Tannehill Ironworks
Alabama Historic Ironworks Commission (historic site), McCalla, Alabama
Tannehill Ironworks southwest of Birmingham began as a forge in 1829 and added charcoal blast furnaces in the late 1850s and 1862. During the Civil War it made pig iron, ordnance and cookware for Confederate forces until Union cavalry burned it on March 31, 1865. Its stone furnace stacks survive in a 1,500-acre Alabama state park.
- Company
- Alabama Historic Ironworks Commission (historic site)
- Status
- Closed
- Opened
- 1829
- Employees
- Not stated
- Industry
- Steel and metals
- Revised
- November 12, 2026
What is made here
Charcoal blast furnaces that made pig iron, and during the Civil War cannonballs, gun barrels and household iron for Confederate forces.
Facts
| Origins | A forge began operating at the site in 1829, built and run by Daniel Hillman; the first blast furnace followed in the late 1850s and a steam-powered second furnace in 1862 (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
|---|---|
| Civil War output | Made cannonballs, gun barrels, ordnance and pots, pans and skillets for Southern troops (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
| Destruction | On March 31, 1865 three companies of the Eighth Iowa Cavalry burned the cast houses, tramways and houses, leaving the two stone furnace stacks that still stand (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
| Ore and fuel | Brown hematite was mined in open pits and hauled two miles by tramway; charcoal from more than 3,400 acres of timber fueled the furnace (federal: npgallery.nps.gov) |
| Park | Now Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, a 1,500-acre Alabama state park (reference: en.wikipedia.org) |
Figures are as stated by the source named next to each one. Company figures are the company's own claims.
Can you visit?
Yes: Alabama Chanin Factory Visit & Private Tour has hours, booking and age rules checked on the operator's site.
Sources
- NPS National Register nomination: Tannehill Furnace (federal, checked November 12, 2026)
- Wikipedia: Tannehill Ironworks (reference, checked November 12, 2026)
Something changed? Send a correction with a link and we'll recheck it.