Don't Let the Wool be Pulled over Your Eyes, Bask in the Shear Knowledge of Animal Life at Hopewell

Photo by National Park Service

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace.

Join the National Park Service on Saturday Oct. 19 at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site for a day of free programs and activities devoted to the animals that were a part of the historic Hopewell Furnace community. 

Visitors will also explore the significance of wool at Hopewell for household use by going through the process of cleaning a fleece of raw wool.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site invites kids and their families to come “explore, learn, and protect” the park. 

Visitors can participate in a variety of activities and programs to learn about the significance of Hopewell Furnace and its animals. 

Highlighted demonstrations include preparing wool for household use, story time, and various craft activities. 

Start at the Visitor Center to pick up the schedule of events for the day, inquire about becoming a Junior Ranger, and explore our 19th century iron-making village. All ages are encouraged to attend. The programs begin at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. 

The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. 

Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. Admission to the park is free. For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Fall Means Picking Apples at Hopewell Furnace

Photo Courtesy of the National Park Service

The North Orchard at Hopewell Furnace.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Beginning Saturday, Aug. 31 and continuing while the crop lasts, the apple orchard at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site will be available for apple picking from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day the park is open. 

This will be the 33rd year the National Park Service has invited the public to harvest apples from the park’s trees. The proceeds of apple sales go toward maintaining the orchard and other visitor services in the park.

Hopewell's orchard has been found to be nearly as old as the iron furnace itself. Mentioned in contemporary accounts as early as 1782, apple trees were planted, pruned and harvested yearly. The orchard was replenished with new trees throughout the 19th Century and provided valuable food for furnace community residents, both man and beast.

The present orchard includes 30 varieties of apples, many of which are historic types that may have been found at Hopewell when the furnace was an active industrial site. 

Early varieties such as Gravenstein and Summer Rambo were introduced from Europe by early settlers. Others such as Jonathan, Stayman, and Pennsylvania’s own Smokehouse were “discovered” in America and became favorites during the 19th Century. Some of these varieties are hard to find today since they are no longer raised by modern commercial orchards. 

Also, Hopewell’s apples are of historic quality and taste by being allowed to grow and ripen without the use of applied herbicides or pesticides.

Due to natural cycles of the apple trees, please note that we do not have any of the early varieties for the 2019 season.

Persons wishing to pick apples should stop by the park’s visitor center to obtain a list of apple varieties and orchard map before beginning to pick. Picking poles and buckets will be provided by the park. Apples cost $1 per pound regardless of variety or quality.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. 

The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. Admission to the park is free.  

For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Hopewell Furnace Hosting Starfest Aug. 24

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is happy to announce 2019 Star Fest program. 

The program is in partnership with the Chesmont Astronomical Society. 

This free event will be held on the grounds of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Aug. 24, from 6 to 11:30 p.m. 

Rain or cloudy skies may postpone the event to the cloud/rain dates of Sunday, Aug. 25, Saturday Aug. 31 or Sunday, Sept. 1. 

Within 24 hours of the event, the park's website will post any changes to the event due to weather.

There will be approximately 20 telescopes set up for use, looking at heavenly objects.

Here is a schedule of activities:

• 6:00 – Kid’s Corner Educational Activities;
• 7:00 – Opening comments from Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, ChesMont Astronomical Society and Pennsylvania Outdoor Lighting Council
• 7:30 – 9:15 Guest Speaker Presentations
• Speaker 1: Rob Cordivari, ChesMont Astronomical Society, "You Are Here," a look at the size and scale of the Universe
• Speaker 2: James Aguirre, Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania
• 9:30 to 11:30 - Night Sky Observations

Parking is available on site. Due to the number of participants, it may require a short walk from the parking area to the observation area. Snacks will be available for purchase. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring a flashlight!

Information on the event is available by calling Hopewell Furnace NHS at 610-582-8773, through the National Park Service: www.nps.gov/hofu and the ChesMont Astronomical Society at www.chesmont.org

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. 

The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. 

 Admission to the park is free. For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Hopewell Celebrates 81st Birthday as a Park Aug. 3

Photo Courtesy National Park Service

Iron moulding demonstrations will be among the activities Aug. 3.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

You're invited to a very unique birthday party.

