Thomas Iron Company

The Lock Ridge Furnace Complex in Alburtis, Pennsylvania in December 2012

The Thomas Iron Company was a major iron-making firm in Hokendauqua, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania from its founding in 1854 until its decline and eventual dismantling in the early 20th century.

The company was named in honor of its founder, David Thomas, who emigrated to the United States in 1839 to introduce hot blast iron making in the Lehigh Valley, and later embarked on an independent ironmaking venture.

Thomas Iron Company's main and original plant in Hokendauqua, inspired the growth of the town that grew up around it. The company also later acquired its own blast furnaces and railroads elsewhere in the Lehigh Valley and mines in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Changes in the iron industry in the early 20th century left Thomas Iron struggling to compete. After a failed attempt at modernization and revival between 1913 and 1916, the company's assets were sold and largely dismantled during the 1920s.