The block of row houses that is still standing was originally constructed in 1832 and 1833. It served as apartment-style housing for the Howell Works employees. James Allaire constructed at least three blocks of row houses. The only remaining row house was the largest and housed the skilled, or senior, workers and their families. The first floor was their living quarters and the second floor was for sleeping. This block of row houses had a ‘back kitchen’. The other row houses did not have separate kitchens, they cooked in the main hearth of their house. Reverend Tanser lived in the third house in this structure. Two blocks of the original row house survive and today comprise the displayed room of the row house and the entrance to the museum.
Visit the museum to explore the process of producing and smelting bog ore to produce iron. Bog ore is a renewable resource that forms naturally over about 20 years. This unassuming, rusty looking rock contains iron that can be used to make tools and equipment for James Allaire’s mighty steamships! The bog ore needs to be smelted, or melted at a high temperature, in order to separate the iron from the rock. That iron can then be poured into molds to make pots, bells, and machinery parts. James Allaire used that metal to construct steamships that sailed across the Atlantic, up and down the eastern seaborne, and to Havana, Cuba. Learn about this and more in the museum. This building is ADA compliant with a ramp at the back entrance and exit. Restrooms are also located in the museum.