On Saturday, Aug. 3, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site will celebrate Establishment Day. 

This free event celebrates the site's 81st birthday as a unit of the National Park Service. 

Hopewell Furnace became part of the National Park Service on Aug. 3, 1938 and was originally known as Hopewell Village National Historic Site. In 1985, Congress changed the park’s name to Hopewell Furnace. Eighty one years after its founding, Hopewell Furnace remains one of a small number of National Park units devoted to our nation’s industrial history.

Activities will begin at 10 a.m. and continue to 4 p.m. throughout the historic site. 

Programs and demonstrations will include moulding and casting demonstrations in the cast house, weaving and spinning, cast iron cooking and more. 

Photo Courtesy of National Park Service

The process of making the charcoal used in early
iron furnaces was time consuming.

The wood pile for the summer charcoal demonstration will be lit at 10 a.m. 

There will be a special program at 2 p.m. commemorating Hopewell Furnace’s founding, role in the iron industry, and significance as a National Park. 

 Following the end of the presentation there will be birthday cake.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. 

Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. 

It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. Admission to the park is free. 

For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Latino Conservation Week Celebrated at Hopewell

Photo by National Park Service

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Join the National Park Service as they support the Latino community getting into the outdoors and participating in activities to protect our natural resources in association with Latino Conservation Week. 

A series of free programs will be offered July 20, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All ages are encouraged to attend.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site will offer a day full of free educational and recreational activities starting with a family-friendly service project at 10:30 a.m. 

Moulding and Casting demonstrations will be offered throughout the day, with the 1:45 demonstration being presented in Spanish. A guided bird walk to neighboring French Creek State Park will be offered at 9 a.m. Join us for a bilingual reading of farm animal stories at 3 p.m. Additional activity stations will be accessible throughout the day.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site invites kids and their families to come “explore, learn, and protect” the park. Visitors can participate in a variety of recreational activities to learn about the significance of Hopewell Furnace and its natural resources. Start at the Visitor Center to pick up the schedule of events for the day.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, off of Route 345. 

 Admission to the park is free. For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Hopewell Hosts Farm Animal, World War I Programs

Come and meet Max.

Blogger's Note: The following were provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site and Friends of Hopewell Furnace.

It will be a weekend full of variety at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site July 13 and 14.

• On Saturday, July 13 you can join the National Park Service at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for a free event. 

Spend a day devoted to the animals who served as important members of the community and called Hopewell their home.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site invites kids and their families to come explore, learn, and protect the park. 

Visitors can participate in a variety of activities to learn about the significance of Hopewell Furnace and its animals. 

Start at the Visitor Center to pick up the schedule of events for the day, inquire about becoming a Junior Ranger, and explore our 19th century iron-making village. All ages are encouraged to attend.

• On Sunday, July 14 Military historian Charles Miller, who served as an Army medic for 28 years, will present a program on the World War I legacy.

The program will be held at 2 p.m. in the Hopewell Furnace Conference room.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community.

Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883.

The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345.

 Admission to the park is free.

For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Hopewell Offers an Historic Independence Day

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site:

If, for some reason, you want something a little more historic for your Independence Day celebration than parades and cookouts, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site has just the celebration for you.

The way it might have been celebrated in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the furnace was a bustling industrial center.

Various activities and demonstrations will be offered throughout the day. 

At 2 p.m., the Friends of Hopewell Furnace present our annual commemoration of the Declaration of Independence.

• Blacksmith demonstrations will be offered in the Blacksmith Shop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
• Quilting demonstrations will be offered in the historic Boarding House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 
• Moulding and Casting demonstration will be offered in the Cast House at 11 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. 
• The Independence Day commemoration will be at 2 p.m, presented from the front porch of the Ironmaster’s Mansion. 
• Finally, the Village Store will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. 

Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. 

Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. 

Admission to the park is free. For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Hopewell Furnace Hosts Talk on 19th Century Diary

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site will host a presentation by local historian Robert Wood on Saturday, June 22 titled "The Diaries of Daniel Royer." 

