The National Park Service invites the public to celebrate the conservation of our nation’s natural and cultural heritage at its traditional “Fueling The Furnace” event on Saturday, Aug. 1, at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site.
At 11 a.m. park superintendent Kate Hammond will light the charcoal pile, assisted by the volunteer colliers.
Following the lighting visitors are invited to participate in a special scavenger hunt. There will be versions of the scavenger hunt for both adults and children. The hunt introduces participants to all the “fixing” the ingredients that went into the furnace in order to produce iron.
In honor of the National Park Service’s 100th birthday in 2016, each completed scavenger hunt will earn the visitor a Centennial souvenir.
Activities will also include children’s games as well as time to “Pound Sand” with Hopewell’s iron moulders.
“Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is the only place in America where real charcoal is made on a regular basis. This is genuine charcoal, not the chemical bricks that are at the super market.
Demonstrating the historic craft of converting wood into charcoal will be Hopewell’s corps of volunteer colliers. At least twice each year, these volunteers spend several days building, lighting, and tending the “pile” before finally raking out the resultant charcoal of the “burn.” This will be the second burn of the year.