More often than not, when a civil war reenactment is staged it focuses on the war front. Guns, cannon, soldiers, and military strategy are front and center. Come join us on Saturday, June 3, 2017 and Sunday, June 4, to explore the other side of the Civil War: the home front. You will have the chance to explore the challenges of life on the home front in rural Pennsylvania during the Civil War.
Sponsored by Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, the event will be staffed by members of the Atlantic Guard Soldiers’ Aide Society and Friends, a re-enactment group based in Connecticut. Dressed in reproduction clothing authentic to the 1860s, members of the reenactment corps will share the challenges of living and working in a rural locale, such as Hopewell Furnace, in 1865. Members of the corps will be stationed in buildings throughout the Historic Site. Additionally, there will be demonstrations of cooking and other skills typical of daily life.
Several reenactors have researched the lives of Americans from the 1860s and will be interacting with visitors in character throughout the event.
Activities commence at 10:00 am on June 3 and will continue until 4:00 pm. On June 4 activities will be offered from 9:00 am until approximately noon. The event is free and no reservations are required.
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site preserves and interprets an early American industrial landscape and community. Showcasing an iron plantation and its surrounding countryside, Hopewell Furnace was active from 1771 to 1883. The park’s facilities are currently open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Sunday, July 2 through Saturday, October 14 Hopewell Furnace will be open seven days a week. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. Admission to the park is free. For more information, download our app, stop by the park’s visitor center, call 610-582-8773, or visit the park’s web site at www.nps.gov/hofu.
