Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park is a 45-acre park in Bibb County located between Centreville and Montevallo. It preserves the site of an important Civil War-era ironworks and rolling mill. The park was established in 1976 by the Bibb County Commission at the urging of the Bibb County Heritage Association.
The Ironworks

In 1863, the Confederate government ordered the Bibb Iron Company either to sell all the iron produced at the works to the Confederacy, sell or lease the ironworks to the Confederacy, or have the facility confiscated. The company opted to sell the facility, along with nine slaves and numerous oxen, mules, carts, and tools, to the Confederacy for $600,000, making it the only ironworks owned by the Confederacy. Confederate officials completed the rolling mill, constructed a new 40-foot brick furnace, and ran a rail line to the facility. The iron produced at the site was shipped to the Selma Ordnance and Naval Foundry in Dallas County, where it was fashioned into cannon and plate armor. On March 31, 1865, Union troops under the command of Gen. James H. Wilson attacked and destroyed the ironworks in the closing weeks of the war.

The Park

The park features a number of attractions. In addition to the ruins of the two furnaces, both covered by large metal canopies, several different historical buildings have been moved into the park, including Mulberry Church, Ashby Post Office, Adelaide Mahan's studio, five log cabins, and a large Victorian farm house. The Ashby Post Office is used for meetings and receptions, and several other buildings, including the log Brierfield Lodge, provide accommodations for overnight visitors. The Brierfield superintendent's house, part of the original National Register listing, has been renovated and hosts a park welcome center and ranger station. The house originally was occupied by the superintendent of the rolling mill. The park also has both primitive campsites for tents and improved camp sites with electricity and water hook-ups for recreational vehicles, a "country store," and a swimming pool.
The University of Alabama conducted an archaeological dig at the park in 1995, and from 1996-2006, the University of Montevallo's Continuing Education Department organized volunteers to conduct excavations in the park.
Events at the park include a military vehicle show held in September and a Halloween Bash held at the end of October. The park also has a popular shooting range used for exhibitions and competitions.
Brierfield Ironworks Historical State Park has two full-time and up to six part-time employees; its funding is largely self-generated, although it has received state funding in the past. The annual number of visitors is approximately 63,500; the park is a popular spot for Boy Scout and Girl Scout events and family reunions.
Additional Resources
Bennett, James R. and Karen R. Utz. Iron & Steel: A Guide to Birmingham Area Industrial Heritage Sites. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2010.
Additional Resources
Bennett, James R. and Karen R. Utz. Iron & Steel: A Guide to Birmingham Area Industrial Heritage Sites. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2010.
Woodward, Joseph H., II. Alabama Blast Furnaces. Birmingham, Ala.: Woodward Iron Company, 1940.