Leetonia Beehive Coke Ovens – Leetonia, Ohio - Atlas Obscura

Leetonia Beehive Coke Ovens

Leetonia, Ohio

Rows of 19th-century brick ovens used to process coal into coke form the center of a wooded park.  

144
559

Make your way down a back road on the outskirts of Leetonia, Ohio, and you’ll see dirt banks lined with small arched openings. Those are coke ovens, 200 in total, once used to turn the locally mined coal into purified coke, the preferred fuel in iron and steel mills. 

The structures are in various states of disrepair, and almost a little creepy; it’s easy to imagine an army of trolls crawling out the holes in these cave-like structures in the dark of night. But it’s also beautiful, with wildflowers and woods around the ovens and all throughout the park.

The ovens were built in 1866 by the Leetonia Iron and Coal Company, later renamed the Cherry Valley Iron Works. When the company closed in 1930, the site was abandoned and neglected for over 50 years, until restoration efforts began.

Today there are walking trails that go along and above the beehive ovens, but take care not to walk on top of the ovens themselves—they are crumbling, and the foliage hides multiple holes that once functioned as loading holes or chimneys. 

Know Before You Go

Leetonia Beehive Coke Ovens (also known as Cherry Valley Coke Ovens Arboretum) is a town park and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Go past the Leetonia police and fire stations, and you’ll find it. Parking lot, port-a-potty, and hiking trails. Also mosquitoes.

Community Contributors

May 29, 2019

Make an Edit Add Photos
In partnership with KAYAK

Plan Your Trip

From Around the Web