Sheetz is in the process of renovating the historic buildings on the Sarah Furnace property at the intersection of Dunnings Highway and Quarry Road in Sproul.

Many of the buildings, which were originally used for an iron-making operation, are about 190 years old.

Rich Allison, historian and founder of Claysburg PAST History group and one of the founders of Claysburg Education Foundation, previously said he was excited to see Sheetz move forward with the project.

Allison said Sarah Furnace was the very first industrial site in Greenfield Township employing people other than farming. The iron-making operations of central Pennsylvania all were highly successful in the early 1800s until the beginning of the steel industry in the 1850s.

Construction teams are currently rebuilding the barn at the Sarah Furnace site in Sproul. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Sheetz’s initial plans included the 1832 Shoenberger Mansion and a historic barn located on the property. The company purchased the property from Harbison Walker International in 2020.

In 1832, Dr. Peter Shoenberger, who was the iron-making king of Pennsylvania and possibly the United States at the time, built an iron-making furnace near Sproul, on the road that now leads to the Sheetz complex at the Walter Industrial Park.

“Work started in April of this year, and we have completed approximately 40 percent of this project. That includes site work, site utilities and stormwater management — along with foundation work on the barn and wagon shed on the property,” said Sheetz spokesman Nick Ruffner.

Construction teams are currently rebuilding the barn.

“We worked with a company in Lancaster that specializes in timber frame restoration, which has allowed us to use as much of the original lumber as possible,” Ruffner said. “In addition to reconstruction work on the barn, teams also demolished the wagon shed on the property that had previously collapsed. It is being rebuilt on a new foundation in the same location on the property.”

Restoration is underway at the Sarah Furnace site, where many of the buildings, which were originally used for an iron-making operation, are about 190 years old. Mirror photo by Patrick Waksmunski

Leonard S. Fiore Inc. is the contractor for the project, which is expected to be completed in November 2026.

“I am just extremely pleased to see the progress on Sarah Furnace and looking forward to seeing it completed by the end of 2026. It’s going to be a showcase. It’s going to be beautiful,” Allison said.

Ruffner said the buildings will be used by Sheetz employees for business meetings and celebrations.

“The mansion will be used by Sheetz employees as a place to stay overnight when traveling for business meetings from outside the area,” Ruffner said.

Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 814-946-7467.