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Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site - Facilities Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Visitor Center Open Open All Year 9a.m. to 5p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Phone 610-582-8773 Location The Visitor Center is located at the top of a hill overlooking the historic village. The main entrance road, Mark Bird Lane, is the access to the park. Pennsylvania Route 345 gives access to French Creek State Park and surrounding communities. Closures The park and visitor center are closed on New Year"s Day, Martin Luther King"s Birthday, President"s Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Its visitor center and historic buildings are closed Monday, Tuesday and other federal holidays. Special Programs The Visitor Center offers the visitor a beautiful panoramic view of the historic village. The introductory slide program tells the story of Hopewell and its role in our nation"s struggle for independence and industrial growth. Exhibits in the visitor center bring understanding of the sand cast molding method and the furnace operation. Artifacts on display represent the industrial and cultural history of the iron-making plantation. Exhibits The historic structures in the village represent Hopewell Furnace as it appeared in the 1820-1840 period, the most productive period in its 112 years of operation. Over ten buildings are open daily as museums. Audio programs in the buildings tell the story of the structure or how it related to the operation of the furnace. The ironmaster"s mansion is open and furnished in original Brooke family period pieces to reflect the mid-19th century. Other buildings are used by staff in period attire during historic demonstrations such as the cast house, blacksmith shop, spring house and several tenant houses. The working farm introduces visitors to the livestock so important to the plantation. The village comes alive during special event days and the summer months. Bethesda Church is located approximately one mile from the village and can easily reached by vehicle. The annual Iron Plantation Christmas program, held at Bethesda Church, brings the idea of an "old fashioned Christmas" home. Waysides dot the village and give a picture of what Hopewell society was like in the mid-1800"s. Available Facilities Picnic facilities are located adjacent to the visitor center. Numerous hiking trails weave out from the historic village and into surrounding French Creek State Park. A short walk on these trails and visitors will discover collier pits where charcoal was made. The over 7,000 wooded acres of French Creek State Park was once owned by the ironmasters as the source of fuel for the furnace. Having your history and eating it too! The historic orchard near the Visitor Center produces more than 25 different varieties of historic apples and are available late summer/fall when ripe. |
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Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site - Facilities
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