Investigators placed units inside the furnace where stone repair work was needed. This work revealed intact interior furnace walls and “tuyere vent” air chambers, all covered by loose fill.
Work on the rooftop documented a small oven, possibly used to cook-out impurities in the iron ore, or for use in the complex process of "hot blast" firing (which uses preheated air), unusual for Kentucky furnaces.
The remains of the casting shed, located in front of the furnace, also were investigated. Inside these sheds, workers would have poured the hot iron into rows of molds called “piglets” (hence the name pig iron) to cool and harden.
Researchers also examined the narrow area between the back of the furnace and its powerhouse. Since this area had been filled-in, it produced many artifacts linked to furnace operation, including a large boiler tank with patent dates from 1864 to 1868. The boiler had once been mounted on the furnace roof. The powerhouse behind the furnace was thought to have had at least eight boilers. Although the side foundations of the powerhouse were partially exposed during the archaeological investigations, much of the bulding's base is likely preserved under rubble.