Those who grew up with, near or dependent on Pittsburgh's erstwhile steel mills no doubt had a range of reactions to the news that the Carrie Furnaces have been designated a national historic landmark.

One is amazement that something so common and part of daily life (till the 1980s) could be worthy of distinction. Another is pride that the heart of an industry as robust and essential as steel was once based here. The other is impatience -- at why it took the National Park Service so long, after years of declarations for 3,000 other national historic landmarks, to add this one to the pantheon. Why, indeed.

As any Pittsburgher knows, the rusty walls of Carrie Furnaces 6 and 7 once breathed fire, but they also breathed life into an American city and strength into a nation. The furnaces produced iron for the U.S. Steel Homestead Works, and they remain standing across the Monongahela River from the Waterfront, the office and commercial complex that eventually replaced the old mill site.

The designation last week, announced by U.S. Rep. Mike Doyle, is a victory for advocates at the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area and their allies, who for 16 years have been trying to develop a 38-acre national park. Historic remnants exist on both sides of the Mon and include the site of the 1892 Battle of Homestead, which was fought between steelworkers and Pinkerton guards.

In the end, the project could cost up to $100 million, and the historic designation doesn't bring a dime. It is important validation, however, of the site's value for helping Americans understand part of their history.

Congratulations to those in the Mon Valley who have labored so long to give the region's labor heritage a showcase. Their dreams of a national historic park are a big step closer to reality.