Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
|
A farmhouse at Hopewell Furnance National Historic Site |
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in
Hopewell, Pennsylvania, is an example of an
American 19th century rural "iron plantation". The buildings include a
blast furnace and the ironmaster's house, with auxiliary structures. Hopewell Furnace was founded in
1771 by Mark Bird,
ironmaster, who was the largest
slave owner in
Berks County, Pennsylvania in
1780. A canalized headrace turned the
water wheel supplying air to fire the blast furnace. The furnace continued in operation until
1883.
As slavery was phased out in
Pennsylvania, African Americans stayed on as paid employees of the Furnace. Beginning in the
1830s, the remote wooded area around Hopewell Furnace figured prominently in the
Underground Railroad.
In an area that is primarily significant for its cultural resources, Hopewell Furnace consists of 14 restored structures in the core historic area, 52 features on the
List of Classified Structures, and a total of 848 mostly wooded acres. Hopewell Furnace
National Historic Site is surrounded by
French Creek State Park which preserves the lands the furnace utilized for its natural resources.
*
Official website*
History of Hopewell Furnace*
African-Americans at Hopewell Furnace
