On Saturday, May 20, the heat is on in the Joanna Furnace Iron Works casting house where visitors will be able to watch the founders make actual castings from molten metal. The process used during the 106 years Joanna Furnace was in operation will be interpreted and demonstrated continuously.
The Blacksmith’s bellows will be creating a roaring hot fire in the hearth and he will be demonstrating the art and science of creating wrought iron products. Just follow the ringing sound of the blacksmith’s hammer hitting the anvil to find the Blacksmith Shop.
In the Open Fire Cooking Area, the historic foods interpreters will be demonstrating how early foods were prepared over open fires. Nearby, the bakers will be heating up the outdoor “beehive” oven and visitors will be able to see how bread was made in early days of the iron works community. There is nothing as welcoming as the aroma of just baked bread. Portions of the prepared foods and still-warm bread will be available to sample.
This May event also features the annual Joanna Furnace Iron Works Plant Sale which includes herbs, perennials and flowers that will certainly make a warm addition to anyone’s home or yard. Summer flowers, shrubs, hanging baskets, herbs, and decorative items for the home will be on sale.
Tour the historic four-square herb garden. Here visitors can learn about historic and contemporary uses of herbs for both cooking and medicinal purposes. Interpreters will highlight the herbs found within the garden that have special uses besides the usual inclusion in recipes. Visitors will learn how herbs can be used as insect repellents, plus natural fertilizers for the garden and companion plants.
Also, guided tours of the 200-year-old Joanna Furnace Iron Works complex will be available.
The monthly Joanna Furnace Breakfast Buffet will be served from 7 am to 11 am, $9 for adults, $4.50 for children aged 5 to 11. The breakfast menu includes bacon, scrapple, fresh country sausage, waffles with fruit topping, pancakes, scrambled eggs, dried beef gravy, toast, beverages and more.
The plant sale, flea market and historic site interpretations will run 9 am to 2 pm. Anyone interested in having a stand to sell plants or a flea market stand should contact the Hay Creek Office at 610-286-0388. The stand fee is $10, and stands are available on a first-come basis. Previous flea markets have included household, antique and vintage items, tools, books, children’s clothing, toys and more.
Each of the monthly Joanna Furnace Saturday events is designed to have visitors learn about different aspects of the furnace community’s history and its importance to 18th, 19th and early 20th-century life in the tri-county area.
The Hay Creek Valley Historical Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization dedicated to the preservation and education of America’s iron heritage. Net proceeds from this event support the research and restoration of Joanna Furnace, a regional historically significant charcoal-fueled iron furnace. To find out more information about any of the programs at Joanna Furnace can visit the Hay Creek Valley Historical Association website at www.haycreek.org or call 610-286-0388. The Historic Joanna Furnace Iron Works site is located three miles north of Morgantown, off route 10. Turn at Furnace Road. Admission and parking are free for these monthly Saturday events.
