From Friends of Hopewell Furnace, National Park Service
Photo courtesy of Luke Michael on Unsplash
The Friends of Hopewell Furnace and the National Park Service invite the public to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence on July 4 at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. The formal commemoration ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. from the steps of the Ironmaster’s Mansion. Other programming will be offered throughout the day and is open and free to the public.
This year’s ceremony will include musical performances by Amelia Shelgren and Harper Willis and readings from this year’s Independence Day Writing Challenge winners. The ceremony will conclude with the public being invited to take part in a shared reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Throughout the day, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., a variety of programming will be offered on site, including aluminum casting demonstrations, fiber arts demonstrations, and more.
About Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Established as a National Historic Site on Aug. 3, 1938, Hopewell Furnace 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 U.S. The furnace company was established in 1771 by Ironmaster Mark Bird and operated as a furnace for the next 112 years.
The mission of the Friends of Hopewell Furnace is to support the preservation, maintenance, and activities of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.
The park’s facilities are open Wednesday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hopewell Furnace is located at 2 Mark Bird Ln., Elverson, about five miles south of Birdsboro, off Route 345. Admission to the park is free. For more information, call 610-582-8773 or visit the park’s website at nps.gov/hofu.
