A Morning Walk

Hopewell Furnace has within its boundaries, Bethesda Church which is about a mile and 1/2 from the other main buildings.  I decided early one morning to take a walk there; just me and my dog, Bernie.  It was a beautiful morning and a great day for a walk  We first walked through the apple orchard and past the Bluebird Trail which is an Eagle Scout project of one local young man, who has made and installed birdhouses for bluebirds along a mile long trail.  I also walked past the gatekeepers house and storage building. I really don't know what the building is/was used for, but I love the ancient building techniques and the fact that it has been able to last so long.

                                              Apple orchard.

                                             Gate keeper's house.

                                                         Storage house?

Old construction.

                                                                       Bluebird trail.

                                                          Mark Bird Lane.

As I walked down the lane and through some woods, I saw the remains of an old structure.  I suspect that they were once a house for a woodcutter's family or a collier's (charcol maker) family, but I don't really know.  It leaves me with curiosity about generations ago as I stand in what used to be a house.  Who lived here?  What were they like?  How many children were raised here?

                                                   Mark Bird Lane.

   As I neared the church, I passed through a field with some brilliant yellow trees.  They were mezmerizing!

  

I came around a corner and could see the old church down the hill.   It is small and white and the parking lot has a lean-to for horses and carriages to wait while their families attend church.  The church is surrounded by a rock wall and inside the wall are many graves.  The oldest I found was dated 1807, but others were too worn to read the dates.  There were several marked as the graves of civil war veterans, and many children.  Lots of women died in their twenties and early thirties.  I assume of childbirth.    The oldest person buried was 81 years old.  Life was different then.  I don't know if I could withstand the death of one of my children, but I also understand that it was more expected at that time.  I think that this is the first time I have been in a graveyard too old for the large numbers of flu deaths of the 1918s to be an overwhelming presence.  I don't know anything about epidemics of the 1800s.

                                                              Front view of the church.

                                                                 Looking over the back wall.

                                                  Side yard.

                                                      Buggy parking.

                                                                   Old worn gravestone.

                                                            The children's graves are sobering.

                                                          There are several civil war veteran graves.

                                                         Oldest datable grave.

Even churches needed outhouses!

Home sweet home!

In Washington State, where I am from, very old historical remains are seldom more than 100 years old.  I am not used to seeing things that are 300 years old or older.  It is very moving and helps me to understand how hard people worked to create our wonderful country.  I am proud to be American most of the time!

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

We arrived at the Park and checked in with the person in charge of volunteers.  He showed us where the RV pad was and took us through the bunk house where we had the option of staying as we volunteer at the park for the next 7 weeks.  The RV pad's sewer system is broken so it wasn't very hard to choose to move into the bunk house.  But first we had to move out the mice.  They were everywhere.  The bunkhouse is used by student interns and volunteers during the summer.  The house is "shared housing" so anyone could volunteer and join us in the house, but it is highly unlikely that at this time of year anyone will. 

The bottom of the furnace where the iron was accessed.

The "big house".

The barn

                                                                  The "big house"

The blacksmith shop

                 The casting house which surrounds the furnace and contains the molding and casting equipement.

Sand molding equipement.

More sand molding stuff.

Charcol  wagon.  The bottom boards slide out to dump loads of charcol that  caught fire, before the fire burned up the wagons.

Passage way between the charcol storage room and the top of the furnace where the

charcol and iron were loaded into the furnace.

Park chickens.

                                                                  Friendly park horse.

Conestoga wagon.  The first ones were produced near here and named after the Conestoga River.

                                          Bottom of the furnace where the smelted iron was accessed.

                                             Tenant's garden.

                                                            Clouseau, a percheron horse.

                                                        Grain storage in the village store

Clouseau again.

Hopewell Furnace is a wonderful glimpse into history.  The furnace was used to smelt iron ore from 1771 through 1883.   The iron was cast in sand to make cast iron stoves and during the revolutionary was cast into cannons and cannon balls. The furnace also made pig iron, which was used by blacksmiths and foundaries to make more refined items. The builder and first owner of the furnace went bankrupt after the war when he couldn't collect what he was owed from the new government.  Iron ore was mined nearby.  The furnace used charcol to heat the iron as it burns hotter than wood.  The workers made charcol in the nearby woods.  A waterwheel powers pistons that blow air down a "Tuyere" pipe into the furnace to increase the heat.  Considering that all transortation was by horse at the time the furnace was built, it is not suprising that a community formed on the furnace property.  The "big house" was occupied by the iron master,his family and servants, his clerk and sometimes other workers.  While the original owner also owned slaves, Pennsylvania outlawed slavery soon after the furnace was built.  Later the furnace employed many run away slaves that came to Pennsylvania on the underground railroad.    The remaining buildings are open for tours and include the furnace/casting house, the barn, the blacksmith shop and some tenant housing.  One of the tenant houses is furnished with reproductions so that children can use the furniture, touch everything and get a better feel for life in the nineteenth century. 

                                                 Laundry room in the spring house

                                                   No nails in the old construction!

                                                              Tuyere pipe blowing air in the furnace.

                                                        Cast iron stove plates.

                                                    Park ram.

                                             Park ewe - isn't she fat?

                                                      Schuyhkill River

                                                               Water wheel.

                                                      More water wheel pics.

The park also has an apple orchard that we have been able to pick apples from.  It has 200 trees of 30 varieties that were available in the 1700s and 1800s.  Johnnie Appleseed would be proud.

                                                            Back of the barn and store.

                                       Entrance of the casting house, built around the furnace.

                                                   One of the tenant houses.

                                                            Village store.

                                                View from the big house yard.

                                                                  Horse team in Pottstown street fair.

Inside the spring house.  The spring runs through the house.  Food was stored inside crocks sitting in the water.

The woods in the park are a combination of mostly oak and some sycamore.  Occassionally a black walnut tree appears.  The acorns are falling now so that when you walk through the woods you hear a crunch that sounds something like popcorn popping.  One acorn fell on the top of Mike's head, and we hear many others falling on the roof of the house.

There is an apple orchard in the park with 200 trees and 30 varieties that were available in the 19th century.  People come to pick them for a dollar a pound in the fall.  It is a popular family annual event.  We picked 20 pounds and made wonderful applesauce.  (Amie, I could have used your peeler!)

I often feel like the park is in a maize.  There are so many towns nearby and so many narrow curvy roads with highway numbers that it is difficult to learn them all.  When people give me directions, they go in one ear and out the other because the names are all so unfamilliar.  I know the way to the grocery store and can find my way back if it isn't dark.   When I was taking a walk, one man stopped to ask me where the state game lands were.  I told him, I am here and I know how to get back to the park.  That is all I know!

During the weekends, people dress in period costumes work in the village and answer questions.  On my first day working, a Menonite couple came in and I at first assumed that they were volunteers in period costumes.  I am so glad that I didn't say anything to them!   Many Menonite people and a few Amish people do come and visit the park.   I recommend everyone come to visit.  It is an amazing piece of history!