Laurel Forge manufactured wrought iron from Pine Grove Furnace pig iron and was built by Peter Ege in 1830. The Laurel Forge Pond (now Laurel Lake) was created by a dam below the Sage Run confluence at Mountain Creek to provide waterwheel power via the forge's water race. By 1873 the forge area included a boarding house, coal house, several dwellings, 2 railroad spurs, and a train depot; and in 1884 "Laurel Station" was added as a stop for excursions of the Gettysburg and Harrisburg Railroad. Laurel Dam was breached by flooding in 1889 [3] & 1919 (downwash from both breached the Mount Holly Springs dam downstream),[3] and the lake is 25 acres (0.10 km2) of the state park.
For the c. 1881-1904 excursion park[4] with railroad station between Pine Grove Furnace and Laural Forge, see Pine Grove Park.
Fuller Brick and Slate Company
The Fuller Brick and Slate Company's operations that began in 1892 were developed by J. W. Ivery at the "Pine Grove works"[4] using clay exposed in the region's quarries. Slate was quarried 3 mi (4.8 km) southwest of the works, the soapstone was "hauled by wagon from the quarry a quarter of a mile from the works, and the clay [was] brought by rail from Laurel Station, three miles away" (the Pine Grove kiln held 12,000 bricks).[5] The soapstone was used for washing the clay (Ivery patent in 1901)[5] and the clay was formed, dried, and kilned south of the iron works at the brick plant in front of cemetery hill[6] until c. 1913.[7]
State forest and park
The Pine Grove Division of the state's South Mountain Forest began with the South Mountain Mining & Iron Company's sale of 6,993 acres (28.30 km2) acres to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry in 1912.[8] On September 12, 1913, three additional tracts totaling 9,873 acres (39.95 km2) were sold in the areas of land surrounding Pine Grove and Laurel Forge—including 1,817 acres (7.35 km2) in Adams County.[8] By 1921,[6] "Pine Grove" was one of Pennsylvania's 7 "forest parks",[7] within which the smaller Pine Grove Furnace State Park was established by 1931 [8] under the 1929 Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks[9] (the remaining state forest was named the Michaux State Forest.)[when?]
Many of the facilities at the park were built during the Great Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The young men of the CCC Camp S-51-PA constructed roads throughout the state forests, constructed bridges on the state roads, planted trees for reforestation, and cleaned streams.[9] The 1912 Reading railroad tracks have been removed, and from mid-September 2006 through July 2007, Laurel Lake and its dam were reconditioned.[10] Park lifeguards were eliminated for the 2008 season[11] but were restored to Fuller Lake in 2009[12] after a July 2008 Fuller Lake drowning, the 1st at a state park beach since 1999.[13]
Appalachian Trail[14] @ Pine Grove Furnace SP (west-to-east)
Fuller Lake is 1.7 acres (0.69 ha) in the area and is filled, abandoned quarry of the Pine Grove Iron Works. Boating is not permitted. Laurel Lake is a 25 acres (10 ha) body of water that was created to supply water power for Laurel Forge. Boaters are limited to using electric-powered and non-powered watercraft, gas-powered boats are not permitted. All electric-powered boats must have valid registration from any state, unpowered boats must have a launch permit from PA DCNR or PA Fish and Boat Commission.
In-season archery hunting is permitted in most of the state park, while small areas for seasonal firearms hunting are on the west and south[14] (groundhog hunting is prohibited). The beaches and swimming at Fuller and Laurel Lakes are open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.
Mountain Creek Trail is a 1.4-mile (2.3 km) trail that passes through wetlands and forests as it follows Mountain Creek. Hikers may get the opportunity to see white-tail deer, heron, beavers and waterfowl.[19]
Koppenhaver Trail is 1.0-mile (1.6 km) in length and passes through a stand of mature hemlock and white pine.[19]
Swamp Trail is 0.25-mile (0.40 km) in length and, quite naturally, passes through a swamp.[19]
Camping and lodging
Ironmaster's Mansion
Charcoal Hearth Campground along Bendersville Rd is 0.25 mi (0.40 km) south of the park's store and has 71 sites for travel trailers and tenting, and across the road is a wooded "organized group tenting" area around an open playing field (a YMCA camp is near Laurel Lake).[14] The Paymasters Cabin has central heating and is available for rent. The Ironmaster's Mansion is a youth hostel commonly used by Appalachian Trail thru-hikers.[17]
^Ege, Rev. Thompson P.-D. D. (1911). History and Genealogy Of The Ege Family In The United States, 1738-1911(Archive.org text). The Star Printing Company. Retrieved May 21, 2011. December 3, 1783, Jacob Simon conveyed Pine Grove Furnace and land, together with another tract of 100 acres, to Michael Ege Sr., Thomas and Joseph Thornburg, sons of Eobert Thorn- burg — Michael Ege one-half and the Thornburg brothers one- fourth each. … they re- sumed business, extended the railroad from a junction at Hunters Eun to Gettysburg, laid out a very beautiful excursion park near the furnace in a grove of magnificent trees, which for many years was well patronized.
^Rothwell, Richard P., ed. (1902). "The Mineral Industry … to the end of 1898"(Google Books). VII. The Engineering and Mining Journal Co. (Inc.). Retrieved May 17, 2011. At Henry Clay Station, on the Hunter's Run & Slate Belt Railway, … The slate is brought to the works by railway from the slate quarry, about 3 miles southwest of the works; the soapstone is hauled by wagon from the quarry, a quarter of a mile from the works, and the clay is brought by rail from Laurel Station, 3 miles away. … about 3 miles below Laurel … At Crane's Siding, on the same railway, one mile above Hunter's Run Station, is a clay refining plant which has been in operation three years … The clay is obtained at the long-since abandoned Crane iron ore mine … obtained its clay from Upper Mill Station, on the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railway((cite journal)): Cite journal requires |journal= (help) (similarly-worded Franklin Institute journal of 1899)
^ ab...Department of Forestry...Years 1912-1913 (Report). Pennsylvania Department of Forests and Waters. 1915. Retrieved May 22, 2011. With the final purchase of the lands in Cumberland county at Pine Grove Furnace from the South Mountain Mining & Iron Company, which was consummated by deed bearing date the 12th day of September, 1913
p. 12: Figure 6-2 (Map). Invilliers, Edward V. d'[1]. 1886. ((cite map)): External link in |publisher= (help) (also published: report on the iron ore mines and limestone quarries of the Cumberland-Lebanon Valley,[2]Archived 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine … in the "An. Rept. Geol. Surv. of Pennsylvania," 1886)
