Sloss Furnaces

Sloss Furnaces carries a rich legacy that began in the post-Civil War South and continues through to today. It was founded in 1882 by James Withers Sloss who paid only $180,000 to have it built. Sloss Furnaces became a symbol of pride and progress in the South. It was the first to export iron overseas and helped make Birmingham, AL a thriving city. Listen as historians take you through Sloss's legacy and ironworkers recount what it was like to work inside its walls.

This video takes you through the history of Sloss Furnace from its opening as an iron furnace to its reopening as a museum. Sloss made Birmingham, AL the thriving city it is today. Pictures tell the story of how Birmingham went from a small country town to a bustling city that grew up around the furnaces. It's astonishing growth and prosperity earned it the nicknames "The Pittsburg of the South" and "The Magic City." Sloss made Birmingham the world's largest producer of cast iron pipe, the nation's 3rd largest producer of pig iron, and the foremost industrial city of the South. Though Sloss closed its doors in 1971 its history lives on today through the museum that was opened 101 years after Sloss began making iron.