Sloss Furnace (Birmingham, AL)

The Sloss Furnace haunting is a collection of reported paranormal events at the Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark, once an iron-producing plant. Many people consider it one of the most haunted industrial sites in the country.

Most stories link the hauntings to the many workplace deaths and the legend of a harsh foreman who supposedly died there. People have reported being physically attacked, hearing strange voices, and seeing ghosts.

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Overview

Attribute	Details
Name	Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark
Other Names	Sloss Furnaces, Sloss Fright Furnace, The Magic City Furnace
Address	20 32nd Street North, Birmingham, Alabama 35222
Country	United States
Coordinates	33.5207° N, 86.7913° W
Nearest City	Birmingham
Property Type	Industrial blast furnace plant and museum
Built / Established	1881
Closed/Abandoned	1971 (ceased operations)
Owner	City of Birmingham
Type of Haunting	Apparitions, Residual, Intelligent, Poltergeist, Shadow People
Manifestations	Screams, physical shoving, burns, “get back to work” vocalizations, steam whistles blowing, shadowy figures, cold spots, equipment failure.
Tragic Events & Causes	Numerous industrial accidents, falls into molten iron, boiler explosions, gas inhalation deaths, and the alleged murder of a foreman.
Known Entities	James “Slag” Wormwood, Theophilus Jowers, Samuel Blumenthal (witness/victim).
Fear Rating	8/10 (Highly Intimidating) [See Explanation]
First Recorded Sighting	1887 (reports of Theophilus Jowers)
Most Recent Sighting	October 2024 – Investigations by paranormal teams recorded disembodied voices and light anomalies.
Activity Level	9/10 (Extreme Activity) [See Explanation]
Current Status	National Historic Landmark and museum
Open to the Public?	Yes, through daily self-guided tours and seasonal guided ghost tours.
Best Time to Visit	September and October (highest frequency of reported activity)
Danger Warning	Structural hazards, rusted metal, and reported aggressive physical paranormal encounters.
Similar Haunted Locations	Eastern State Penitentiary, Moundsville Penitentiary, Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, Waverly Hills Sanatorium, Rolling Hills Asylum, Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary, Ohio State Reformatory, West Virginia Penitentiary, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, Fort Mifflin, USS North Carolina, Fairfield Hills Hospital, Pennhurst State School, Eloise Asylum, Danvers State Hospital, Byberry Mental Hospital.

Sloss Furnace’s Haunted History

Sloss Furnaces began operating on August 7, 1881, when Colonel James Withers Sloss started work on the fifty-acre site. By April 1882, the first blast furnace was running and produced 80 tons of iron on its first day. The plant helped Birmingham grow into the ‘Magic City,’ but this progress came at a high human cost.

Working conditions were harsh, with little attention to safety and tough physical demands typical of the Industrial Revolution. Workers worked 12-hour shifts in temperatures often over 120 degrees Fahrenheit near the furnace stacks, leading many to suffer from heat exhaustion and dehydration.

One of the first recorded deaths happened in 1887, when assistant foundryman Theophilus Jowers lost his balance while working on Furnace No. 1 and fell into the molten iron. The intense heat destroyed his body instantly, so there were no remains for a normal burial. Many say this tragedy marked the site’s reputation as ‘cursed.’

Afterward, the plant changed owners several times and was bought by the Sloss-Sheffield Steel and Iron Company in 1899.

The furnace’s most infamous period began in 1900, when James ‘Slag’ Wormwood became the night shift foreman. He managed almost 150 workers who kept the furnaces running all night. To keep production high, Wormwood is said to have ignored safety rules.

During Wormwood’s time, records show that 47 workers died while he was in charge, and many more were badly hurt by explosions or steam burns. In 1906, a major explosion in the boiler house injured several workers, and people blamed it on poor equipment maintenance during busy shifts.

Wormwood died on October 9, 1906. He was on the highest catwalk of ‘Big Alice’ (Furnace No. 2) when he reportedly lost his balance and fell into the boiling slag. The official report said he was overcome by methane gas, which is common in smelting, but many workers suspected foul play. Because of the furnace, no autopsy could be done, and the night shift was ended for good soon after.

Tragedies continued at Sloss Furnaces for decades. In 1927, a worker named Alphonse’ Frenchy’ LaRue died in a machinery accident near the casting shed. Even as the plant modernized in the 1940s and 1950s, it stayed dangerous. Several men died from carbon monoxide leaks in the underground pipes.

The plant finally shut down in 1971 because new federal clean air rules made it too costly to keep running. In its last months, staff noticed more equipment problems and strange physical sensations. The most dramatic event was when night watchman Samuel Blumenthal reported being attacked and suffered unexplained burns while patrolling the empty plant.

