Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

10/29/2026

Hopewell was also a community where people built lives, raised families, and experienced love and loss. Visitors often ask where those people are buried. Many rest in cemeteries throughout the surrounding countryside. Some are buried here, beside Bethesda Church, including David and Charlotte Shafer and their son Henry.

David worked at Hopewell as a collier from 1818-1830 and then as a woodcutter until 1853. Henry died on September 5, 1851, in the ninth year of his life. We do not know what caused his death. His gravestone, however, preserves something deeply personal with the words chosen by a grieving family:

Father and Mother do not weep
Your little son lies here asleep
In Jesus arms I rest secure
To feel pain of death no more

More than 175 years later, those words still touch us. They remind us that behind Hopewell's ledgers and occupations were people. People who loved their children. People who knew joys and loss. People whose lives were about far more than the work they performed.

The furnace made iron. The people who lived around it made Hopewell a community.

**se #

Photo: NPS/ P. Shenk

10/28/2026

On March 16, a severe windstorm swept across Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, bringing down more than 200 trees and damaging parts of the apple orchard, the trail bridge, and sections of the west headrace. The impact across the furnace‑complex was significant, but so was the response.

To help restore the site, more than 15 National Park Service staff from New York, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania mobilized to assist with recovery efforts. The National Park Service’s Northeast Region Arborist Incident Response (AIR) Team a highly trained group specializing in arboriculture and hazardous‑tree operations, arrived twice this spring to support storm cleanup. Their deployment spanning over two combined weeks on site, was made possible through a mix of park and regional funding to address urgent storm‑related needs.

While at Hopewell Furnace, the AIR Team:
• Cleared hazardous trees from trails and historic areas
• Stabilized damaged sections of the trail bridge, and west headrace, and Civilian Conservation Corp era pavilion
• Helped prepare the landscape for ongoing repairs throughout the year

Their work has made the site safe for visitors once again and has restored much of the landscape’s historic integrity. Roughly 85% of all downed trees have now been cleared and removed, with internal teams continuing stump‑removal work to fully complete the restoration.

A heartfelt thank‑you to the AIR Team and all Hopewell staff and partners who contributed to the cleanup and recovery. Your dedication keeps this historic landscape resilient and thriving. 🌳✨

Heritage & Historic Preservation - NPS

Photo: NPS

10/25/2026

🐑🌾 New Faces on the Farm at Hopewell Furnace!
Meet Sesame and Sue. They are Leicester Longwool sheep, who recently arrived to us from Peter Wentz Farmstead.

🌱 Sesame, our newest ewe, joins Pepper, Poppy, and Chia, keeping our seed-themed flock growing!
🎶 Sue, our new wether, takes his name from the classic song A Boy Named Sue. We think he’ll fit right in!

While they’re still getting comfortable in their new surroundings, Sesame and Sue are helping to share an important part of our story. Historically, sheep provided wool for clothing and household textiles. This included wool for coats, socks, and mittens to keep people warm through the colder months.

Their lighter-colored fleece also opens up new possibilities for our fiber demonstrations. We can now naturally dye the wool with materials like onion skins, walnut hulls, and goldenrod before spinning it into yarn.

By caring for heritage breeds like Sesame and Sue, we help visitors step back into the 18th‑ and 19th‑century world of Hopewell Furnace.

Come say hello to our growing flock on your next visit! 🌾🐑

10/23/2026

Have you noticed spotted lanternflies (SLF) around Hopewell Furnace lately? First identified in Berks County over a decade ago, these invasive insects are still active in our region. We've recently spotted them near the Ironmaster’s Mansion and on the sycamore and tulip poplars surrounding it. Many of these trees are witness trees that have stood here since the furnace‑community era.

Spotted lanternflies feed on the sap of more than 70 plant species, stressing trees and affecting the health of the forest that helps define Hopewell’s setting.

