Hopewell Furnace is an “iron plantation” in Eastern Pennsylvania. An iron plantation is a community centered around the production of iron from the basic elements of the earth. Mark Bird, an important figure in the booming colonial iron industry, built Hopewell Furnace in 1771. Hopewell Furnace was sustained by an ancient alchemy: the transformation of mineral into metal. Since the second millennium B.C., when humans first learned how to free iron from ore, the basic process has not changed. Iron oxide is heated in an intense flame fed by a carbon fuel. The oxygen in the ore combines with carbon monoxide released from the fuel and is expelled as CO2. What is left is iron.

Many conditions had to be met in order for an iron-producing plantation to be successful. The most important factor is the surrounding environment. There had to be enough resources from the Earth to sustain production, and also enough resources from the Earth to sustain the lives of the workers who produced the iron that helped shape the United States during its industrial infancy. The natural and cultural resources of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site are closely linked by virtue of the nature of historic iron production. A significant feature of these early charcoal furnaces was their rural setting and dependence on locally available natural resources: Iron ore, water power for the furnace air blast, extensive forests for charcoal production, and suitable farmland to support the human and domestic animal populations were basic to the very existence of the community.

Natural Resources

Hopewell Furnace is nestled in the rolling foothills of southeastern Pennsylvania. The entire park is drained by French Creek, a tributary of the Schuylkill River. Elevation ranges from just over 920 feet in the north to 460 feet at the low point where French Creek exits the park to the east. The south-facing slope in the north is underlain by Triassic (248 to 206 million years ago) conglomerate and shales. The low-lying area drained by French Creek is underlain by Cretaceous (144 to 65 million years ago) dolomite. Steep hills in the south are underlain by crystalline, pre-Cambrian (over 543 million years ago) gabbro and gneiss, and a very resistant Cretaceous quartzite.

Soils mirror the topography and geology, ranging from deep and well drained on the gabbro, to deep and poorly drained along the major creeks, to very stony on much of the conglomerate of the north.

About three-fourths of the land (635 acres) is covered with secondary deciduous forest and other forest growth. Important tree species include oak (white, scarlet, red, and black), black birch, black gum, tulip tree, red maple, sweet birch, flowering dogwood, black cherry, white ash, and beech. In a 1987 vegetation study, 504 species of vascular plants (like ferns and seed-bearing types) were identified in the park.

The forests and fields of Hopewell Furnace NHS provide habitat for many common eastern species of vertebrates including white-tailed deer, skunk, opossum, red fox, raccoon, gray squirrel, eastern chipmunk, groundhog, eastern cottontail, shrew, mole, vole, bat and salamander.

Numerous species of birds use the area for nesting, foraging, and migration. A few resident species include pileated woodpecker, wood thrush, great horned owl, and chimney swift. Wetlands (marshes and swamps) within the park support populations of frogs, turtles, and fish.

French Creek and its main tributaries, Spout Run and Baptism Creek, are major components of the resource base of the park. Additional water resources include wetlands, numerous springs, floodplains, and an extensive groundwater system. French Creek flows through the heart of Hopewell Furnace NHS. It was designated as a Scenic River by the State of Pennsylvania in 1982 because of its outstanding natural and scenic values. It also bears the state designation as High Quality Waters-Cold Water Fishery, and Exceptional Value Stream.

Adjacent to and within Hopewell Furnace NHS or partially within French Creek State Park are three Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Sites. These areas are identified by Berks County as having statewide significance for the protection of biological diversity. Of these, Pine Swamp, is one of only three sites in the county ranked as having the highest priority for protection. It is the largest wetland in Berks County but only a small part of it is protected as Pine Swamp Preserve within nearby French Creek State Park. Sixpenny Creek and French Creek are ranked as having high local significance in Berks County. Both are High Quality Cold Water Fisheries.

The Raw Materials of Iron Making

The basic ingredients of iron making – iron ore, limestone, and carbon fuel – are among the most common materials found on earth. They are not everywhere, however, so the location of an early furnace was determined by the availability of these materials.

Iron is usually found in combination in the form of hematite, magnetite (used at Hopewell), and other iron ores. Most iron ore was dug in small surface mines.

Flux, a mineral added to metals in a furnace to promote fusing, was also needed. Any substance containing calcium, such as seashells, could be used as a flux, but for most furnaces, limestone was used because it was cheap and abundant.

