Founded in 1771 in the heart of colonial iron county, the wonderfully preserved Hopewell Furnace is one of the best examples of a 19th century iron plantation.
The exceptionally well-preserved Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is located adjacent to French Creek State Park in the Big Woods region of southeastern Berks County, PA. Hopewell Furnace is remarkable as one of the best examples of an “iron plantation,” a rural community centered around the iron making enterprise.
Hopewell Furnace was founded in 1771 by Mark Bird, son of ironmaster William Bird who founded Birdsboro, about 5 miles to the north. Stop in at the visitor’s center to learn the history of Hopewell Furnace, the iron making process, and see interesting artifacts. Currently, the visitor’s center is open Wednesday through Sunday 9am to 5pm, but check the website for details.
Hopewell Furnace was a cold blast charcoal furnace and required the charcoal from about an acre’s worth of hardwood forest per day of operation. Making charcoal was a science and an art. Colliers lived in huts like the one above in the surrounding forests, carefully tending their shouldering mounds 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the mid 1800’s brick kilns were built in an attempt to modernize the charcoal making process. Unfortunately, Hopewell’s kilns were not viable and all that remains today are brick foundations.
Below are the ruins of Hopewell’s attempt to modernize to an anthracite hot blast furnace in 1853. However, the furnace was not economically feasible due to the cost of transporting coal from the anthracite fields of northeastern Pennsylvania. The furnace equipment was dismantled and moved about 6 miles northeast to Monocacy Furnace. Be sure to explore the tunnels behind the furnace.
After exploring the collier’s hut and anthracite furnace, we made our way to Hopewell Furnace’s cooling shed where a number of period wagons and carts are on display.
Workers called “fillers” transported the raw materials charcoal, iron ore, and limestone in wheelbarrow-like carts from the storage shed across the covered ramp to the furnace.
Here is a view of the furnace complex with the covered ramp to the right, the stack of the furnace just visible to the left of the brown wooden filling house, the white steepled molding house, and the workshop with the large entrance in the foreground.
Hopewell produced cannon and shot for the Continental Army and Continental Navy. The high carbon iron was used primarily to produce cast goods, the most profitable being stove plates. Examples of Hopewell’s products which can be seen in the casting house and visitor’s center.
Hopewell Furnace reached temperatures of up to 3,000oF where the molten iron flowed to the hearth at the bottom of the furnace. The furnace was tapped every 12 hours. Note the “pigs” of iron bars in the floor. Join us in the video at the bottom of the post for an explanation of the iron making process.
A water wheel provided blast air to the furnace. The wheel drove pistons which pumped air from the two barrel-like blowing tubs at the top of the wheel to an equalizing box. The blast air then traveled through the blast pipe into the tuyere of the furnace.
Behind the furnace you can see a replica headrace which would have diverted water from French Creek to power the water wheel.
There are a number of buildings to explore on the grounds of the Hopewell Furnace, including the blacksmith’s forge just south of the furnace. Blacksmithing demonstrations are given here periodically.
We crossed a small foot bridge to the south to explore the tenant houses. Of the 14 houses that were owned by Hopewell Furnace, two single family houses, a duplex, and a boarding house have been preserved.
Here is one of the single family tenant houses in the shade of a black walnut tree. Let’s go inside.
The two room ground floor of the tenant house is open and furnished with period household items.
Here is the duplex tenant house.
And here is the boarding house with the beautiful countryside in the background.
Enjoy the bucolic view of the Hopewell Furnace complex. This picture was taken near where the schoolhouse once stood. From left to right you can see the furnace/casting house/workshop, the company office/store, the iron master’s mansion, and the barn. Although peacefully pastoral during our visit, this would have been a bustling hub of activity in the days of the furnace’s operation.
The store/office shown below provided goods to the workers and the rural Hopewell Furnace community.
Before the advent of modern refrigeration, food was kept cool in the spring house.
The ironmaster’s mansion or “big house” was home to the ironmaster’s family and servants. It was also the center of business activities, was used to entertain travelers and business associates, and provided boarding for single workers. A portion of the basement known as the “molder’s kitchen” was used to feed molders working at Hopewell Furnace.
The portion of the mansion with the front porch was the original house. Additions were constructed during the furnaces over 100-year operation.
The mansion had 4 floors with 19 rooms.
The main office, parlor, and dining room are open for visitors to view.
The table is set! Note the oysters, an early American staple.
The beautiful house with the inviting porch in the shade of the arching sycamores makes us want to linger and relax. But in its heyday the iron master’s mansion, just a stone’s throw from the furnace, would have been buzzing with activity accompanied by the noise of business and smoke of the furnace. Hopewell Furnace operated from 1781 to 1883.
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is one of the finest examples of a 19th century iron plantation and well worth your visit, whether you are a history buff or are simply curious about what life was like for generations past. Even beyond its historical and cultural value, the sheer beauty of Hopewell Furnace, nestled in the rural rolling hills of Hopewell Big Woods, and adjacent to French Creek State Park make it worthy of your to-visit list.
For more information including an events schedule, visit the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site website.
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