History of Wrought Iron

Wrought iron has been used for thousands of years, and represents the "iron" that is referred to throughout history. It has been used in building from the earliest days of civilization and has stood the test of time as a decorative and structural building material.

Production Method
In early days, wrought iron was produced by a variety of methods. Bloomeries (a furnace in which iron ore is smelted and from which metallic iron is produced) used charcoal-heated smelters that were in the form of small pots or ladles, into which the ore was poured and then covered, with a thin layer of charcoal. Air was blown onto the charcoal after lighting it on fire; the heat produced would melt the ore. As the ore melted it would give up its oxygen (ore is iron oxide, or rust), mixing with the charcoal to release carbon dioxide.

Milestones
The structural use of iron dates from the Middle Ages, when bars of wrought iron would be used occasionally to tie masonry arches and domes. The usage continued to increase throughout the Middle Ages, initially for construction and weaponry and, later, in an ornamental fashion on churches and monasteries.
Wrought iron has successfully competed with bronze for prominence since about 4000 BC and it eventually replaced the high quality bronze. It took over bronze in the manufacture of swords, axe heads, plows and other items of general use.

With the introduction of blast furnaces in the 15th century the availability of wrought iron increased. Craftsmanship reached new heights in the period of Great English Ironwork, which started in 1690.

More skilled use of wrought iron was made in the provision of decorative elements of buildings but the structural use of iron only began in the late 18th century with English Iron-Master Abraham Darby's first Iron Bridge. The bridge was made entirely of iron arches and ribs, cast in a foundry and transported to the building site for assembly. Although this advertised remarkable architectural capabilities of iron, few architects designed buildings constructed entirely of this material.

Smaller items, such as solid or hollow iron columns made of wrought iron, also found widespread application from 1770 onwards. Their use reduced the need for heavy load-bearing internal walls or masonry piers and could be assembled quickly by unskilled labor.

Wrought iron, with its high tensile strength came again to the fore in the Railway Age. Ship building practices of fabricating structures by riveting together rolled wrought iron sections, came into use in building, particularly in bridge building for the railways.

Recent History
By the turn of the 20th century, three inventions, namely coke, the blast furnace and the Bessemer Converter, unlocked the production of steel. 22 kilotons were produced in 1867, 500 in 1870, 1 million in 1880 and 28 million by 1900. Today, worldwide production of steel is around 850 million tons. Due to, increased use of steel (Which could be mass-produced far more cheaply than wrought iron), wrought iron was in decline. However, wrought iron has enjoyed something of a renaissance in more recent years.

Although wrought iron will never be utilized in such a widespread fashion, again it continued to be popular for ornamental purposes, from gates and railings to candlesticks and wine racks. There will always be those who appreciate the artistry involved in using wrought iron to create beautiful things. Wrought iron will continue to be used through the generations ahead of us for it's longevity and beauty