Hopewell Furnace Site Manager David Blackburn will present an overview of the National Park System in the 21st Century on Sunday, July 9. The free program will begin at 2 p.m. in the park’s conference center.
The National Park System includes all properties managed by the National Park Service such as Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site and other related landscapes such as Wild and Scenic Rivers and National Heritage Areas such as the Schuylkill River National Heritage Area. The title or designation of a unit need not include the term park; indeed, most do not. The System as a whole is considered to be a national treasure of the United States.
Appointed Site Manager of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in November of 2015, David Blackburn has toured and worked at a variety of areas within the National Park System including Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, Harry S. Truman National Historic Site in Missouri, the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island National Monument in New York, John Muir National Historic Site, Eugene O’Neill National Historic Site, Rosie the Riveter/World War II Home Front National Historical Park and the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial in California. Before arriving at Hopewell Furnace, he served as a site manager at Lowell National Historical Park.
Established in 1994, the Friends of Hopewell Furnace is the official non-profit fundraising arm of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. A 501(c)3 citizen organization, its mission is to support the preservation, maintenance and programs of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site. Donations to the Friends may be tax deductible according to the rules set by the Internal Revenue Service. For more information visit the Friends web site at www.friendsofhopewellfurn.org.
While at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site visitors are encouraged to go into the village, tour the buildings and learn about iron making and why Hopewell Furnace is important to our nation’s history. Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (now seven days a week thru October), the park 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.
