area were not enough, we saw a lot of the sites, but there were so many more places to explore.  I had lists of places that I wanted to see but we ran out of time.  The Carnifex Ferry Battlefield was one of those places.   In less than four months, we were back to see some of what we missed on our first visit.

The civil war battle in 1861 that took place near the Carnifex Ferry was a mystery to me. I had never heard of this battle and I wanted to learn more.   Nestled in the Appalachian hills of West Virginia, this battleground is often overlooked as people chose to visit the larger more well known Civil War historical locations.  However, this battlefield is a great historical stop for the person that is in the area enjoying the kayaking, hiking and gorgeous mountain top views that the New River and Gauley River areas offer. 

The West Virginia State Park: Carnifex Ferry Battlefield

The Carnifex Ferry Battlefield is a small State Park near Summersville, West Virginia.  The area draws tourists who vacation on the Summersville Reservoir, boat the Gauley and nearby New Rivers, come to see the mighty New River Gorge Bridge or visit the multiple parks (national and state) in this area.  An area that is a playground for the nature lover and outdoorsman. 

The grounds of this park have been preserved in memory of a civil war battle that took place in September of 1861.   To fully understand the battle however, we need to back track a few days in time before the battle.
​

The Battle of Carnifex Ferry
In August of 1861, a contingent of the Confederate Army encamped in the area near the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield.    The roughly 1,800 men settled onto the land near the Patterson Farmhouse.  In early September, the union army arrived with nearly 7,000 troops.  In the afternoon of September 10th, the Union army advanced upon the heavily entrenched confederate army.  Both sides fought valiantly and it was the Union army that retreated at the end of the day. 

When the union general was pushed back he must have realized his error.  You see, he had only advanced a small portion of his available men to attack this confederate camp.  When he retreated, he knew it was only for the night and that in the morning that he would be attacking with his full force of me.

Riding high on his troops ability to push back the Union army on the first day of fighting, the confederate general knew that he was seriously outnumbered.  He assessed the risks and the benefits and that night in the cover of darkness he withdrew his troops and retreated.

The Union army claimed victory for this battle.  They held the ground that they had fought for and the Confederate Army had retreated.  However, the Confederate Army did not see it that way.  They claimed that they rightfully held the victory due to the fact that they sustained far fewer casualties and absolutely no fatalities during this battle.  A claim that could not be made by the Union Army.

Near the Patterson House on the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield is a single grave. This grave is a stark reminders that risk of being a troop in the Civil War was not confined to times of battle.  Sickness in the encampments was a very real problem and this grave is testament to that.   On September 7th, only three days before the battle a young soldier died of sickness within that encampment.  Granville Blevins had been in the army for less than 3 months when he passed away.  His brother and friends gave him a proper burial on the Patterson land.  While many men died of sickness while encamped here, this is the only known gravesite.  

Other activities at the Carnifex Ferry Battlefield

This state park also offers a few other neat tidbits of interest.  The Carnifex Ferry Battlefield can boast of a fabulous overlook that gives visitors a breathtaking view of the river far below.   This battlefield offers a 2 mile trail that circles that battlefield and will take a visitor near all points of interest within the battlefield.  The multiple picnic shelters and the softball field round out the variety of activities that this park offers.  

A trip to the Gauley River and the New River would not be complete without at least a quick stop to see the hallowed ground of this battlefield.  During the summer months, the gift shop and museum is open for visitors (weekends and holidays).  If you enjoy watching reenactments, you can visit in early September during an even numbered year and take in the thunder of guns as this battle for control of the valley takes place.   During our visit we split our day at Carnifex Ferry Battlefield with a trip to the Babcock State Park to see the gorgeous Glade Creek  Grist mill!   Thanks for the great visit West Virginia State Parks!

Babcock State Park resides in the Appalachian Mountains near the New River Gorge.   This state park is a multi faceted park with a variety of opportunities for fun.  However, the main attraction at this state park is the Glade Creek Grist Mill.

The Glade Creek Grist mill is frequently touted as one of the most picturesque locations in West Virginia.  Many  go as far as to say that it is the most commonly photographed spot in the state.  I can attest to it's beauty and how photogenic this building really is.

The Glade Creek Grist Mill may look old, but this building is relatively new with the construction being completed in 1976.  What makes this mill look old and vintage?  This mill was built from the parts of three other West Virginia Mills.

The actual building structure is from the remains of the Stoney Creek Grist mill.  That mill dated back to the 1890's and was located in Campbelltown, which is in Pocahontas County.  
​ 

The overshot waterwheel is from the Spring Run Grist Mill that was located near Petersburg, WV.   The waterwheel was the only thing that was salvageable after a fire decimated the mill that was located in Grant County.

The other inner workings for the mill came from the Onego Grist Mill that was located near Seneca Rocks in Pendleton County.  

The Glade Creek Grist Mill was built near the sight of the former Coopers Mill which was destroyed in 1920.  This mill is fully operational and is open on the weekends.  You can even buy some cornmeal that is ground on the premises. 

​

Babcock State Park is not just for the Grist Mill.  There is a campground and the most charming cabins that are for rent.  They have multiple trails that are good for trail running, hiking and mountain biking.  They even have a mountain top lake for those hot summer days.  

Babcock State Park and the Glade Creek Grist Mill are definitely something that we are happy that we took the time to visit.  We are already making plans to return to this state park and stay in one of the cabins and explore more of the trails that this park has to offer.