Dover Furnace
Dover Township, Dutchess County, New York
Directions:
Dutchess County Route 81 (Old Route 22); at mile 9.1 turn right and follow Route 81 to Route 22 and drive south. Continue through the town of Dover. At mile 16.0 you pass through rock cuts in the Stockbridge formation. At mile 17.7, turn right on Dutchess County Route 26 west, to the hamlet of Dover Furnace.
Geology:
The rock cuts in the Stockbridge formation was quarried extensively in Dover for lime products. Marble of high quality was mined from the Dover Quarry.
History:
Dover Furnace was once a busy iron-producing village with a total of four blast furnaces.
At the dam on Route 26 West in the hamlet of Dover Furnace, stop at the stream crossing and observe the dam, water wheel remains and other structures. This was the site of the 1835 Dover Furnace (south of the road).
1835 -- Dover Furnace established
1849 -- service complete to Dover Plains and the village of Dover Furnace. Harlem Railroad (later NY & Harlem RR, then the NY Central RR).
1941 -- the dam by Dover Furnace modified to provide power for an electric generating plant.