Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, in collaboration with the Friends of Hopewell Furnace, is accepting essay submissions for inclusion in this year’s Independence Day programming at the park on July 4. Students in grades 6-12 attending school within the boundaries of local school districts of Antietam, Boyertown, Coatesville, Daniel Boone, Downingtown, Exeter, Governor Mifflin, Oley Valley, Owen J Roberts, Phoenixville, Pottsgrove, Pottstown, Reading, Spring-Ford, Twin Valley, and Wyomissing are encouraged to participate.
Students in grades 9-12 may submit a 500-word-or-less essay, and students in grades 6-8 may submit a 300-word-or-less essay related to the prompt: What does the word liberty mean to you? Essays will be reviewed by a panel of judges, with the top three from each grade group receiving cash awards of $125 for 1st, $100 for 2nd, and $75 for 3rd. The top three selectees from each grade group will also be invited to participate in the park’s Independence Day public program at 2 p.m. on July 4. Submissions are due Tuesday, April 30. More information is available on our website at www.nps.gov/hofu.
Hopewell Furnace was established as a National Historic Site on Aug. 3, 1938, and preserves the late 18th- and early 19th-century setting of an iron-making community, including the charcoal-fueled furnace and its natural and cultural resources. This community illustrates the essential role of industrialization in the growth of the early United States. The furnace was established in 1771 by Ironmaster Mark Bird and operated as a furnace for the next 112 years.
The park’s facilities are open five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hopewell Furnace is located at 2 Mark Bird Ln., Elverson, PA, about five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off Route 345. Admission to the park is free. For more information, call 610-582-8773 or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/hofu.
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