Local Legends

Over the years, Sloss Furnaces has inspired many lasting legends that try to explain the hauntings reported by visitors and staff.

The Tyranny of James “Slag” Wormwood

The most well-known legend is about foreman James Wormwood. Stories say ‘Slag’ was a cruel boss who treated his workers like they didn’t matter. He would hit or kick anyone who slowed down and refused to give breaks, even during the hottest days. People often say his death in the molten iron of ‘Big Alice’ started the site’s most violent hauntings.

People say they hear a rough, angry voice yelling things like ‘Get back to work!’ or ‘Push some steel!’ near the furnace stacks. Some versions of the story claim that ‘Slag’ wasn’t just killed, but was actually ‘consumed’ by the furnace and became a permanent part of the ironworks.

The Half-Man, Half-Demon of 1971

One popular story is about night watchman Samuel Blumenthal. In 1971, just before the plant closed, Blumenthal was patrolling the grounds when he said he saw a frightening entity. He described it as a ‘half-man, half-demon’ that looked badly burned. The story goes that this creature attacked Blumenthal and tried to push him toward the furnace stairs.

When Blumenthal fought back, the creature supposedly hit him with its fists. He was later found with severe burn marks on his body, even though the furnaces were cold. He died soon after, and many people think he was the last victim of the ‘Slag’ spirit.

The Work of Kathryn Tucker Windham

Windham’s research suggests that the ghost of Theophilus Jowers is not just a random spirit, but someone tied to a tragic promise. In the weeks before his death in 1887, Jowers was said to be deeply proud of the ironworks. Windham recorded stories from his wife and coworkers, saying Jowers claimed he would never really leave the plant.

When Jowers fell into the molten iron, his body was destroyed so fast that his coworkers could only recover one shoe. According to local legend, which Windham recorded, because his remains were ‘absorbed’ into the iron used throughout the city, his spirit became a lasting part of the industrial site.

Windham also found that many retired workers believed the steam whistles would sometimes blow by themselves as a ‘warning’ when someone was in danger. They thought this was Jowers trying to protect others from his fate. This idea gives the folklore a protective side, which is very different from the scary stories about ‘Slag’ Wormwood.

Reported Ghosts

People often describe the ghosts at Sloss Furnaces as leftover images of former workers. However, some stories suggest these spirits are aware and can interact with the living.

The ghost of Theophilus Jowers is one of the oldest reported at the site. In the early 1900s, workers said they saw a man who looked like Jowers still working near the furnaces. Unlike the angry ‘Slag’ spirit, Jowers is usually described as hardworking and unaware that he has died.

Another often-seen ghost is a man in blue overalls and a white T-shirt, the typical uniform for furnace workers in the mid-1900s. People often spot him in the underground ore tunnels. Some witnesses have also seen ‘shadow men’ at the ends of these tunnels, but they disappear when anyone gets close.

Most tours focus on Wormwood and Jowers, but local researchers have found a third ghost called ‘The Accidental Victim.’ This spirit looks like a man in old work clothes and is usually seen near the outdated machines in the casting shed, not by the furnaces. Unlike the scary ‘Slag,’ people say this ghost makes them feel deep sadness rather than fear.

Documented Sightings Timeline

Official records show that the Birmingham Police Department has logged over 100 reports of possible paranormal activity at Sloss Furnaces. Most of these reports came in after the plant closed in 1971 and range from small disturbances to cases of physical harm.

Paranormal Activity

Paranormal activity at Sloss Furnaces is known for being intense and often physical. People report not just seeing things, but also hearing sounds like hammers hitting metal, steam whistles blowing when there is no steam, and pipes clanging.

There is a clear pattern where paranormal activity increases in September and October, which many link to the anniversary of James Wormwood’s death. The hauntings seem ‘intelligent’ because visitors have been shoved, touched, or even called by name in recorded audio.

Notable Investigations

Sloss Furnaces has attracted several well-known paranormal investigations.

In 2008, the Ghost Adventures team—Zak Bagans, Nick Groff, and Aaron Goodwin—investigated Sloss Furnaces. During their stay, they recorded several EVPs, including a voice saying ‘I hate Zak.’ They caught a misty entity on camera behind a railing. They also reported physical contact, with one team member being hit in the face.

The Tennessee Wraith Chasers also investigated Sloss Furnaces for their show Ghost Asylum. They focused on the tunnels and the ‘Big Alice’ furnace, using technical sensors to track EMF spikes and temperature drops. Most teams agree that the site has a lot of leftover energy and at least one hostile, intelligent spirit.

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