What is Baptism Creek National Recreation Trail? Noted landscape architect Robert (Bob) Folwell will introduce this nationally significant trail at Hopewell Furnace on Sunday, April 13. Sponsored by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace, the free program which will include a mile hike will begin at 2:00 p.m. at the Baptism Creek Parking lot on Hopewell Road across from the park’s main entrance.
Baptism Creek National Recreation Trail is just under a mile long and is a segment of the 37.8 mile trail system that winds through Hopewell Furnace and French Creek State Park. The trail features Hopewell Furnace’s East Race-an engineering marvel constructed to bring water from a mile and a half away to run the furnace’s water wheel. Other features include archeological ruins of furnace worker housing and Bethesda Baptist Church, the oldest building in the park.
Bob Folwell holds two Landscape Architecture degrees from Penn State University and worked as a landscaper, landscape designer, carpenter, graphic artist, and a planning technician for the Centre County Planning Commission before securing the Capital Projects Coordinator position with the Chester County Parks and Recreation Department. After serving 23 years as their Project Manager, a position that included planning, grant writing, engineering, property acquisition, and landscape architecture disciplines, he took a similar position at the Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area. It is in this capacity that he has produced new interpretive signage along the Baptism Creek National Recreation Trail.
While at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site visitors are encouraged to go into the village, tour the buildings and learn about the iron making industry and why Hopewell Furnace is important to our nation’s history. With grounds accessible on Mondays and Tuesdays, the park is fully open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday thru Sunday and is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off of Route 345. For more information stop by the park’s visitor center, call 610-582-8773, visit the park’s web site at www.nps.gov/hofu, or contact the park by e-mail at hofu_superintendent@nps.gov.
From Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
