Copyright © Ward Charcoal Ovens
Image Courtesy of Representative for Filming Location Listing
The Ward Charcoal Ovens are located in eastern Nevada, approximately 20 miles south of the town of Ely. Situated inside the 700-acre Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park are six beehive-shaped charcoal ovens that were used from 1876 through 1879 to prepare charcoal from locally harvested timber for the mining town of Ward. The charcoal was used in smelters at Ward to help process rich silver ore.
Standing at 30 feet tall and 27 feet in diameter with walls that are 2 feet thick at the base, the ovens were built by Italian masons who specialized in constructing them. Made from quartz latite welded tuff (volcanic rock), they are the best-preserved ovens of their kind in Nevada and were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 (source).
The efficient beehive design of the oven allowed heat to reflect back onto the wood as it slowly burned to create charcoal. A single oven could burn 35 cords of wood at a time, which produced over 1,000 bushels of charcoal (source). The entire process of loading wood into the oven, burning the wood, and unloading the charcoal took about 12-13 days.
Once a new fuel source, petroleum coke, was discovered to be cheaper and more efficient to use in smelters, the charcoal ovens were no longer needed. The ovens were subsequently used as shelter for travelers once mining ended, and they were even known to be used as hideouts for stagecoach bandits.
Take a 360 degree tour of one of the ovens below:
If you are looking for a unique filming location for your next production, be sure to check out the Ward Charcoal Ovens at the Ward Charcoal Ovens State Historic Park! For more information and pictures, you can view the full Ward Charcoal Ovens filming location details here and don’t forget to register your project!