The program is free and will be in the Visitor Center’s auditorium located at 2 Mark Bird Lane, Elverson. 

Discover what daily life was like the year operations ceased at Hopewell Furnace. Between the years of 1883 and 1911 Daniel Royer recorded a myriad of local and regional events in his personal diaries.

From these diaries we can get a feel for local nineteenth century village life around the village of Sumneytown, located 28 miles northwest of Hopewell Furnace. 

After the presentation, visitors will have access to Daniel Royer’s 1883 entries through Town and Country newspaper’s "A Glimpse of the Past" excerpts.

“From the diaries comes a picture of Daniel Royer as an avid reader of books and newspapers, a lifelong Democrat, and a man fully involved in church and community. The diaries also give a fascinating look at the texture of everyday life--weather, farm prices, working conditions, illness and death in a small rural town.”Spring 1995 Journal of the Montgomery County Historical Society."

[NOTE: Excerpted from the Historian, produced by the New Hanover Township Historical Society]. 

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. 

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. 

The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. 

Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. Admission to the park is free. 

 For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Hopewell Furnace Added $8.1M to Local Economy

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

A new National Park Service (NPS) report shows that 46,400 visitors to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site spent $2.7 million in communities near the park during 2018. 

This spending supported 43 jobs and provided a $8.1 million cumulative benefit to the gateway economies surrounding Hopewell Furnace.

“Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site welcomes visitors from across the country and around the world,” said Superintendent Steve Sims. “We are delighted to share the story of Hopewell Furnace and the early American iron industry and to protect the 848 acres of the surrounding landscape for the enjoyment of our visitors. Hopewell Furnace serves as a gateway for visitors traveling to the numerous cultural and recreational destinations in surrounding Berks, Chester, and Lancaster Counties. We’re proud that the economic impact provided by the park helps to sustain our local communities. National park tourism is a significant driver in the national economy, returning $10 for every $1 invested in the National Park Service, and it’s a big factor in our regional economy as well.”

The hotel ($861,000), restaurant ($631,000), fuel ($362,000), and retail ($325,000) sectors accounted for the top four spending categories by visitors to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. 

In Pennsylvania, more than 9.7 million visitors spent $467 million in local communities, supporting 7,380 jobs and providing a cumulative impact of more than $693 million in 2018.
 

More detailed information on the economic benefits specific to Hopewell Furnace is available at:https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm and selecting ‘Hopewell Furnace’ in the ‘Park Economies’ link

The peer-reviewed visitor spending analysis was conducted by economists Catherine Cullinane Thomas and Egan Cornachione of the U.S. Geological Survey and Lynne Koontz of the National Park Service. The report shows $20.2 billion of direct spending by more than 318 million park visitors in communities within 60 miles of a national park. This spending supported 329,000 jobs nationally; 268,000 of those jobs are found in these gateway communities. The cumulative benefit to the U.S. economy was $40.1 billion.

Lodging expenses account for the largest share of visitor spending, about $6.8 billion in 2018. Food expenses are the second largest spending area and visitors spent $4 billion in restaurants and bars and another $1.4 billion at grocery and convenience stores.

Visitor spending on lodging supported more than 58,000 jobs and more than 61,000 jobs in restaurants. Visitor spending in the recreation industries supported more than 28,000 jobs and spending in retail supported more than 20,000 jobs.

Report authors also produce an interactive tool that enables users to explore visitor spending, jobs, labor income, value added, and output effects by sector for national, state, and local economies. Users can also view year-by-year trend data. The interactive tool and report are available at the NPS Social Science Program webpage:https://www.nps.gov/subjects/socialscience/vse.htm

To learn more about national parks in Pennsylvania and how the National Park Service works with Pennsylvania communities to help preserve local history, conserve the environment, and provide outdoor recreation, go to www.nps.gov/Pennsylvania.

Hopewell Hosting 100 Year-Old Christmas Saturday

Saturday will be one of the few times in the year that historic Bethesda Church at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, will be open to the public.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

The National Park Service (NPS) invites the public to celebrate an “Iron Plantation Christmas” and stroll through 100 years of American Christmas, at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. 

