This iron furnace was constructed in 1854 by David Lewis and several other men. The location selected proved to be a bad decision. This iron furnace is situated in a low lying area, near a small creek. The creek would often flood and cause the iron furnace to not fire properly.

Under David Lewis' leadership, the Cambria Furnace Company was officially founded on March 1, 1854. The company consisted of 60 Welshmen. Each share was $120, with a total capital was $60,000. Their rules were similar to those at Jefferson Furnace, but they accepted $15 for an acre of land. This handicap, combined with their inexperience, eventually led to the demise of the company. By 1874, the company had sold nearly all of their land. The company officially broke up in 1878.

John Campbell, John Peters, and Isaac Peters were the primary stockholders of this iron furnace. The Peters Brothers sold their interests in 1866. Shortly after that, William M. Bolles became the manager and one of the primary stockholders.

Unlike Jefferson, Cambria didn't profit during the Civil War. This iron furnace was in desperate need of repairs by the time the Civil War was raging. David Lewis failed to make the repairs and thus missed out on a sure profit.

The iron manufactured at Cambria was hauled by wagon to Samsonville for shipment on the railroad.

David W. Evans was the first manager of the Cambria Furnace. Evans owned 600 acres of land near Oak Hill. He was among the leading citizens of York Township. Unfortunately, Evans was killed in a tragic accident at this furnace site in 1854. David Lewis took over as manager after Evans' death.