Built c. 1750 (1750) VLR # 089-0006 Area 14 ha Nearest city Falmouth | NRHP Reference # 74002147 Designated VLR October 16, 1973 Added to NRHP 18 January 1974 | |
Hunter's Ironworks, also known as Rappahannock Forge, was a historic iron furnace located on the Rappahannock River, near Falmouth, Stafford County, Virginia. It was founded by James Hunter and was in operation by the 1750s. With the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, it supplied the Continental Army and navy with muskets, swords, and other armaments and camp implements. Due to its wartime significance, Gov. Thomas Jefferson ordered special military protection for the complex. The ironworks contained a blast furnace, forge, slitting, merchant, and other mills, nailery, coopers’, carpenters’, and wheelwright shops and houses for the managers and workmen. The iron works operations terminated in December 1782. Some of the buildings may have been used for other purposes into the 19th century At the time of its listing in 1974, the property had 21 contributing structures and 1 contributing site; none survive today.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.