This free event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature Christmas as celebrated during the 18th and 19th centuries at Hopewell Furnace.

Hopewell Furnace Site Manager David Blackburn encourages visitors to experience the simple

Der Belsnickel will also be on hand Saturday.

elegance of Christmas through the years during the event. 

“This is an opportunity for today’s public to travel back in time and witness Christmas at different periods of the furnace’s history” he said. “The company store will be open for business and the park’s buildings will be staffed with employees and volunteers bringing the village once again to life” he added.

Visitors will find nearly a century of Christmas illustrated through a series of recreated holiday scenes, dating from 1795 to 1880, inside the park’s historic buildings. Visitors will be able to discover the variety of customs, foods, and traditions of the holiday season from different times during the furnace community’s history. 

Participants will include Der Belsnickel, a mischievous version of Santa Claus with a commitment to justice. He rewards good children with candy and naughty children with switches.

Along with the regular program of historical Christmas activities, costumed volunteers will present a special program of 19th century holiday caroling at the park’s Bethesda Church. 

This is one of only a few days of the year when the historic church is open to the public. It is located one mile east of the main iron furnace community, on Bethesda Road. Programs at the church will be held at 12, 1, 2, and 3 p.m.. 

Directions to reach Bethesda Church will be available at the park’s visitor center or by contacting the park at (610) 582-8773.

There is no admission fee for visitors to the park or to this special event.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape. Showcasing an iron plantation and its surrounding countryside, the park’s facilities are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. During the summer season (June – September) it is open seven days per week. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA on Route 345. 

No entrance fee is charged. 

For more information stop by the park’s visitor center, call 610-582-8773, visit the park’s web site at: www.nps.gov/hofu, or contact us by e-mail at: hofu_superintendent@nps.gov.

Visitors with specific needs may contact the park for assistance before their visit.

Hopewell Furnace to Celebrate 80th Birthday Aug. 4

The "cast house" at Hopewell furnace National Historic Site.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Hopewell Furnace NHS will celebrate Establishment Day on Saturday, Aug. 4. This free celebration is special this year for we celebrate the 80th birthday as a unit of the National Park Service.

Hopewell Furnace became a unit of the National Park Service on Aug.3, 1938 and was originally known as Hopewell Village National Historic Site. In 1985, Congress changed the park’s name to Hopewell Furnace. 

Eighty years after its founding, Hopewell Furnace remains one of a small number of National Park units devoted to our nation’s industrial history.

Activities will begin at 10 a.m. and continue to 4 p.m. throughout the historic site. 

Programs and demonstrations will be staged throughout Hopewell Furnace. They include moulding and casting demonstrations in the cast house, weaving and spinning, cast iron cooking and more. 

There will be a special program at 1 p.m. highlighting Hopewell Furnace’s history, featuring a prominent regional historian and author, Dan Graham. The subject of Mr. Graham’s talk will be the 18th Century Ironmaster Samuel Nutt. 

Following the end of the presentation there will be birthday cake. Mr. Graham will also be available to sign copies of his new book Samuel Nutt and the French Creek Iron Works.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, 

Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. 

Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, off of Route 345. Admission to the park is free. For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu.

Hopewell to Host Talk on Audubon's Mill Grove

Mill Grove

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Friends of Hopewell Furnace

On Sunday, July 8, Audubon Center Director Jean Bochnowski will present an overview of John James Audubon’s Mill Grove, the home of the famous naturalist, ornithologist and painter and the namesake of the Audubon Society. 

Sponsored by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace, the free program will begin at 2 p.m. in the Hopewell Furnace Conference Room.

John J. Audubon

Located in Audubon, PA, Mill Grove was home to John James Audubon from 1803-1808. Here he achieved the first bird-banding experiment in America; invented a method of wiring dead birds in order to paint them in a naturalist manner; and married Lucy Bakewell in 1808 who supported and promoted his work during his lifetime. 

 Today the property is owned by Montgomery County and managed by the Audubon Society.

Jean Bochnowski was hired as Center Director for the Mill Grove Audubon Center in October 2003. She served six years as the Executive Vice President/Chief Administrative Officer of Zoo New England. 

