Irondale Furnace history on display at City Hall

Pieces of Irondale Furnace history are now on display at City Hall.

A display case holding artifacts from the furnace was installed in the lobby area outside the City Council chambers this week.

The furnace was the second in Jefferson County and was built in 1963 to supply pig iron to the arsenal in Selma to make cannons during the Civil War. The 2,246-acre site was burned in 1865 and rebuilt after the war. It was in operation until 1873.

The display features photos, cast iron pieces and script used to pay ironworkers and miners due to currency shortages

The collection from Birmingham History Center will rotate every four months for a year and can be viewed whenever City Hall is open.