ELVERSON, PA — The ring of a blacksmith’s hammer, the warmth of an open hearth and the handiwork behind everything from candles to quilts will bring the past to life at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.
Living History Day on Sept. 26 will turn the historic area into a hands-on look at the people, trades, and routines that shaped the iron-making community during its heyday. Staff and volunteers dressed in historical attire will demonstrate the skills that kept daily life moving alongside the furnace’s industrial operations.
Visitors can watch spinning, blacksmithing, open-hearth cooking, candle making, dyeing, quilting, and historic letter writing. Baking demonstrations will take place in the bake oven, while hands-on activities will give guests opportunities to experience elements of the community for themselves.
The program will also introduce visitors to the newest members of Hopewell Furnace’s flock and explore the role animals played in supporting the community.
An aluminum molding and casting demonstration will shift the focus to the industry at the center of Hopewell, offering a glimpse of the kind of work that sustained the surrounding settlement.
Event Details
- What: Living History Day at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
- When: Saturday, September 26, 2026, from 11 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Where: Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, 2 Mark Bird Lane, Elverson, PA 19520
- Cost/Tickets: Free
- More Info: https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?id=65CE428A-B934-1035-B9B1E15BF0DAB628
Activities and demonstrations will be spread throughout the historic area, encouraging visitors to explore the site rather than experience Hopewell Furnace simply as an industrial landmark.
The furnace operated from 1771 to 1883, but Living History Day will focus on the broader community that grew around that work. Across the site’s historic structures and landscape, visitors can see how industry, technology and everyday life intersected in an early American iron-making community.
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