Falling Creek Iron Works

Falling Creek was the site of the first industrial ironworks in the New World, chosen because iron ore lay nearby, wood provided fuel, and falling water supplied power. In 1619, the Virginia Company sent artisans to the colony to establish the industry, and by 1621 a blast furnace was in place and ready for use, with an initial shipment of iron to England planned for April 1622. The ironworks were destroyed on March 22, 1622, during the first Powhatan Indian uprising, and the iron was never shipped. Three unsuccessful attempts to rebuild followed. In 1750, Archibald Cary built a forge, and iron was once again worked at Falling Creek, but this operation was destroyed in 1781 by British forces under Benedict Arnold. After the American Revolution, the forge was replaced by the Ampthill Gristmill, which operated until 1906, when the site ceased all activity.

Bensley, Virginia · United States