Hopewell Furnace

After dropping Jess off at the airport, I had one more stop to make on my way home. After fighting my way out of Philadelphia traffic I soon found myself on back country roads. I arrived at the Hopewell Furnace site and was pleased at how rural and peaceful it was. After a week in big cities, it was a nice change of pace. I immediately saw the intro video which gave me a nice overview of the Furnace. The iron tools and household utensils necessary in the early days of colonial America were either brought along by settlers from Europe or imported at high cost. The colonists quickly realized that, even though it violated their country's laws, they needed to manufacture their own iron products. The construction of charcoal-burning furnaces to produce iron was possible only where the necessary natural resources--iron ore, limestone, hardwood forests, and water--were readily available. The Middle Atlantic colonies had an abundance of these raw materials.

William Penn lured colonists to Pennsylvania by stressing not only religious toleration, but also the fact that his colony was rich in natural resources, including good quality iron ore and extensive forests. Immigrants from Europe poured into the colony. Large numbers settled in Philadelphia and its surrounding region. These settlers needed everyday objects such as tools, nails, horseshoes, and cooking utensils. Many small iron-making furnaces were built in southeastern Pennsylvania to take advantage of that market. By the time of the American Revolution, there were approximately 65 ironworks concentrated in southeastern Pennsylvania.

Hopewell Furnace was established in 1771 and supplied shot and cannon for the Continental Army and Navy during the Revolutionary War. Reflecting the economic problems of the young Republic, the furnace led a troubled life and often changed hands during the last years of the 18th century. In 1800, it entered a new period of prosperity under new owners. Between 1825 and 1844, Hopewell Furnace supplied a wide variety of iron products to cities all along the east coast, including the popular "Hopewell Stove." The furnace continued to operate until the 1880s, but never again achieved the success of the 1830s and 40s.

It is a gorgeous site. It reminded me a lot of the Genesee Country museum. I think in the summer they have a lot more interpreters around but it was pretty quiet on this spring day. I grabbed my self-guided brochure tour and set off.

Anthracite Furnace

From the 1840s onward, America was shifting to large-scale concentrations of steam-driven coke and anthracite furnaces so this was a last ditch effort by the Furnace to modernize.

Inside the general store:

These little chimneys used to be everywhere for making the charcoal pits. Charcoal pits, measuring 30 to 40 feet in diameter, were generally located in cleared areas, often near where the wood had been cut. Four-foot lengths of wood were stacked on end around a wooden chimney in the center of the pit. It took about 25 to 50 cords for each pit (a cord is a stack of four-foot logs measuring eight feet long by four feet high). The mound was then covered with leaves and dirt and set on fire at the center. A collier carefully tended the smoldering wood 24 hours a day for 10 to 14 days until it had "come to foot" or was completely charred. The temperature of the interior of a charcoal pit was generally from 700-800 degrees Fahrenheit, with some parts reaching more than 2000 degrees. During the coaling, the master collier and his helpers lived in primitive huts near the pits.

Water wheel

Iron production at Hopewell Furnace required a blast of air to bring the heat of the furnace above 2800 degrees. The water wheel supplied the power for this air blast by pumping a pair of pistons inside two blowing tubs. Compressed air moved from the blowing tubs into a receiving box between the tubs, and then through a long pipe to enter the furnace through the tuyere, a cone-shaped nozzle attached to the end of the pipe.

I loved learning about the process because it is so interesting how so much work and resources went into this business that quickly became outdated.

This sign outside of a house was pretty funny:

One of the was a “children’s house” so called because there were tons of hands on activities for kids. I took full advantage of the toys and had a grand old time churning butter and playing with my Jacob’s ladder.

The farm animals were adorable! There were several little lambs that were playing around and a yard of chickens as well.

The ironmasters house is restored quite nicely. I loved the Hopewell Furnace and highly recommend it. It was just so quiet and peaceful, you really felt like you stepped back in time. There’s tons of buildings to explore and it’s a great learning experience.