For years we’ve known of the existence of the Williams and Owen Forge down Roupes Creek from the blast furnaces at Tannehill, but recent discoveries suggest that the site was more substantial than just a simple catalan forge operation. The remains of a crib dam on the creek and possible stone foundations are visible near the water’s edge but a new survey has revealed two stone foundations, a stone lined well and brick scattered over an area well back from the creek.
Remains of crib dam on creek bank
Floods over the years have gradually dislodged the logs used in the crib dam that impounded water to drive the cam shaft that activated the forge’s large helve hammer. This large log was washed up on the north bank of the creek about fifty feet downstream of the dam.
The log was notched and thick wooden pins were attached at regular intervals.
Possible stone wall extending back into creek bank.
Located about 100 feet down stream of the crib dam, these stones may have been part of the wheel house where a water wheel that turned the cam shaft that drove the forge hammer was located.
An solid iron bar eight inches in diameter and eighteen inches long was the first discovery of a very informative walkover of the site.
Anna McCown, anthropology major from the University of Alabama at Birmingham discovered this large iron bar as we began to move inland from the creek in search of surface visible remains of the Civil War era iron working operation. The walk over was part of advance preparation for a survey of the site this weekend by current students and recent graduates from UAB and the University of Montevallo. The survey is part of the larger study aimed at recreating the historical landscape at Tannehill and Brierfield and the intervening sixteen mile expanse of the Cahaba River watershed that separates the two State Parks managed by the Alabama Historic Ironworks Commission.
Close up view of the iron object. Does anyone know what it is?
One of two stone piles discovered over two hundred feet from the banks of Roupes Creek.
Anna provides scale showing this stone pile to be almost three feet high and around eight feet square. Made of cut stone, the remains were so covered with humus and leaves that their exact shape and dimensions were not readily visible.
Stone lined well.
The well and the two stone piles are located in a large flat area that was spacious enough to have accommodated multiple structures. Scattered pieces of brick in the vicinity suggest that some of these potential structures were buildings or dwellings. We are hoping that our preliminary archaeological testing this weekend will begin to tell us more about the nature and extent of this important site. One thing is already clear, the site is much larger than we originally suspected.
We did a quick video scan of the terrain where the two stone piles and well were located. Check it out by clicking on the link below.
