The Belgium Coke Ovens were built in Belgium, transported here, and then assembled. The ovens didn't work at the Vinton Furnace site because of the high sulfur content in the local coal. It produced a brittle grade of iron, which was unusable. Originally, there was 24 ovens total, but 7 were destroyed. These ovens are believed to be the only structures of this type remaining in the world.

Coke ovens are used to produce coke from coal. The coal is heated up in the ovens, which removes most of the gases from the coal, thus turning it into coke. Coke is used as an industrial fuel because it burns with immense heat. Coke was a vital material used to produce iron in the furnaces.