This featured image is from the heading of a bond created for Havre Iron Co. in 1879 that shows the factory at the foot of Bourbon St in Havre de Grace, MD.
The Details Can Be Tricky!
As best as we can explain from our research, the chronology of the Havre Iron Works – later to become – Havre Iron Co. follows:
1842-1843 Iron furnace constructed at the end of Bourbon Street by Whitaker Bros.
1845 Reeves and Co. build new furnaces. We believe this was also for Whitaker Bros.
build new iron furnace at Havre de Grace
By 1845, brothers Joseph Whitaker II (1789-1870) and George Price Whitaker (1803-1890) built two furnaces here on the Furnace Wharf. The brothers were the sons of Joseph Whitaker (1755-1838), a cavalryman in the British Army who on an expedition in 1777 deserted the British forces near Elkton and created the Principio Furnace. (It was on that expedition that the British first burned Havre de Grace.) It was known as the Havre Iron Company (and sometimes as the Havre de Grace Iron Works) as an adjunct to their iron foundry at Principio Furnace. In 1859 they divided their properties and the Havre Iron Company became the property of George P. Whitaker with a large blast furnace. Joseph lived in Pennsylvania and George in Maryland and, fearing the result of the Civil War, they divided properties by free and slave states. George held the Maryland property, which was located at the foot of Bourbon Street and reached up to Washington Street. And Joseph held the Pennsylvania property. They are said to have supplied metal for guns for the government during the Mexican-American and Civil Wars. George Whitaker subsequent to 1862 sold the iron works to members of the McCullough Iron Company. However, in 1866 the old Havre Iron Company was bought by Abram P. McCombs who in 1873 was granted a 10-year tax abatement for the furnace.
from Historic Havre de Grace
1862 George Whitaker became the sole proprietor and sold the iron works to McCullough Iron Co.
1866 A.P. McCombs, as part of a group of 4, bought the iron works and renamed it: Havre Iron Co.
Delaplaine McDaniel, E. M. Bye, and A. P. McCombs. Havre de Grace, MD
From everything we can find, each of the pieces giving varied dates, it seems the Havre Iron Co. closed in the early 1900s.
1879 – Seeing the writing on the wall for the decreasing demand, this bond, it appears, is an effort to pay off McCullough. Iron Co.
If you have photos or details of the ironworks located in Havre de Grace, do contact our ‘casual historian.’ We’d love to be able to share more.
Remember, don’t throw the Havre de Grace ‘stuff’ out when you’re cleaning out a home, settling an estate, or just ‘downsizing,’ without checking in with George. Don’t give him cause to cry!!!
Our ‘casual historian’ is always waiting for your stories and any memorabilia you may want to share.
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