Ways you can help:

• Take a quick look at your car and gear before leaving the park—SLF often hitchhike on vehicles and outdoor items.
• If you safely can, you’re welcome to remove and dispatch SLF. It’s one of the simplest ways to protect our trees and slow their spread.
• Report sightings to Pennsylvania’s SLF hotline: 1‑888‑422‑3359.

For more information on identifying, managing, and reporting spotted lanternfly, visit:
👉 https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly

Thank you for helping us care for the natural and historic landscape that makes Hopewell Furnace special.

Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Penn State Master Gardeners of Berks County Penn State Extension Master Gardeners of Chester County Penn State Extension Master Gardeners

Photo: NPS/ M. Lefevre-Levy

10/21/2026

October brings a quieter kind of beauty to Hopewell Furnace.

Join us for Nature Journaling on Saturday, October 24 at 10 am. Spend a fall morning slowing down and noticing the changing landscape. We'll take a short walk, observe the colors, textures, plants, and sounds of the season, and capture what we discover through words and sketches.

No artistic experience is needed. Just curiosity and a willingness to look a little closer.



Photo: NPS/ P. Shenk

10/17/2026

I'll have what they're having!

Food resonates with everyone. People can pinpoint favorite tastes and smells, eagerly await seasonal cuisine, and reminisce on how we were taught to cook with family and friends.

For many enlistees of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), food was scarce prior to their service in the famed Great Depression era organization. On average, an enrollee just joining the CCC weighed about 147 pounds and was 5 feet, 8 ¼ inches tall. After several weeks in the Corps, it was common to put on weight and grow an average of half an inch from the boost of nutrition.

At Hopewell Furnace, Company 3304 kept a newsletter and wrote about how highly they regarded their mess hall. In the "Hopewell Howl", they recall:

"Since the arrival of our company at Hopewell we have seen many improvements...to the new china dishes now in use...an enlargement of the kitchen to provide for better and faster distribution of food...Last, but most important, is the sort of food we eat. I can truthfully say that I have never eaten food of better quality anywhere than is regularly served in our camp."

Interested in seeing the kinds of foods consumed by the CCC? Visit Hopewell Furnace on Saturday November 7 to witness our encampment, including a field cook stove on display! Visit the event page to learn more! go.nps.gov/HOFU_CCC



Photo: NPS

10/15/2026

What can old bones tell us?

Archaeologists working around the Ironmaster's Mansion recovered hundreds of animal bones. The bones pictured here include chicken, pig, and cattle, while excavations also uncovered rabbit, turkey, pigeon, goose, duck, quail, fish, and sheep.

Near the mansion's porch, archaeologists found food remains alongside fragments of early 19th-century teapots, pitchers, cups, and saucers. The evidence suggests people may have enjoyed meals or refreshments on the porch and tossed what remained into a nearby window well.

One bone pictured here, a pig jaw, even shows marks from a rodent that gnawed it after it was discarded.

Two centuries later, these ordinary remnants reveal pieces of everyday life at Hopewell and show how much we can learn from what people left behind. Sometimes history is buried just beneath our feet.



Photo: NPS/ A. Kane

10/11/2026

The National Park Service has an available object from the Hopewell Furnace NHS Museum Collection. This object is outside the park's scope of collection and is available for transfer to another park or federal agency, or conveyance to non-federal institutions. This carriage was manufactured by Studebaker Bros Manufacturing Company of South Bend Indiana and is in fair shape. Vehicle is structurally sound, but upholstery has been damaged from past pest infestation. Estimated date of manufacture is circa 1852.

The item posting will remain live until November 16. See the full listing photos and learn more about other available objects by visiting: https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/clearinghouse.htm

Questions? Contact the park via email at [email protected] or by calling the Visitor Center (610-582-8773)



Photo: NPS

10/09/2026

This year, Hopewell Furnace had some true behind‑the‑scenes heroes: the conservators from Harpers Ferry National Historical Park!

Their visits throughout 2026 focused on one big goal: caring for the historic wagons and carriages that help us tell Hopewell’s story.

