Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site |
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 Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Location in Pennsylvania
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Location in the United States
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| Location | Union Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Nearest city | Reading, Pennsylvania |
| Area | 848 acres (343 ha) |
| Established | August 3, 1938 |
| Visitors | 49,980 (in 2005) |
| Governing body | National Park Service |
| Website | Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site |
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is a special place in southeastern Berks County, Pennsylvania. It shows what a rural "iron plantation" was like in the 1800s. An iron plantation was a community built around a furnace that made iron. This furnace used charcoal for fuel and a "cold-blast" method to make iron.
Today, you can explore many restored buildings at Hopewell Furnace. These include the main furnace area with its blast furnace, water wheel, and machinery. You can also see the ironmaster's house, the company store, a blacksmith's shop, a barn, and homes where workers lived.
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The History of Hopewell Furnace
Hopewell Furnace was started around 1771 by an ironmaster named Mark Bird. His father, William Bird, was also a very important ironmaker in Pennsylvania.
Making Iron in the 1800s
The furnace was most successful between 1820 and 1840. It even made a lot of iron again during the American Civil War. But in the mid-1800s, new ways of making iron came along. Factories started using anthracite coal instead of charcoal. This made smaller furnaces like Hopewell Furnace old-fashioned. So, Hopewell Furnace stopped working in 1883.
Becoming a National Historic Site
In 1938, the land was named Hopewell Village National Historic Site. This made it one of the first cultural sites protected by the National Park Service. It helps us remember and learn about America's past.
What You Can See at Hopewell Furnace Today
Today, Hopewell Furnace has 14 restored buildings and covers 848 acres of mostly wooded land. It is part of the Hopewell Big Woods area. The site is surrounded by French Creek State Park and State Game Lands 43. These protected areas help save the forests that the furnace once used for its natural resources.
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