[2] Designed by Fred Fitch and built by Sam Worthley, a stonemason from Scotland, the furnace was completed in 1869, and operated by Red River Iron Works.

[4] Estill County in particular was one of the first areas in the United States to experience early industrialization, with iron mining and smelting beginning in 1810.

[5] After 1879, the industry declined due to the obsolescence of the process, the start of iron production around the Great Lakes, and the depletion of ore and timber.

This structure suffered years of neglect, with numerous stones falling out, one front corner being blasted out with dynamite, and trees are growing on the top.

[6] Today Fitchburg Furnace is accessible as a historic site in the Daniel Boone National Forest outside of Ravenna, KY.[7]