Because of the great tracts of forestland in America and the expense of bringing in coal before the advent of the railroads, early iron plantations like Hopewell made their own fuel. They slowly burned carefully constructed piles of wood to create charcoal, a fuel that is almost pure carbon and burns with intense heat. Due to the need for great quantities of charcoal, early furnaces were located on woodlands.

One other ingredient was needed: air. It was directed into the hearth under pressure by the water-powered blast machinery. This is where a water wheel was used. The wheel was propelled by falling or running water and was used to power the bellows that pumped the air. The air brought in under pressure by the air duct raises the temperature of the fire in the furnace to smelting temperature.

Hours and Fees to Visit Hopewell Furnace NHS

The park is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. It is closed on some federal holidays. There is a fee to enter the park. The cost is $4 for adults aged 17 and over. Children aged 16 and younger are free. There is an additional $1 fee added to the price of admission on the days that there are educational and interpretive programs. There are Family Rates and Golden Age, Golden Access, and Golden Eagle Passports available. There is additional information on driving directions and the instructional programs (like sheep-shearing day, establishment day and other summer programs) on their websites calendar of events.

To Log this Earthcache

The Hopewell Furnace is comprised of hundreds of acres of hiking trails and historic traces. Take the time to explore this landscape and see how all of the right elements and natural resources came together in one area to allow Hopewell Furnace to produce iron in America’s earliest days. Once finished with exploring the wilderness, go to the parks visitors center at the coordinates listed above. Inside you'll find displays on ironmaking and the village, a short film about Hopewell and all the information you'll need to fully enjoy your day in the park.

From the visitors center, take a self-guided tour of the grounds and visit at least 4 (four) of the following buildings. Inside of the various buildings you will find a push-button audio recording which will allow you to tour the area at your own pace. Listen to the audio tour that is provided at each site. Each audio recording will provide the answers to the following questions, and will teach about life on the iron plantation. The recordings will also describe the ways that the surrounding resources were used to actually extract iron from natural elements…a fascinating process that has propelled the United States out from under English rule and on to the nation we are today. There are many buildings in the complex with audio tour capability, and it is recommended that you take the time to learn what each building was used for and the role that each played in the lives of the workers that inhabited the plantation 200 years ago. However, you need to answer all of the questions for 4 (four) out of the following 7 (seven) locations in order to receive credit for this Earthcache. You may wish to take a virtual tour before going to the site to better aquaint yourself with the grounds. (Note: The virtual tour WILL NOT answer the questions needed to log this cache.)

Anthracite Furnace
1) What is the name of the person that is talking to you on the recording?
2) What was his job?
3) When did he arrive?
4) When did he become manager?
5) How much money did Hopewell lose in that one year when they tried to use the Anthracite Furnace?

Wheel House
1) What is the name of the person that is talking to you on the recording?
2) What are the dimensions of the wheel?
3) How hot does the furnace get?
4) One turn of the wheel produces how many blasts?

Office & Store
1) What is the name of the bookkeeper that is talking to you on the recording?
2) How many doctors were willing to come to Hopewell?
3) (Not a part of the audio) What company name is stamped at the top of the fireplace in the main store?
4) (Not a part of the audio) In the smaller room of the office (that is to the left of the room with the audio) how much did horse feed sell for on the blackboard?

Blacksmith Shop
1) What is the name of the blacksmith that is talking to you on the recording AND what is the name of the blacksmith that isn’t there right now?
2) How often does the recording say they have to replace horseshoes in a year?
3) What human body part is a horse hoof similar to?

Barn
1) What is the name of the person that is talking to you on the recording?
2) When was he hired?
3) How long did it take for him to get a raise?
4) What was his salary per month after his raise?

Springhouse
1) What is the name of the woman that is talking to you on the recording?
2) How often do they have to churn butter?
3) What is her pay per week (for a non-teamster)?

Ironmaster’s Mansion
1) What families originally owned the furnishings in the mansion?
2) During what period were Hopewell’s operations most profitable according to the recording?

Note: We now live in New Mexico and wanting to keep our cache going, we asked the members of SEPAG to watch over our cache. We will keep an eye on the logs, so if anything seems awry please say so and we will contact them and have the necessary steps taken to remedy the situation.