Digging up industrial history in Lyndhurst

An archaeological dig in the village of Lyndhurst, which kicked off early last week, is just wrapping-up and the ground is revealing several artifacts from the 19th century.

The village northeast of Kingston was once known as “Furnace Falls” because of the smelting operation there.

Art Shaw sits on the Township of Leeds and the Thousand Islands Heritage Committee and says “it’s about confirming all the written evidence of what existed in the time of the iron works in the 1800s. It’s been a national historic site for 85 years and nothing’s been done here.”

Over a dozen pits are yielding signs of the smelting operation, which was the first in Upper Canada and the first west of Quebec City.

After over a week of digging, a number of 19th-century items have been unearthed including cut nails, various iron objects, some glass, a few ceramics all from that period.

Shaw is also pleased with a very large piece made up of molten iron and ore that wasn’t smelted completely.

It is hoped that the artifacts can be featured in a new interpretive centre and there are plans for more digs over the next two years to unearth more items.