{"id":538,"date":"2016-08-11T00:00:49","date_gmt":"2016-08-11T04:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/usparks\/?p=538"},"modified":"2016-08-10T15:29:54","modified_gmt":"2016-08-10T19:29:54","slug":"hopewell-furnace-national-historic-site","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsinteractive.post-gazette.com\/usparks\/hopewell-furnace-national-historic-site\/","title":{"rendered":"Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site"},"content":{"rendered":"

T<\/span>he history book explanation of American independence describes a tyrannical king abusing peaceful colonists who eventually picked up pitchforks and firearms and won their freedom.<\/p>\n

The books don\u2019t always get it right.<\/p>\n

In Berks County, between Reading and Philadelphia, a different kind of national park shows a side of history that is too important to remain overlooked.<\/p>\n

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is a partially restored factory center where natural resources were harvested, turned into iron and shipped to points in North America, Britain, the European continent and around the world. Industrialists including the Hopewell furnace master were among the first to question their continuing need for Britain. They were the backers of the American Revolution and, for a time, the people who benefited most from it.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the biggest questions we get at the front door is, \u2018We saw the sign on the turnpike. What is this place?\u2019 \u201d said park ranger Norman Feil. \u201cIt\u2019s not listed in most history books. We tell them, then show them about the early industrialization that occurred here and they say they\u2019re fascinated by the story. They didn\u2019t know this happened in our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hopewell <\/a>
Hopewell National Historic Site <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"Hopewell <\/a>
Hopewell Water Wheel (Photo by Scott D. Welch) <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

For hundreds of years, the British economic model was to establish colonies where raw materials could be collected, shipped to England, refined into products and sold back to the colonists at a significant profit for British companies. After 150 years, structural and economic infrastructure in North America had grown stable and mature enough to support international trade without the need for a British middleman.<\/p>\n

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Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site<\/h2>\n

2 Mark Bird Lane, Elverson, PA 19520<\/p>\n

1-610-582-8773<\/p>\n

Official website<\/a><\/p>\n