Historic Coke Ovens – Dunlap Tennessee

We finally went on a day long drive to explore parts of East Tennessee where we hadn’t ventured before… I’d planned out my route and researched historic buildings and sites as well as restaurants where we might have breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Out first stop was in Dunlap Tennessee…

This is the Dunlop Coke Ovens Museum.  We don’t think of Tennessee as a coal mining state but this museum is home to the largest collection of coal mining photos in the state as well as hundreds of mining related artifacts.  Unfortunately, the museum itself was closed when we stopped by. 

This is a full size replica of the original Douglas Coal and Coke Company’s commissary building.  The original structure (1902) was torn down in 1927 when the original company’s successor, the Chattanooga Iron and Coal Company declared bankruptcy.  In 1984, the Sequatchie Valley Historical Association determined that they would build this replica ‘commissary’ structure in the original location in order to house related artifacts and to present the history of the coke operation as well as a bit of other local history.

In 1899, coal mining began on Fredonia Mountain overlooking Dunlap.  For the next 25 plus years, mining grew into an industrial operation that helped the local economy grow and prosper. 

These ‘beehive’ ovens were constructed at the base of the mountain.  They were used to turn coal into coke for use in Chattanooga’s iron and steel foundries.  FYI, coke is a fuel derived from the carbonization of coal…that was used primarily in the production of ‘pig iron’, also referred to as crude iron...the raw material for steel production.

The first 24 ovens were constructed in 1902.  Expansion followed in 1906 with the addition of 144 more ovens and a steam powered coal washer.  In total, 268 stone ovens had been built by the time the operation went bankrupt.

As you can see from the photos, many of the old coke ovens have badly deteriorated.  They’d been unused and exposed to nature for more than 50 years…with the damage exacerbated by locals dumping trash and removing stones from the ovens.

This Norfolk and Western Caboose and a replica depot sit near the museum.  At one point, the railroad was critical to the mining operations, transporting coke, mining equipment and passengers to and from Dunlap…which is only about a mile from this 62 acre park.  During the early part of the 1900s, a passenger and freight depot at Dunlap served the Sequatchie Valley Railroad (Pikeville Branch Railroad)…all part of the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis rail system.

In addition to remnants of old standard rail beds and some actual rails, there is also a 3,900 foot long old incline rail bed that leads to the top of the mountain/bluff where the actual mining took place.  The incline rail line was critical to operations when the coke ovens were operating.  

These photos show some of the more intact and preserved coke ovens at the park.  The rise of the steel industry during the Industrial Revolution required an enormous increase in the demand for coke.

 

The Dunlap coke ovens operation was made up of 5 batteries.  The batteries are all about 9 feet tall and 35 feet wide and range in length from 180 feet to 725 feet.  Each battery rests on a foundation of clay.  Railroad tracks ran across the top of each battery.  The incline railway brought the coal from the mine and the rail cars would dump the coal into the coke oven’s openings on the top.  At its peak, the workforce at these coke ovens reached 350…as the ovens operated 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

To learn more about the Dunlap Coke Ovens and the park, you can go to the park’s website at http://cokeovens.com/ and to an extensive summary of the operation at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunlap_coke_ovens.

Note: A Bluegrass music festival is held at the park every year during the first weekend in June.

This handsome Queen Anne style home is located adjacent to the Dunlap Coke Ovens Park and Museum.  Originally, this was the Douglas Coal and Coke Company Clubhouse…later known as the Chattanooga Iron and Coal Company Clubhouse.  It was built ca. 1902 to serve as a hotel for visiting company officials and traveling salesmen as well as a recreational facility for company managers.  Today it is a private residence…

Unfortunately none of the homes that were built for the Coke operation’s workers are left standing.  They were simple 4-room houses with a porch.  There were 2 sets of homes, one set was painted green (Green Town) and the other set was painted red (Red Town). The number of homes that were built is unknown but these company built communities had over 700 residents.

That’s it for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave