Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

Due to a winter storm, the park is closed for the remainder of Sunday, January 31st. It is anticipated the park will be opening at its next regularly scheduled time Wednesday, February 3rd at 9:00 AM. More information as conditions are assessed.

Its National Handwriting Day! In the days before typewriters and computers, legible penmanship was important in keeping organized business records. For example, the furnace company’s Clerk was responsible for recording debt, credit, and purchases from the Office/Store in ledgers. Today, ledgers teach us about the culture and tastes of the workers and families who lived at Hopewell Furnace. Who has neater handwriting? The Clerk from 1818 or 1832? Learn more about ledgers at ...Hopewell Furnace: https://www.nps.gov//le/historyculture/company-ledgers.htm NPS Photo: Ledgers 1818 NPS Photo: Ledgers 1832 #FindYourPark #HopewellFurnace250

The Office/Store was a convenience for furnace workers and their families who worked long hours in a remote location. Unlike company towns in future years, the furnace company did not take advantage of their workers and inflate prices. In the 1930s, Company 2213 of the Civilian Conservation Corps used the building as their headquarters while performing early work in the area. Today, it serves as an important resource in sharing Hopewell’s storied past. For more information ...about Hopewell Furnace Office/Store please see:https://www.nps.gov/hofu/office-store.htm NPS Photos: Kutner, Modern Office/Store; Archives, 1935 Office/Store #ThrowbackThursday #FindYourPark #HopewellFurnace250

January 21st is a big day! It's National Hugging Day, National Squirrel Appreciation Day and Museum Selfie Day! Come to Hopewell and take a selfie while hugging a tree and appreciating the chattering squirrel above your head! Many people find peace and serenity while walking around the historic village, others love to watch children run around and try to talk to the sheep. Hopewell has something for everyone, come see for yourself! Learn more about trails at: https://www.np...s.gov/hofu/planyourvisit/recreation.htm NPS Photo: Park Staff with Gigantic Tulip Tree, 2020 #FindYourPark #HopewellFurnace250 #PlotYourPath #NationalSquirrelAppreciationDay #MuseumSelfieDay #Hugs #NationalHuggingDay #Squirrel

On January 6, 1763, Hopewell Furnace’s founder Mark Bird married Mary Ross at Christ Church in Philadelphia. The two love birds first settled in Mark’s family home at Birdsboro (a town named after his influential father) and later moved several times. They had 11 children and were married through war and financial hardship. In fact, Mary’s brother George Ross was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a delegate to the Pennsylvania Assembly and the Continental Congre...ss. Unfortunately, Mary Ross died early after the birth of the new government on June 10, 1790. Mark Bird later passed away in 1812. Learn about 250 years of history at Hopewell Furnace: https://www.nps.gov//hopewell-furnace-250th-anniversary.htm Image: Library of Congress, Christ Church in 1901 Philadelphia #FindYourPark #HopewellFurnace250

Happy Birthday, Benjamin Franklin! Born on January 17, 1706, Franklin is celebrated for his achievements as a Founding Father, printer, scientist, and inventor! The Franklin Stove was one of his most popular inventions, and Hopewell Furnace produced four styles of the stove. The freestanding fireplace used a system of baffles to extract the maximum amount of heat. These innovations were intended to provide more heat and less smoke than other stoves of the time. Learn more a...bout Cast Iron Stove Production at Hopewell Furnace: https://www.nps.gov//histor/cast-iron-stove-production.htm Portrait of Benjamin Franklin, Peale, Charles Willson, Artist, Copyright Claimant Detroit Publishing Co, and Publisher Detroit Publishing Co. Benjamin Franklin., None. [between 1900 and 1920] Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2016816292/. NPS Photo: Example of a Franklin Stove produced at Hopewell Furnace

It was hard work keeping an iron furnace operational and profitable. Nevertheless, from January 3, 1836, to April 10, 1837, Hopewell Furnace continually operated for 445 days! The result? 1,169 tons of mixed castings were produced. Unfortunately, the furnace company could not sustain this success. A national financial crisis in 1837 and general technical improvements in the iron industry caused Hopewell to switch from primarily producing castings to pig iron bars. Today, som...e iron castings remain as symbols of art, craftsmanship and a past way of life. Learn more about Cast Iron Stove Production: https://www.nps.gov//histor/cast-iron-stove-production.htm NPS Photo: Park staff member "pounding sand" to demonstrate the process of sand moulding, #FindYourPark #hopewellfurnace250

January 15th, 1864, a 15-year-old Henry F. Care enlisted in the Union infantry in the American Civil War. Care was born at Hopewell Furnace and his family lived and worked in the surrounding area for generations. Later serving in the 11th Calvary, Care was allegedly captured and sent to Andersonville Prison. Newspapers of the early-1930s claimed he escaped from the prison, but provided no further information. After the war, Care returned to Hopewell Furnace and worked as a ...Blacksmith. When Hopewell closed in 1883, he moved to Reading where he worked at the Reading Iron Company then as a night watchman at the Carpenter Steel Company. He died in Reading in 1937. Learn more about the people who lived at Hopewell Furnace: https://www.nps.gov//prominent-families-at-hopewell-furnac NPS Photo Archive image: Enlistment papers, Henry Care #FindYourPark #HopewellFurnace250

Happy 282nd Birthday to Hopewell Furnace’s founder, Mark Bird! On January 2, 1739, Mark was born in Amity Township, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania to William Bird and Brigitta Hulings. William was a prominent ironmaster in Berks County and when he died in 1761, Mark inherited control of his assets. To expand the family business, he built Hopewell Furnace in c.1771. The American Revolution, however, altered the course of Mark’s life. He served as a member of the Pennsylva...nia Assembly, Lieutenant Colonel of the Second Battalion of the Berks County Militia, Chairman of the General Committee of Berks County, and Deputy Quartermaster General. Bird personally bought supplies for soldiers including uniforms, tents, and provisions. It is unknown if Hopewell Furnace was directly involved in producing weapons and ammunition, but it is believed some of Bird’s ironworks constructed cannon and shot for continental frigates. Nevertheless, Bird overextended himself during the war and had a series of bad business dealings. Hopewell Furnace was sold in a sheriff’s sale in 1788, and Bird fled to North Carolina to avoid debtors’ prison. He died there in 1812. Learn more about Hopewell Furnace’s management: https://www.nps.gov//learn/historyc/furnace-management.htm NPS Photo: Mark Bird Stove (in Hopewell Furnace Visitor Center) #FindYourPark #HopewellFurnace250

Following guidance from the CDC and recommendations from state and local public health authorities with the NPS Public Health Service, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site will temporally close the park as of March 20, in response to the coronavirus COVID -19 outbreak. We strongly suggest following CDC guidelines to avoid close contact with others: https://www.cdc.gov/coronav/2019-McGovern//prevention.html The decision was made in consultation with public health authorit...ies. The health and safety of our visitors, employees, and volunteers have always been our top priority and we are taking steps for their protection and to help prevent the spread of the virus. We look forward to again welcoming our visitors from across the nation and globe when public health officials indicate it is appropriate to do so.

We absolutely love this year's quilt! This dedicated group of volunteers found ways to work remotely and keep each other safe. It's absolutely beautiful! #HopewellQuilters #FindYourPark

Hopewell Furnace is commemorating its 250th anniversary! It’s been 250 years since Hopewell was established in c.1771 by Pennsylvania iron-maker, Mark Bird. After decades of iron production, the industrial site was transformed into a National Historic Site during the Great Depression. By 2021, generations of visitors have found meaning and community by visiting, volunteering, and learning about the site’s resources. Be a part of Hopewell's story by visiting in person and expl...oring our website! Learn about a story 250 years in the making: https://www.nps.gov//hopewell-furnace-250th-anniversary.htm NPS Photo: Hopewell Furnace Cast House #HopewellFurnace250 #FindYourPark #YourHopewellStory

How did colliers earn money in the winter? Short answer: it depends on the collier. Hopewell Furnace’s colliers didn’t make charcoal in the winter months. Poor weather conditions such as wind and heavy snow could flood the pit area and excessive moisture made the charcoal unfit for the furnace. Colliers such as Henry Houck often performed other jobs to earn money. In the winter, Houck was a Master Wheelwright who repaired wagons. #FindYourPark #HopewellFurnace250... Learn more about charcoal making at Hopewell Furnace: Charcoal Making - Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov) NPS Photo: Charcoal Pit with Collier Hut in background

Though, 2020 vision is considered perfect, this past year has been far from that and many are eager to welcome 2021. Much like the water wheel, this year had its ups and downs, ebbs and flows, and often, we just had to roll with it. The Hopewell Furnace family had bid fond farewell to some staff and friends while we welcomed some others anew this year. Now, in the spirit Hopewell's 250-year story of adapting, persevering, and rolling with it, let’s all join together, 6 feet ...apart, as we welcome in this new year Hope-full for the promises it may hold for better looking days ahead. To Everything there is a season: Turn, Turn, Turn Pete Seeger 1959 from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 NPS Photo: Hopewell Furnace Waterwheel #FindYourPark #NationalParkService #HopewellFurnace250

Today is #NationalAppleDay! One of the earliest mentions of an apple orchard at Hopewell Furnace was in an estate advertisement in the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1788. Orchards were common on farms during this time, and the apples would have been used at home to make cider, apple butter, or dried apples, and were even used as feed for livestock - but please do not feed our animals. Today the park preserves the historic nature of this orchard in the style of a mid-19th century fr...uit orchard with more than 30 familiar and historic varieties of apples. What's your favorite apple recipe? #FindYourPark IMAGE: Red apples hanging from a branch in the orchard at Hopewell Furnace. (NPS Photo)

How do we get first hand information about the people who lived and worked at Hopewell Furnace over 100 years ago? Why are primary documents important, and how are they cared for? Join staff as they discuss historic documents housed at Hopewell Furnace and learn about the volunteer project to preserve them. #MuseumMonday #FindYourPark For more information on the Ledger Project, visit: https://www.nps.gov//le/historyculture/company-ledgers.htm Additional ledgers can be found at Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Chester County Historical Society, Berks History Center, and Pennsylvania State Archives

Slag -- a byproduct unintentionally produced during iron production as waste. It is a combination of leftover iron once most of the iron was separated from the magnetite ore and limestone (used as a catalyst) during smelting in a furnace such as Hopewell. Though considered waste, slag was often used. At times, slag was further refined at a stamping mill, where it was crushed to remove the remaining iron. A stamping mill was built at Hopewell Furnace in 1805. During a period... of closure, 1808-1816, this stamping mill was the only industrial operation at Hopewell Furnace, and iron stamped from the mill was sold to Hampton Forge for $18/ton. Today, slag can still be found at Hopewell Furnace. The vegetative covered mound area between the Cast House and Blacksmith Shop was created through years of piling slag. You may also find slag along the historic roadway, as it was often used in road construction. Slag may have many different finishes and may look cool, but please practice #LeaveNoTrace and leave what you find. Photos: NPS 1) various finishes of slag displayed. 2) Hopewell Furnace slag pile covered with vegetation. #Findyourpark, #slag, #iron,

After the interest in the first Family Friendly Hike we posted in August, we present a longer, slightly more challenging hike for your family to enjoy. Check out the #RangerRecommend loop through Hopewell Furnace on the Horseshoe Trail. On this hike, you will walk through the Hopewell Big Woods, perhaps see some fungi such as mushrooms, interesting trees, and evidence of animals enjoying this ecosystem. You can also add this loop to the other trails, including hiking over t...o Hopewell Lake (see below). This mostly flat loop is a narrow trail that is not paved and has no benches, and a nice option for those interested in a short hike or who want to enjoy the iconic Horseshoe Trail. Budget at least 30 minutes for this approximately mile and a half hike. But if you're like us, add more time to take lots of pictures, look for mushrooms, and enjoy this forest landscape. Don't forget to #RecreateResponsibly and leave no trace! To complete this hike: After touring Hopewell Furnace, walk past the tenant houses through the gates. When the road splits, stay to the right past the Care House and walk on the gravel road. At the Horseshoe Trail sign near Route 345, go to the right and follow the yellow blazes through the forest until the trail ends on the wide trail. Go to the left to get to French Creek Lake and Dam, or go to the right to get back into Hopewell Furnace. (You can also take the trail in reverse, starting by the gate that divides the Hopewell and French Creek properties, and ending up in the lower village near the Tenant Houses.) For more information on family hiking, visit: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/trails/hiking-with-kids.htm #TrailTuesday #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

October is #NationalBookMonth! It is known that Clement Brooke, and other Hopewell Managers, often bought books, magazines, newspapers, trade journals, and religious publications for children and families of iron workers. Most of these texts were used for educational purposes, though the occasional traveling salesman made their way through the village. The Brooke family were especially into reading. There are over 100 books located in the office of the Big House alone, all pa...rt of our museum collection. These books are leather-bound and often have marbled paper lining the covers. Titles include: The Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare (HOFU 6619); The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Volumes I and II (HOFU 6712 and 6713); The Ladies Indispensable Companion and Household Guide (HOFU 6364); and The Life and Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, Volumes I and II (HOFU 7880 and 7881) #FindYourPark IMAGE: Three shelves of leather-bound books in a mahogany bookcase.

Join Ranger Justin in exploring Baptism Creek Picnic Area and some of the lesser known stories of Hopewell Furnace #FindYourPark

Do you smell anything near the Cast House? No, not the smell of animals, perhaps a ghostly whiff of rotten eggs? The ore from the Hopewell Mines contained a high sulfur content; other mines produced ore with high levels of impurities. In 1882, just one year before the final blast, an ore roaster was built to improve the quality of the pig iron. A large iron kettle stood atop the stone pedestal structure and roasted the ore to prior to use in the furnace. During World War I, the ore roaster was sold for scrap. #FindYourPark #Ruins #StoneRuins #Wheelpit Image: NPS Photo, HOFU Photographic Archives

The apple butter bee, or "boiling", was reportedly a social activity for courting couples at Hopewell. A large copper kettle filled with sweet cider often hung on a crane in the kitchen or on an outdoor fire. When the cider had boiled down enough, apples that were pared, cored, and quartered were added. The butter would need to be stirred consistently, and young couples often took turns stirring it with a long wooden paddle. If the couple grasped the handle of the paddle at ...the same time, it was considered as a formal declaration of their intent to marry. Today, volunteers demonstrate the craft of making apple butter. #FindYourPark #NPSVolunteers IMAGES: Volunteer uses a wooden paddle to stir a pot of apples over an outdoor fire.

What do Queen Victoria, Napoleon, and Hopewell ironmasters have in common? They all purchased ornate rocking horses for their children! Evolved from the medieval barrel horse, woodworkers carved ornate life-like horses, placed them on curved rockers, and often embellished them with a leather saddle, real horsehair, or other accessories. Once reserved for royalty and the wealthy elite, the Industrial Revolution enabled mass production of this toy, making the rocking horse more... accessible to the middle class. Designs varied by country and followed trends, like the velocipede rockers - wooden horses mounted on tricycles - made popular in France. Examples of these ornate toys can be found in the Ironmaster's Mansion. #FurnaceFactFriday #FindYourPark IMAGES (NPS Photos): small headed horse on curved rocker base (HOFU 3370); wooden velocipede (tricycle) with horse head (HOFU 7832)

Do you enjoy apple cider on a crisp autumn day? Did you know processing apples for the winter was an important part of autumn life at Hopewell? Join our rangers as they demonstrate the use of our historic cider press! #FindYourPark

Can you imagine your home without the convenience of a bathroom? Most of us cannot. That is what life was like for the residents of the Ironmaster’s Mansion for nearly 100 years. Although research has shown that water was brought into the Big House much earlier (around 1816) it wasn’t until 1870 that the first bathroom was installed just 13 years before the furnace went out of blast for the last time. Today, this bathroom may appear primitive, but it was once considered... a modern convenience and a luxury for its time. Although the bathroom in the Big House is not available for public viewing, social media allows us to display it for you. #HiddenHopewell #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque Images: Wooden and ivory sink with two metal faucets (HOFU 666, Acc. 160); Wood and tin toilet and bathtub; ivory toilet bowl (NPS Photos)

Throughout Hopewell's 112 year operation, charcoal was the main fuel used to heat the furnace. As a way to keep the tradition of charcoal-making alive, a program was put together in 1936. At 82 years old, Lafayette Houck, one of Hopewell’s last colliers, and his son, William, demonstrated the life of a collier. To this day we continue to have charcoal-making demonstrations (burns) twice a year. Volunteer colliers produce charcoal using traditional methods, and the charcoal produced during these burns is then used for other demonstrations in the park like blacksmithing and molding and casting. #ThrowbackThursday #FindYourPark IMAGES: Black and white photograph from the first program, 1936 (HOFU Photographic Archives); Volunteers tending to the charcoal pit, 2006 (NPS Photo)

Apple Picking has concluded for the season. #FindYourPark Image: group of four apples in the historic orchard (NPS Photo)