Скачать с ютуб Episode 82: Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site: Forging America's Past в хорошем качестве

Episode 82: Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site: Forging America's Past

On this beautiful fall day in late October, I take you on a tour of Hopewell Furnace NHS, located five miles south of the town of Birdsboro, PA and bordering French Creek state park. Named after the ironmaster William Bird, Birdsboro is a small community where my mother was raised on a farm. William Bird's son, Mark Bird founded Hopewell Furnace in 1771. IT became the largest supplier of iron products in colonial America and was used to produce cannons and shot for the Revolutionary War. Following the war, however, Mark Bird fell into debt as the Continental Congress was unable to repay all their bills. He was forced to sell the furnace at auction. Eventually, the furnace found new birth under three generations of the Buckley family, producing iron products such as pots, kettles, and tools for the young nation. Following a series of floods and a national recession, it again closed its doors in 1806. Reopening in 1816 under the ironmaster Clement Brooke, the furnace experienced its heyday in the years 1816-1831 where it produced cast iron stove plates for 19th century homes. A financial panic in 1837 slowed its production once again until it was needed to aid in the production of iron for the Civil War in the 1860s. Changing technologies and large steel factories forced Hopewell Furnace to close its doors for good on January 15, 1883. The property remained in the Brooke family until 1935, when it was sold to the federal government. It was designated as a national historic site in 1936, making it one of the oldest units in the national park system. Today, this iron plantation from the Industrial Revolution lies on 848 acres and includes 14 restored buildings, including the ironmaster's mansion, company store, barn, tenant and boarding houses, smokehouse, springhouse, cast house and furnace stack, and blacksmith shop. A true gem of the national park system, a visit to Hopewell Furnace will surprise and delight you; and it is especially beautiful in the autumn.