During her tenure, Boston’s Franklin Park and Stone Zoos achieved an unprecedented eighty percent increase in attendance, a 241 percent increase in guest revenue, and a 400 percent increase in fundraising. 

She is credited with building from the ground up programs in marketing, development, information services, education, guest amenities, and human resources. Ms. Bochnowski has a BS in Mass

Audubon's style is instantly recognizable.

Communication and an MS in Administration. 

Prior to joining Audubon, she served as the Executive Director of the Rainbow Endowment, a national grant making foundation established by tennis legend Martina Navratilova.

Established in 1994, the Friends of Hopewell Furnace is the official non-profit fundraising arm of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. A 501(c)3 citizen organization, its mission is to support the preservation, maintenance and programs of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Donations to the Friends may be tax deductible according to the rules set by the Internal Revenue Service.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is located in the Hay Creek- French Creek Forest Block Important Bird Area designated by the Audubon Society in the 1990s. Visitors are encouraged to explore the natural landscape, go into the village, tour the buildings, and learn about iron making and why Hopewell Furnace is important to our nation’s history. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday thru Sunday, the park is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off Route 345. For more information visit www.friendsofhopewellfurn.org.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Celebrates 80th Anniversary With Summer of Free Fun

The cast house at Hopewell Furnace.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

This years year marks the 80th year of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site as a unit of the National Park Service. 

Stoking the furnace at Hopewell.

To celebrate, the site will be offering programs and activities throughout the summer and fall to honor 80 years of preservation and service to the American people. 

The celebration will culminate on Saturday, Aug. 4 with the celebration of Establishment Day. A day full of family activities, it will culminate with a special program and birthday cake.

A wide variety of programs are offered this summer: molding and casting demonstrations on weekends, exploring the goods for sale in the Village Store, hikes and walks to lesser known areas of Hopewell Furnace, evening programs on Fridays at French Creek State Park amphitheater, cast iron cooking demonstrations, charcoal making, fiber arts, autumn apple picking and much more. Special events include our annual Independence Day commemoration, StarFest (Aug. 11) and Life on the Civil War Homefront (Sept. 15 and 16). 

Finally, the park has two new stamps for the National Park Service passport program, one for its birthday, the other for the Village Store.

All activities are free and will be posted on the web events calendar for Hopewell Furnace: https://www.nps.gov/hofu/planyourvisit/calendar.htm. 

Staff can be reached during business hours at (610) 582-8773. The park is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Sunday, Oct. 14. 

Winter hours are Wednesday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

An Iron Plantation Christmas at Hopewell Furnace

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell furnace National Historic Site.

The National Park Service (NPS) invites the public to celebrate an “Iron Plantation Christmas” and stroll through 100 years of American Christmas at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. This free event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature Christmas as celebrated during the 18th and 19th centuries at Hopewell Furnace.

Hopewell Furnace Site Manager David Blackburn encourages visitors to experience the simple elegance of Christmas through the years during the event. “This is an opportunity for today’s public to travel back in time and witness Christmas at different periods of the furnace’s history” he said. “The company store will be open for business and the park’s buildings will be staffed with employees and volunteers bringing the village once again to life” he added.

Visitors will find nearly a century of Christmas illustrated through a series of recreated holiday scenes, dating from 1795 to 1880, inside the park’s historic buildings. Visitors will be able to discover the variety of customs, foods, and traditions of the holiday season from different times during the furnace community’s history. Staff and volunteers will present three different iterations of Santa. Der Belsnickel, a mischievous version of Santa Claus with a commitment to justice, will be in the Cast House. Belsnickel rewards good children with candy and naughty children with switches. Additionally, St. Nicholas, as Hopewell Furnace residents knew him in the 19th C, will be in the Ironmaster’s House and Mr. and Mrs. Claus in the Visitor Center.

Along with the regular program of historical Christmas activities, a special program will be presented at the park’s Bethesda Church. This is one of only a few days of the year when the historic church is open to the public. It is located one mile east of the main iron furnace community, on Bethesda Road. Christine Emmert will be presenting the one woman play “Out of the Fiery Furnace.” This will be the final performance of this work. After years of playing Ruth and sharing stories of the women of Hopewell, the play is being retired. Come join Emmert for the free performance will be at 3:00. Directions to reach Bethesda Church will be available at the park’s visitor center or by contacting the park at (610) 582-8773.

There is no admission fee for visitors to the park or to this special event.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an 18th and 19th Century iron furnace and its associated landscape. The park’s facilities are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday including Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day and Veterans Day. It is closed other federal holidays. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA on Route 345. No entrance fee is charged. For more information stop by the park’s visitor center, call 610-582-8773, visit the park’s web site at: www.nps.gov/hofu, or contact us by e-mail at: hofu_superintendent@nps.gov.

Hopewell Honors Volunteer With Original Quilt

Hopewell Quilters from left, Becky Hughes, Elverson; Eve Biamonte, Coatesville; David Blackburn, Hopewell Furnace NHS Site Manager; Lee Norman, Oley; Beth Shugar, Reading. Quilt recipient, bottom right Ellen Boyer of Pottstown.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

A handmade quilt was presented to Pottstown resident Ellen Boyer at the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Visitor Center.  On Wednesday, Oct. 4.

The quilt was made by The Hopewell Quilters, a group of volunteers at Hopewell Furnace that demonstrate the art and craft of quilting to park visitors. Mrs. Boyer, a long time volunteer at Hopewell Furnace, has created historic costumes for events and activities at Hopewell Furnace for many years. 

Fabric used in the quilt was provided by Boyer and represented many years of her costume work at Hopewell. 

The quilt’s design, “Spools and Thimbles,” was purchased by Boyer and represents 305 hours of work to create it. 

“The quilt is a wonderful representation of how heritage, tradition, life ways, and volunteerism connect to the work we do at Hopewell Furnace NHS” said Site Manager David Blackburn.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. Showcasing an iron plantation and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. 

The park’s facilities are currently open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. It will return to a five day a week operation, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, the week of Oct. 29. 

The Historic Site is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. Admission to the park is free. 

For more information, download our app, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park’s web site at www.nps.gov/hofu.

Happy Birthday Hopewell, Now Open 7 Days a Week

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site has announced it is now open seven days a week, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Saturday, Oct. 14. 

In addition to offering programs daily, on Saturday, Aug. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Hopewell Furnace will celebrate its 79th birthday with Establishment Day. 

The legislation creating Hopewell Furnace NHS was signed into law on Aug. 3, 1938.

Establishment Day provides opportunities for visitors to step back in time, experiencing facets of daily life in the 1820s and ‘30s, the heyday of the furnace. 

There will be weaving and spinning demonstrations, molding demonstrations, and demos on cooking with cast iron Dutch ovens. 

Volunteer colliers will be demonstrating the fine art of making charcoal, lighting the pile at 11 am. After a short presentation, there will be birthday cake at 2 pm.

Programs and special events will be offered throughout the summer. 

The highlight of weekends at Hopewell Furnace are molding and casting demonstrations (dependent on staffing). 

The historic Village Store will be open on a daily basis, offering 19th C games, crafts, and Hopewell charcoal for sale. There will be staff in the historic village daily, providing programs, answering questions and sharing insights of the community, its history, and the process of making iron. 

Finally, the fall is ushered in with apple picking. For over 30 years Hopewell Furnace has offered apple picking ($1 a pound) of numerous heritage varieties.

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. Showcasing an iron making community and its surrounding countryside, 

Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. 

The park’s facilities are currently open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. 

Admission to the park is free. For more information, stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu

Hopewell Hosts Declaration Reading July 4th

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace

To celebrate Independence Day, the National Park Service invites the public to attend an inspirational reading of the Declaration of Independence accompanied with music and traditional patriotic songs. 

According to Hopewell Furnace Site Manager David Blackburn, the program will be staged on the porch of the Ironmaster’s House at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 4. Admission to the park and event is free.

“On this Fourth of July, we invite the public to re-visit our founding document —The Declaration of Independence,” said Blackburn. “Come spread a blanket and enjoy a program dedicated to our founding fathers and mothers. Enjoy this salute to the sacrifice that they made for the freedoms we cherish today,” he added. 

The Declaration of Independence was officially adopted in Philadelphia at 2 p.m. on July 4, 1776. The reading at Hopewell marks the hour of our nation’s 241st birthday.

The program features noted author, playwright and actress Christine Emmert who will read from the Declaration as well as from letters of the period. 

Emmert has had a long career as actress, writer and director. Her story LILITH is out on Kindle along with her novel, ISMENE. Christine came to Hopewell as a volunteer writing, directing and acting in FROM OUT THE FIERY FURNACE which is in its final year after nine years of performance. 

Her plays are seen throughout the English speaking world. In 2016, she was a finalist in the Jane Goodall competition for 10 minute plays about endangered species.

The first public reading of the Declaration of Independence in Berks County was on July 8, 1776. 

The document was read publicly in villages throughout the area. Ironmaster and founder of Hopewell Furnace Mark Bird was brother-in-law to two signers of the Declaration: George Ross and James Wilson.

An early iron making plantation, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, features the foundations of America’s early iron industry from extraction in the 18th century to the enlightened conservation of the 20th century. In addition to the park’s Independence Day program, visitors can participate in moulding demonstrations, shop at the Village Store, watch several educational videos, and listen to the Voices of Hopewell as they wander through the Village. The park offers an 18-mile trail system which links directly to French Creek State Park.

Hopewell Furnace is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day during the summer months of July and August. There is no entrance fee. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. For more information stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu, or contact us by e-mail at hofu_superintendent@nps.gov.

Free March 12 Lecture at Hopewell Furnace Explores the Lonely Lives of the Forgotten Charcoal Colliers

A collier's work was lonely and took place in the woods.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Who were the Colliers? What did they do? Where and how did they live?

These and other questions will be explored as the Friends of Hopewell Furnace host local historian Spencer Claypoole’s presentation on the lifestyles of these famous charcoal making men and women. 

The free program will begin at 2 p.m. in the Hopewell Furnace Conference Center on Sunday, March 12.

Three hundred years ago iron was first produced along the Manatawny Creek in Pennsylvania. 

Charcoal is a key ingredient. Colliers created that charcoal in the Pennsylvania wilderness of today’s Berks and Chester counties. 

For most of the year, Colliers lived in remote areas of the woods. The rest of the time they lived in houses some of which stand today in North Coventry.

Claypoole will help provide insight into what that life was like.

A member of the North Coventry Township Historical Commission for over 25 years and chairman since 2000, Claypoole is also a member of the Board of Supervisors. 

In 2012 the Owen J. Roberts Education Foundation gave Claypoole its Community Service Award. 

And in 2016 The Chester County Historical Preservation Network, of which Spencer was a past member, awarded him the Jane L.S. Davidson Award for historical preservation. 

Spencer holds a Masters degree in social work and has worked for close to 40 years with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during which time he wrote and gave talks on the importance of local history to the growth of our nation.

Established in 1994, the Friends of Hopewell Furnace is the official non-profit fundraising arm of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. A 501(c)3 citizen organization, its mission is to support the preservation, maintenance and programs of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. 

Donations to the Friends may be tax deductible according to the rules set by the Internal Revenue Service. For more information visit the Friends web site at www.friendsofhopewellfurn.org.

While at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site visitors are encouraged to go into the village, tour the buildings and learn about iron making and why Hopewell Furnace is important to our nation’s history. 

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, the park is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. 

For more information stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu, or contact the park by e-mail at hofu_superintendent@nps.gov.

Pedaling Through the Parks

Last Year's bike tour focused on historic cemeteries along the Schuylkill River Trail. This year's ride will feature stops at three National Parks; Hopewell Furnace, Valley Forge and Independence parks.

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by my friend Laura Catalano at the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area.

Did you know that there are three national park sites located near the Schuylkill River Trail?

On Sept. 20 and 21, participants in the Schuylkill River Heritage Area’s Pedaling through Our National Parks Ride will visit those sites by bike.

Although bike trailers are prohibited on the ride, 

tandem bikes are not.

