'From Out of the Fiery Furnace' Performed Free Tomorrow at Hopewell

Blogger's Note: This reminder thanks to the good folks at the Hopewell Big Woods Facebook page.

'From Out of the Fiery Furnace' free this Saturday at Hopewell

March is Women's History Month, and Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Union Township will host a celebration of the occasion Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Church House.

The National Park Service will stage a performance of "From Out the Fiery Furnace," a one act play written and directed by Christine Emmert and performed by veteran stage and screen actress Barbara Hannevig.

Set on the home front during the Civil War, the play demonstrates how a woman's life and love could be tracked through her relationship with a Hopewell stove.

Hannevig brings to life several characters of the period including runaway slaves, "fallen" women, indentured servants, orphaned children and others.

Hopewell's working water wheel

The play also sheds light on the practices of the furnace, including providing equal pay for equal work regardless of race or gender.

The event is free to the public.


Also free is a "March for the Parks" on Saturday, March 17, when a roadside and trail cleanup is scheduled. Contact the park for more information and to register for this event.

For more information stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/hofu or send an email to hofu_superintendent@nps.gov.

In case you're curious, Hopewell Furnace was established as a National Park Service Area in 1938.

Here are some of its vital stats: 

Park Size:
848.06 acres

Annual Visitation:
2005: 50,578
2006: 49,239
2007: 56,013
2008: 49,328
2009: 53,186
2010: 55,750

Annual Budget (fiscal year):
2008: $1,331,000
2009: $1,387,000
2010: $1,406,000
2011: $1,387,000