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Mountains of Fire
The Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area draws its strength from the region’s industrial history, the landscape that fueled it, and the hardworking men and women who made it possible. The eight counties that form the heritage area—and the hundreds of cities, small towns, and main streets within them—are linked not only by their river valleys, but by their shared cultural and industrial heritage through five journeys that each reveal an element of the region’s legacy as the Steel Capital of the World for more than a century.
For most of a century, hundreds of beehive ovens burned day and night across the hills and valleys of Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. Today the landscape charms with green rolling hills, but at one time this is where coal was mined and transformed into coke—the fuel for steelmaking. These “Mountains of Fire” produced millions of tons of the highest quality coke to power the steel mills throughout the Pittsburgh industrial district, and coal mining and coke production came to define and dominate this part of the region.
One of these former mines was Banning #2, which is now home to Rachel Sager's The Ruins Project, which represents the rebirth of abandoned American coal country into a spiritual and artistic pilgrimage and destination for adventure seekers and lovers of art and history. We welcome you to read her third and final segment of a series exploring the principles of adding to the mosaic fabric of this transformed landscape.
When you're done reading about it, make plans to visit the site for yourself during Fayette County's Between 2 Rivers Artist Trail event. The day features free visits to three artists' studios in Fayette to explore the work of local artists, along with guest artists from neighboring counties, West Virginia, and Maryland.
Of course, there are plenty of other ways to explore the arts with Rivers of Steel. In the coming weeks there will be a Photo Safari, an Arts & Grounds Tour, an Aluminum Casting Session, and a Doodle Bowl Experience at the Carrie Blast Furnaces, along with Scratch Block Aluminum Casting at the W.A. Young & Sons Foundry and Machine Shop in Greene County.
You can also experience a sampling of what Rivers of Steel has to offer during our free Open House at the Carrie Blast Furnaces on August 19.
And we're excited to announce a special fall program—the Rebellious Spirits Day Trip. This multi-county adventure will explore the Whiskey Rebellion. It's a day of whiskey with a sip of history! Space is limited.
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