Bradford, Samuel Sydney. The Ante-bellum Charcoal Industry of Virginia. Ann
Arbor: UMI, 1994.

This text provided a detailed overview of iron making history and the effects of iron on the economy of Virginia. It gave information dealing with slave labor as well as free labor along with a descriptive process of iron making and the locations of the ironworks in Virginia.

Brady, Douglas E., Jr. The Manufacturer of Iron by William Weaver. Lexington: Douglas E. Brady, Jr., 1970.

A research paper written on the life of William Weaver, one of the most important iron makers in the state of Virginia. Describes the process of how iron and charcoal was produced on the Weaver properties, such as Buffalo Forge, and gives a detailed description of the structure and process of the iron blast-furnace, including its dimensions.

Clinton, Scott B. The Iron Furnaces of Rockbridge County. Lexington: Scott B. Clinton, 1955.

A college paper written by a graduate of Washington and Lee University on the furnaces located in Rockbridge County. This paper not only provided information on the furnaces but it gave schematics of 19^th century iron blast-furnaces and pictures of them in their present day. This source also provided the ‘ingredients’ that we needed in order to construct a working model of the blast-furnace.

Hotchkiss, Jed. A Desciption of the Elizabeth Furnace. Washington D.C.: McGill & Witherow, 1869.

This 28 page pamphlet is a description of the Elizabeth Iron Furnace Property in Augusta County. It is detailed in the operation of the furnace and its layout. It also includes a geology section and a map of the property. The information found will be helpful due to its diagrams of the furnaces used on the property.

Ridgeway, Thomas S. Geological Report of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad. New York: n.p., 1872.

This report gave figures on the cost of iron production.

Salmon, John S. The Washington Iron Works of Franklin County, Virginia. Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1986

This book gives the history of Washington Iron Works in Franklin County. It provides diagrams and pictures of furnaces in Franklin County. It also includes maps showing locations of furnaces as well as the layout of Washington Iron Works. This book will be very helpful, because it allows us to draw connections and shows maps of furnaces that I have seen that we could go visit. It also provides diagrams of furnaces and how to produce charcoal.