Hastings Foundry-Star Iron Works

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Hastings Foundry-Star Iron Works is a historic metal-working building in Hastings, Minnesota. It sits at 707 First Street East and was built in 1859 by A. R. Morrell, an ironsmith from Vermont. The site is important because Minnesota’s first steam engine was made here in 1860. In 1861, the engine for the Stella Whipple was also built at this foundry. The plant produced iron for bridges and engines for railroad elevators, automobiles, and river boats. It is the earliest surviving industrial site in Minnesota. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, added on December 31, 1979.