What did they do?
• Checked their condition: Early in the year the team carefully examined each wagon and carriage and created a plan for their long-term care.

• Cleaned and protected them: In July, conservators returned to safely remove years of dirt and grime. They also made custom Tyvek covers to protect indoor vehicles from dust and debris.

• Built custom supports: In August, they made special mounts from recycled plastic to raise outdoor vehicles off the ground. This helps protect them from moisture and supports parts that have become weak over time.

Why does this matter? Because these wagons aren’t just objects. They are part of the story.

They help us share the lives of the people, the work, and the community of Hopewell who used wagons like these to haul raw materials into the furnace complex and carry the finished iron back out again. Caring for them keeps that history alive.

We’re grateful for the conservator team’s expertise, care, and dedication.

Learn more about Museum Conservation Services: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/hfc/museum-conservation-services.htm



Photo: NPS/ A. Kane

10/07/2026

Where do you enjoy visiting on vacation?

For the people enlisting in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) throughout the 1930s, their travels would be much more than your traditional vacation. Often bringing nothing more than themselves and a few personal belongings, millions of Americans enlisted in the CCC for work and to support in the preservation of natural resources all over the United States.

In July 1935, a group of 96 men and two officers arrived at Hopewell Furnace from Elizabethville, Pennsylvania, becoming the first contingent to form Company 3301. Upon their arrival, another company already stationed on the property needed time to relocate to their next assignment. While they waited, Co. 3301 began popping up tents and makeshift shelters until they could move into the more permanent barracks at Hopewell Furnace. Documenting their experiences, a note in their monthly newsletter recalls their move-in experience:

"...the arrival of these men began the real inception of 3301. Tents in which to hole in for the first few days until Company 2213 evacuated the barracks upon the hill above Hopewell Furnace...Plenty of rain followed the setup of the camp and was it a happy outfit when they received orders to move to the old barracks of 2213.

But these barracks were only temporary quarters...and again the outfit moved, this time into the old standbys, the tents, where mid rain and mud they endured for many weeks..."

The arrival of the CCC may not have been the most pleasant, but after those first challenging weeks, they soon began projects that would help rehabilitate the grounds and structures of Hopewell Furnace.

Want to learn more about what it was like to be in the CCC? Visit Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site on Saturday November 7 as we host a CCC encampment from 10am – 4pm!

Photo: NPS

10/05/2026

Today’s homework: thank a teacher.

National parks are places where students can learn about history by standing where it happened, explore science by observing nature, and discover stories that help us better understand the people and places that shaped our world.

Behind those experiences are teachers helping students ask questions, make connections, and learn about the world around them.

On World Teachers’ Day, we celebrate the educators who inspire curiosity, encourage exploration and remind us that learning can happen just about anywhere. (Including places with a really good view.)

Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/teachers/index.htm

NPS Image

10/05/2026

Every day from October 12 to November 5, 2026, visit Mission San José's granary during park hours (9am-5pm) to view the mission descendant community's family ofrendas.

Ofrendas are an essential part of Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead. The word ofrenda means offering in Spanish. They are also called "altares" or altars, but not for worship. These altars are not only full of family pictures, but of symbols and meaning, honoring the ancestors who have passed, and offering them items of the celebration such a "pan de mu**to" and marigold flowers.

NPS Photo

10/04/2026

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” — Anne Shirley, Anne of Green Gables

And we’re rather glad there are national parks to experience them in. Fall is a great time to get outside and enjoy the spectacular spectacle (say that five times fast) of changing leaves. There is plenty of room for imagination when you find yourself surrounded by forests painted in brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold. In our experience, you can nearly always enjoy things if you make up your mind firmly that you will. So consider this your invitation to find a little wonder, a little enchantment, and perhaps a kindred spirit among the trees.

Forests, woods, and shrublands in national parks put on their autumn colors from September through December. There’s a whole world of beauty waiting to be explored!

