If You Bake it...They Will Come!

Until about twenty years ago, U.S. Highway 72 went right through downtown South Pittsburg in Tennessee, just across the Alabama state line. At that time this well-traveled route between Huntsville and Chattanooga was widened, improved, and bypassed South Pittsburg. In order to draw traffic back into town, city planners devised a cornbread festival, highlighting the town’s major employer – Lodge Cast Iron. I had never heard of the festival (or Lodge Cast Iron) until a friend told me about it the day before the 20^th Annual National Cornbread Festival last weekend. 

I like cornbread all right, but that alone would not have induced me to make the 1 hr 15 min drive from Huntsville. However, when I read that the festival includes tours of the Lodge foundry plant, guided historic district tours, and a classic car cruise-in – three of my favorite things – I set my alarm and headed out early on Saturday morning!

People were parked out on the 72 later in the day. 

The festival’s website has specific instructions for how to enter the town from the south – follow them! (Better yet, arrive nice and early.)  I missed the turn and had to wait over 10 minutes just to make a u-turn at the next light where people were entering from the north. It was packed. When I got back on track with the directions I had an easy time getting into town and found a parking space right across the train tracks from the Lodge foundry, so I began my day with that free tour. It was great! 

Lodge Manufacturing was founded here in 1896 by Joseph Lodge, and it is still run by his descendants. During this annual tour (only during the cornbread festival) you can walk through at your own pace, stopping to watch informative videos and talk with employees stationed around the plant who are eager to answer your questions. The hot metal portions of the line were not running during the tour (obviously too dangerous), but they did have the cleaning, seasoning and packaging sections running. I thought it was all fascinating! 

The process starts with this pile of metal.

The metal mixture includes sheet steel pieces, cast iron from the process that needs to be recycled, and pig iron. The final “recipe” is tightly managed and the chemistry is confirmed by spectrometer. 

One of two induction 9 metric ton steel shell furnaces melt the mixture at 2750-2800°F
and tap out 2500 or 5000 lbs into transfer ladles.

Transfer ladles - they are moved along above by a crane.

Apparently, I did seem very interested because one of the workers asked me if I am a “foundry person.” When I answered “No” he said that surely I was a cast iron skillet fan then…again “No.” My husband had one which I eventually gave away because I didn’t like it. I didn’t know anything about such a tool – like the fact that you can cook stuff in it in the oven and that you should not wash it with soap and water (yes, that’s what I did and food always stuck to it so I got rid of it in favor of my cheap Teflon-coated pan). Now, I suddenly have a desire to cook cornbread in a cast iron skillet!

Meanwhile, the Disamatic produces 400 molds per hour from sand, 

bond mixture, and water at 2480-2560 °F.

Sand molds are used for one pour and then the sand is recycled into new molds. The sand starts out white.

After the pour into the molds the sand is broken away and this is what's left.

The castings go through shakers with metal pellets.

In the Finishing Department the pans go through blast machines that use steel shot to clean off residual sand. “Flashing” is removed with snag grinders, and the pans are washed in vibrating drums using river rock, soap and water. A thin coat of carnuba bean wax is applied to prevent rusting; a thin coat of vegetable oil is applied; and then they go into an oven to cure before seasoning. The seasoning process must be a secret – they told us not to take photos in that section.

Voilà!

Next, I walked to the nearby festival grounds ($5 entrance fee) and headed straight to the information booth to sign up for a historic district tour ($7), given on the hour throughout the day. I thought it was going to be a walking tour, but it was actually on a luxury bus and the great great granddaughter of Joseph Lodge was our tour guide. Afterwards, I walked the route too (to get better photos and for the opportunity to go inside a couple of the churches). Each year they change what is covered in the tour so I might be back next year. Here are just a few of the gorgeous homes and buildings in this tiny town of about 3,000 people.

Chapel on the Hill, originally the Primitive Baptist Church, built in 1888 by Scottish native Angus MacRae who also built many of the beautiful stone buildings at the University of the South in Sewanee. 

This house was built about 1877. The stone wall was to keep out livestock. It wasn’t until 1926 that the city passed a law banning free-range livestock in the city.

Joseph Lodge’s home (with later additions), built in 1878, now owned by his great great granddaughter.

Christ Church, Episcopal, 1883. The doors have never been locked. One of the stained glass windows is by Louis Comfort Tiffany.

Christ Church, Episcopal

City Hall, originally the First National Bank, 1887

M.M. Allison, the “Father of the Dixie Highway” (Detroit to Miami) bought this house in 1898. 

First Methodist Episcopal Church, 1889

Beautiful foundation stone

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic church

F&AM Masonic Lodge, now a flower shop

Now it was time to check out the festival grounds on the closed-off streets in the heart of downtown. 

The restored Princess Theater

A variety of shops and restaurants are housed in these gorgeous buildings.

No need to use these if you are port-a-potty averse. There are 

regular bathrooms available at the Lodge plant and in the Princess Theater.

Several groups offer free cornbread samples. I tried what looked like a cornbread pancake. The little girl who was serving them said it is a “fritter.” It didn’t taste much like cornbread; I could have done with some maple syrup. It was tasty though. I also got some free water and popcorn in the children’s area. In Cornbread Alley, you can try nine different types of cornbread for $4. I wanted to do that but I didn’t make it there until late in the day, and there was a long line in the hot sun. I don’t do long lines, especially in the sun! Maybe next year. 

Cornbread fritters

Fun stuff in the kids’ area

  

The festival also includes several cook-offs, cooking demonstrations, a carnival, arts and crafts vendors, food vendors, and continuous live music on several stages. 

A full-fledged carnival is here all week

The vintage car cruise-in is located outside the gates of the festival at the Dixie Freeze. I really wanted to get a chocolate shake here but, again, I wasn’t willing to wait in the long line. I will definitely stop here for a treat the next time I’m headed to Chattanooga!

This car was in a parking lot nearby.

Is this classic or what? I love it!

This little town may never have become the Pittsburg of the South that it hoped to be (that ended up being Birmingham) but it is a beautiful town to visit, especially during the National Cornbread Festival!