The National Park Service will celebrate an “Iron Plantation Christmas” and stroll through the historic village at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Union Township on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
Visitors will get a look at Christmas as celebrated during the 19th century at Hopewell Furnace. The program will be presented rain or shine.
Visitors will find that Christmas was a workday in the early 19th century. The moulders will be in the Cast House and the blacksmiths will be clanging away. Visitors will be able to discover the customs, foods, and traditions of the holiday season from an early American perspective.
The Berks and Chester County Master Gardeners will guide visitors in making holiday ornaments out of greens and other natural sprigs as a memento of their visit. Visitors will meet Der Belsnickel, a mischievous version of Santa Claus who rewards good children with treats.
Masks are required for everyone over the age of 2, regardless of vaccination status, in all National Park Service buildings and crowded outdoor spaces.
Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site 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 park’s facilities are currently open daily Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Hopewell Furnace is located at 2 Mark Bird Lane, about 5 miles south of Birdsboro, off Route 345. For more information, call 610-582-8773 or visit the park website at www.nps.gov/hofu.