Image 1: Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Image 2: Great Smoky Mountains NP
Image 3: Great Sand Dunes NPP
Image 4: Rocky Mountain National Park
Image 5: TheodoreRooseveltNPS

10/03/2026

“On October 3rd, he asked what day it was.” — Cady Heron

It’s October 3rd.

October is kind of a big deal around here. The autumn months splash many national parks with a rich array of fall colors, while cooler temperatures have wildlife getting ready for winter. Some are migrating. Some are gathering food. Some are putting on extra layers.

Same, honestly.

So whether you’re here for the foliage, the wildlife, or simply to judge the leaves on their color palette, national parks are a pretty fetch place to experience fall. Fetch? We’re making it happen.

And if you want to keep up with what’s happening in parks this season, you can find more ways to connect with your national parks at the link below.
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/fall-season.htm

Image: Red Osier Dogwood leaves stand out against aspen trunks at Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve. NPS/Patrick Myers

10/02/2026

10/02/2026

Wherever military life takes you, there’s likely a park adventure nearby.

Active-duty military members, Veterans, and Gold Star families can get a free America the Beautiful Pass, providing access to national parks and federal recreation sites across the country.

Active-duty military families can also find free events, nearby outdoor opportunities, and resources for exploring national parks, public lands, and waterways through the Military Families Outdoors Program, wherever military life takes them. Visit: go.nps.gov/mfo

Whether you’re PCSing, exploring near your duty station, or looking for a weekend adventure, your next park visit may be closer than you think.

NPS Photo: Rangers at Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park recently teamed up with Blue Star Families and community partners for a day of fishing, outdoor fun, and family time at Fletchers Cove.

Blue Star Families Defense Public Health

10/01/2026

Fat Bear Week has officially lumbered to a close.

What a week. As they say, a journey of roughly 3,000 to 4,500 calories begins with a single salmon. Something like that. There might be some steps involved too.

In the end, 16 bears entered. Bear 89 “Backpack” became champion. Talk about the hunger games. And several ate their way into our hearts. Figuratively. And thousands of us humans spent an unreasonable amount of time judging bears for being excellent at being, well, bears.

It was a week of big bellies, bigger appetites, and absolutely no regrets. We shared some science, learned about the Alaskan ecosystem, stood around for hours watching large mammals eat, and found multiple way to incorporate “chonk” in everyday vocabulary.

Now the bears have more important things to do, such as eating then sleeping, a bit more eating, sleeping, and finally preparing to sleep after eating. As for the rest of us, we all return to our regularly scheduled programming.

Must we?

We must.

We will miss you, Fat Bear Week. Until next year: stay chunky, stay hungry, and remember: there’s always room for one more salmon.

NPS Images

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

Now that Fat Bear Week is over, it's time for Chunky Puppy Day! Tune in to the Puppy Cam tomorrow, Thursday, October 1, at 2pm AK time to find out how big the America's Best Idea litter got this summer.

How much do you think they weigh now? Share your guesses in the comments below.

NPS Photo: Graupel from the Weather litter during a weigh-in last year.

09/30/2026

This is the ideal marmot body. You may not like it. You may not understand it. But this is what peak performance looks like.

Now that Fat Bear Week is over, we’re returning to our regularly scheduled programming: other fat mammals.

The tundra-dwelling yellow-bellied marmots have been preparing for hibernation for the last couple of months. Since marmots spend more than half their lives hibernating, they’ve developed some impressive adaptations for surviving the winter:

✅ First, they’ve been building up healthy fat reserves (sound familiar? Bears. Us too, but that’s another post) to sustain them for up to eight months. Basically, a nice winter savings account.

✅ When they finally enter hibernation, they become true hibernators, slowing their heart rate from around 200 beats per minute to as low as 30. It’s an impressive energy-saving strategy.

✅ Speaking of saving, they also save on utilities by cuddling up with the colony in a communal burrow. Because heating is expensive, and roommates are the answer. Was that on the lease?

NPS Photo: A rotund marmot standing on a rock at Rocky Mountain National Park