Sloss Furnaces in Birmingham, Alabama, operated from 1882 to 1971 as a pig iron blast furnace and became one of the clearest surviving symbols of the city’s rise as an ironmaking center. Founded by Colonel James Withers Sloss and built under engineer Harry Hargreaves, the plant was repeatedly modernized and gained national distinction through innovations developed by James Pickering Dovel. After closing amid environmental regulation and industry change, the site was saved by local preservationists instead of being demolished. It became a National Historic Landmark and opened as a museum, transforming Birmingham’s industrial past into a place for education, metal arts, and public events.