The third ride in the Heritage Area’s Schuylkill River Bike Tour Series, it will feature about 30 miles of cycling per day, with visits to Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Valley Forge National Historical Park and Independence National Historical Park.

Registrants can choose to ride on either or both days. 

The first day will include guided programs at Hopewell Furnace and Valley Forge, with a stop for lunch at the Schuylkill River Heritage Area headquarters in Pottstown. 

The second day will take cyclists from Valley Forge to Independence and will include a tour of Independence and a lunch program on the Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail. Lunch will be along the Schuylkill Banks in Philadelphia.

Each day, a bike/passenger shuttle will take riders back to their cars. 

Lunch, a light breakfast, tours and ride support are included. While most of the ride takes place along the Schuylkill River Trail, there are some on-road pieces. 

On the first day, about half is on road, primarily on back roads.

The Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series is a series of annual rides that was introduced by the Schuylkill River Heritage Area in 2012. 

Last year's ride featured players of historic music.

Each fall, a different section of trail is featured. All the rides are intended to raise awareness of the connections that can be made from the Schuylkill River Trail to regional historic sites.

“Our goal in establishing the Schuylkill River Trail Bike Tour Series is to show people that they can travel along the trail to connect to visitor sites and regional history,” said Kurt Zwikl, executive director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area. 

“Cyclists who participate will not only experience an enjoyable ride, but they will discover how to access three national parks by bike,” he said.

Cost for the Pedaling through our National Parks ride is $50 per person per day and $95 for both days. 

After Sept. 5, cost is $55 and $100 for both days. 

Registration closes Sept. 18. There will be no day of registration. 

Riders will be shuttled back to their cars on both days.

Event is rain or shine. Ride limited to 200 riders per day.

Price includes bike/passenger shuttle, light breakfast, catered lunch, well-marked route, guided tours and programs and refreshments. 

Free t-shirts are included for all who register by Sept. 5. 

All proceeds benefit the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.

Ride support and complimentary pre-ride bicycle safety checks will be provided by TriCounty Bicycles, of Pottstown. 

Due to the width of the trail, no bicycle trailers will be permitted. To learn more visit www.schuylkillriver.org.

The Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area, managed by the non-profit Schuylkill River Greenway Association, uses conservation, education, recreation, historic preservation and tourism as tools for community revitalization and economic development.

New Washington Insights at Hopewell

The Landsdowne portrait

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.

Just in time for Presidents’ Day, Valley Forge National Historical Park Archivist Dona McDermott will shed new insights into the life and times of President George Washington at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site on Sunday, Feb. 9.

Sponsored by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace, the free program will begin at 2 p.m. in the park’s Conference Center.

Using the famous Landsdowne Portrait, McDermott will discuss how Gilbert Stuart included symbols that reflected Washington’s career and legacy.

Stuart painted the portrait in 1796 and it has served as a guide for Presidential portraits ever since.

Dona McDermott manages the extensive archives and collections at Valley Forge.

A 30-year career employee of the National Park Service, McDermott has also worked at Independence Hall and Hopewell Furnace.

Before joining the National Park Service, she worked at the Atwater Kent Museum in Philadelphia and the Peter Wentz Farmstead in Worcester.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Eastern University and a Master of Arts in history and certification in Museum Studies from the University of Delaware.

In 1771, Mark Bird established Hopewell Furnace. Bird raised a militia in support of the American Revolution and sent badly needed supplies to George Washington at Valley Forge during the harsh winter of 1777-1778.

There are numerous records of Hopewell cannon and shot being used by Continental forces during the Revoluntionary War. One hundred and fifteen big guns for the Continental Navy were made at Hopewell, and ten inch morter shells from Hopewell were used in the final battle at Yorktown in 1781.

While at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site visitors are encouraged to go into the village, tour the buildings and learn about the Iron Making Industry and why Hopewell Furnace is important to our nation’s history.

With grounds accessible on Mondays and Tuesdays, the park is fully open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday and is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345.

For more information stop by the park's visitor center, call 610-582-8773, visit the park's web site at www.nps.gov/hofu, or contact the park by e-mail at hofu_superintendent@nps.gov.