Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

Early on a Sunday morning (just after 05:00) we left Richmond to drive north.  Ultimately we were heading to Boston, but we had a few stops along the way.  We knew that we didn't want to drive anywhere near Washington, DC, Baltimore, and New York City on a weekday, hence traveling on a Sunday.  However we also had a number of states that we wanted to visit so we planned our route with care.  We started out driving north through Virginia and then drove through Washington DC so we could cross off the district on our list of locations visited.  As we left the city we drove along the George Washington Memorial Parkway.  It was a beautiful tree-lined highway that made for a wonderful start to the day.  Several hours later our first stop of the day was at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.  Thanks to our early start we made it there by mid morning.

When we arrived we were just behind some bicyclists.  Apparently there was a race going on in the area that morning and part of the route went right by the park entrance.

Your visit begins with the visitor center directly next to the parking lot.

Inside are a number of exhibits about the history of the area and the site.

Hopewell Furnace, in operation by 1772, was one of America's early ironworks.  For more than 100 years, Hopewell's furnace stood at the focal point of a vibrant industrial community providing iron for a growing nation.  From three raw materials found in the countryside--iron ore, limestone, and timber--Hopewell's ironmasters made stoveplates, cookware, pig iron, and a variety of other cast iron products.
--from exhibit signage

This was the cooling shed where mounds of fresh hot charcoal were stored until the material had cooled down sufficiently to be safely stored elsewhere.

In 1853, the Hopewell partners built a hot-blast anthracite furnace here.  This new furnace did not bur charcoal but used anthracite coal to smelt iron--an attempt to reduce fuel costs and increase iron production.  Hopewell's anthracite furnace operated for less than four years.  By 1857, furnace machinery had been removed and was installed on a new furnace on the Schuylkill Canal.  This suggests the cost of hauling coal made the furnace operation uneconomical.
--from exhibit signage

These foundations are all that remain of the charcoal kilns once used to produce charcoal in the large quantities needed for operations of the furnace.

This is the remnants of a charcoal pit showing how people used to stack wood and then would burn it under controlled conditions to transform it into charcoal.

While working these charcoal burners would live in a hut like this one.

After investigating the charcoal producing area of the premises we headed to the upper level of the furnace.

It was quite dark under the overhang.

If you looked out the side you could see some of the machinery.

Furnace workers would roll carts up to this point and dump raw materials into the furnace.

The older kids thought it was fascinating to stare down at the waterwheel.

Everything was so lush and green.  The contrast between the white walls, green grass, and red-orange roof was spectacular.

This small building contained a small store and served as a second place (beyond the visitor center) for staff to interact with guests.

While the lower level of the barn sheltered animals the upper level was used to store the food and bedding for the animals.  Today it serves as a display area for various historic vehicles and implements.

one of the haymows was actually full, showing what the barn might have looked like when actually in use to house work animals.

The view of the pasture was great from the upper level.

The moldboard plow was very useful in breaking up thick soils.  The metal blades were some of the implements that Hopewell would have produced.

We got to see plenty of sheep in the pasture.  At one point a couple of them escaped through the fence, but then they found a place to squeeze back through into the pasture.

I believe this was a blacksmith shop.

 Interior of the the above structure.

 The path continued further along, but we had to head back as we still had plenty of driving left to do during the day and couldn't stay as long as we might have liked.

 There was plenty of pasture land for other animals, but sadly unlike the sheep they never came very close to us.

I took this 360° view before we headed into the lower level of the main building.

According to the signage this was the area where the molten iron flowed out of the furnace into channels made in the sand floor.  "The cast iron forms became known as 'pigs,' since their outline resembled a sow nursing a litter of piglets."

The water wheel powered the blast machinery that pumped the air to keep the furnace running hot enough to melt the iron ore.

As there were no staff members around the signs were very useful in deciphering the various pieces of equipment in the building.

Elsewhere I saw that apparently classes are taught to teach students how the metalworking process works.  It sounds like it would be a fascinating program to attend.

We also toured the house on property.

The rooms had plenty of furnishings.

 The kids enjoyed seeing the fake food on the table.

 The upstairs area is not accessible to the public.

 After exiting the house we stopped by the garden on our way back to the visitor center.

All of the pictures above and a few more can be found in this album.

~Matt

Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site

One of the reasons we had gone by Richmond on this trip was so that Amy and I could attend the homeschool convention, the same one where we had met eight years previously.

One day while we were downtown we took the time to walk over to the Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site.  I had been seeing signs for it for years, ever since I drove Amy to work (or picked her up) several times while we were dating/engaged.  However, the time had never been right to visit.  Finally when we'd be downtown for several days we realized it was a great opportunity to stop by and see the park.

Maggie Lena Walker devoted her life to civil rights advancement, economic empowerment, and educational opportunities for Jim Crow-era African Americans and women. As a bank president, newspaper editor, and fraternal leader, Walker served as an inspiration of pride and progress. Today, Walker’s home is preserved as a tribute to her enduring legacy of vision, courage, and determination.
--from Maggie L Walker NHS website

As you approach the site you see this sign on the corner.

However, to begin your visit you need to turn to the right and follow the signs into the courtyard in the center of the buildings.

The courtyard is decorated with a number of plants, and one of the buildings has been appropriated to serve as the small visitor center/gift shop.

I'll admit that I didn't know anything about Maggie Walker before I visited the site, but what we learned there was quite fascinating.  She was an impressive person that definitely deserves to be remembered and celebrated.  She not only started a newspaper (the St. Luke Herald) but was also very active in civic groups and she founded the St. Luke Penny Savings Bank.

Inside the visitor center you'll find a few signs explaining some about Maggie Walker's life and a short film.  This is also where the guided tours of the house begin.

We first walked down the street towards the front of the house.

We started on the porch where our guide started to explain about Miss Walker's life before he unlocked the front door to let us into the house.

This was Maggie Walker's wheelchair.  At first I didn't recognize it for what it was since it looks much more like a regular armchair.

 All of the furnishings around the house are original to the family who owned the house until 1979 when it was sold to the National Park Service.

Of course I loved the look of her bookshelves.

The central heating was added to the house after the Walkers bought the house in 1904.

The table in the dining room was set as if for a meal.

The kitchen had bottles of soda because someone really liked it, but I can't remember who that was--maybe one of her sons?

This elevator was installed in the late 20s and they did a really good job camouflaging it.  Until our guide opened the door it was impossible to see anything more than doors that looked like they might open onto a closet or other room.

Because of various additions not all parts of the second story were at the same level as was quite apparent in the hallway at the top of the stairs.

The tour ended at the rear of the house where we exited into the courtyard once more.

 I thought these blocks were very clever.  We saw similar ones at a number of National Park sites on our trip, customized for buildings at each site.

If you are unfamiliar with her story I would definitely suggest reading more about Maggie L Walker.  All of the photos above and a few more are in this album.

~Matt