Port Henry was built on iron. High-grade iron ore was mined in deep tunnels four miles inland in Mineville and Witherbee, making the town the largest pre-war producer of iron ore in the country. Iron Center Port Henry's iron was transformed into everything from battleships to stoves, including horseshoes for the Civil War and tracks for the transcontinental railroad.
The Iron Center offers railroad and mining history exhibits in a restored carriage house. Displays document the 19th and 20th century operations of the Town of Moriah's iron industry, and its impact on workers' lives. The Center's location at the former Witherbee, Sherman & Co. mining headquarters in Port Henry, directs its focus towards the preparation, processing, and transport of iron ore from Lake Champlain, to the world. Outdoor (static) display of original locomotive, ore car, and caboose is on view year-round in adjacent Witherbee Park.
The Iron Center has a new permanent exhibit entitled "Getting Out The Ore" which focuses on the discovery, extraction, processing, and transportation of iron ore in the Mineville District. It includes a scale model of the Don B shaft, circa 1960, featuring moving trains and above and below ground scenes surrounded by painted murals. A short video introduces visitors to former miners and their views; there is an outdoor display of a locomotive, with original Lake Champlain & Moriah Railroad ore car and caboose, and outdoor signs with photos and information about Port Henry's industrial past.
The Center is open for school and other groups by appointment, free of charge, May through November. The "Getting Out The Ore" exhibit is suitable, with a teacher's guidance, for 4th and 5th grades; older students can 'self guide' themselves through it, with supervision. Students can walk through the locomotive and the caboose as well, (they are not handicapped accessible).
The Iron Center also houses the offices of the Moriah Historical Society. The Iron Center will be open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, June 17 through October 15, 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm and by appointment. Restroom, parking, gifts, handicapped accessible. For more information regarding the Iron Center or the Port Henry Area, call 518-546-3587 or 546-7524, or email moriahhistsoc@aol.com.
