Evening star., 1930-11-30

, forges in Virginia and Maryland, and
| IL Is recorded that half Of the pig iron
exports from the Colonies to England
came from these furnaces.
Clifton Forge, Va, is q city which
takes its name from the old forge es-
tablished there In the early Colonial
days. Elizabeth Furnace, Pa, Is stin
another.
Structural steel in the early days
was unknown. Iron was cast. but the
necessity for obtaining q market for
the product of some 200 forges result
ed in the designing of architectural
features which still persist In the sur
viving old houses of the perod.
Any one at all familiar with the
cities and towns east of the Mississippi
River has seen many remarkable and
often beautiful examples OF cast-iron
balconies, portico columns, ornamental
fences gates and the like. A two or
three balconied veranda would be con-
structed entirely of cast iron. the metal
cast in an elaborate pattern OF climb
ing vines, tree trunks or geometrtc de-
sign. New York City still has thou
sands Of these porticoes to show on its
older houses. The Chelsea district has
many survivals Of the most elaborate
cast-iron work. SO have Brooklyn and
Philadelphia.
In the South, where porticoes and
verandas and galleries were more spa
cious than In the North, the use OF
cast iron was especially in vogue. It
was varied, however, most fortuttously
by the development Of wrought iron.
The wrought-tron balconies, gatewaySs
grilles and similar architectural 1ea-
lures of Charleston and of New orleans
are famous not only among architects
and appreciate of fine architectural
design in the Uritcd States, but also In
Europe. When old houses have been
demolished in these Southern cities ex-
amples of this superb work have been
preserved as museum pieces.
The use of iron developed so far that
the most outstanding architectural
monument of the Nation, the dome of
the United States Capitol at Washing
ton, was made of cast iron. From the
ground 1t appears to be built Of mar
BILE, as are the walls Of the edif1ce, but
the material actually is cast iron
painted o grayish-white. The furnace
which cast the Capitol dome still sx-
lists in Washington.
Iron and steel are not the only metals
which will be in demand. Copper II
expected to be used in increased guam
titles as an exterior covering. It colors
q beautiful green when exposed to the
W6dtLlSI anu IlceQS IlO PdIlbllb. EdlIJ
tends to prevent rust. Aluminium also Is
being introduced as an exterior building
material. Metal roofs are expected to
be introduced more generally, especially
since so many flat-roofed buildings now
are designed so that the roof itself may
| be used as veranda or even planted
garden.
Interior finish is another method of
increasing metal consumption. once
furniture already Is largely made Of
metal, but efforts are being made to In
crease use of metal in domestic fur
nishings 1t is especially adaptable
when made according to the futuristic
designs.
Back at that time when cast-iron
porticoe3 and balconies were being built
by the thousands of tons another out
let for iron production was found In
that remarkable creature, the almost
exclusive habitat Of which was the
United States, the iron deer. Not Q
| front yard was complete without an
iron deer, an iron dog or an iron urn.
And on the curbstone in front of many
houses was an iron hitching post, often
cast In the form Of boy with OUT
stretched hand. That there Is a latent
possibility Of even this fashion in iron
sculpture coming back Is suggested by
the circumstance that at least one
foundry in the United States still Is
finding customers for iron deer. It Is
in New Jersey. -.ac-e ..1