The origin of this former industrial site began in 1793 with the creation of the first Nail Works in the USA. Refined iron ore was brought here from the Hopewell Furnace, located NW of Phoenixville, further up along the French Creek. Hopewell spanned parts of Berks and Chester counties. The power for making the nails came from French Creek itself, which was dammed so the water wheel would function.
One of the Nail Works early owners, Lewis Wernweg, an engineer, had his home up on the hill overlooking the French Creek. As he looked down on the forges firing the nails, he was reminded of the ancient Egyptian legend of the Phoenix bird. The story is: The bird was all burnt at night, but in the morning it emerged from the ashes all fresh and new. So, he named his business – The Phoenix Iron Works. Later, in 1849, when Phoenixville became an independent Borough and separated from Schuylkill Township, it took the name Phoenixville.
The French Creek, which joins the Schuylkill River a short way from here, near the bridge to Mont Clare, was an integral part of the former Phoenix Iron and Steel Company. The company’s property grew to encompass over 130 acres. The Foundry Building is centrally located on what was once part of the company site.
The Nail Works burned in 1848, and by that time nails were beginning to be made by machines. After the fire, David Reeves, who had purchased the Nail works in 1829, decided that the products made by the company would primarily be structural components needed for the railroads. The Reeves family owned the company until 1944. It then had several different corporate owners and remained in business until 1987.
The Symbols of Steel Sculpture Garden is comprised of Phoenix Columns. The Phoenix Columns used here were rescued from the Stegmeir Brewery in Wilke-Barre, PA and from former Phoenix Iron and Steel Company buildings that were taken down in the 1990s.
The segmented wrought iron structural support was invented and patented by Samuel Reeves, an engineer, and David Reeves’ son. The number of segments used depended on what structural strength was needed for a particular bridge or building. The segments would be shipped in pieces and then bolted together at the place where they were to be used. This iconic product made the company famous. It was used not only for bridges but also provided interior structural support for the Washington Monument, the Fairmount Water Works, City Hall in Philadelphia, and New York City’s first elevated train.
Because of the company’s rapid expansion and success, European immigrants seeking a better way of life from many European countries settled here in Phoenixville. Phoenixville was also a place on the Underground Railroad so there were also former slaves who could get a job at the mill.
A sign at the entrance to the mill read:
“At Phoenix – It’s the People That Make the Difference”
This sign, symbolizing the company’s philosophy, is part of the reason that the company was so successful!