Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Pennsylvania

Hopewell Furnace was in operation from 1771-1883 as an iron plantation. The Federal Government acquired the property in 1935. The restored buildings include a blast furnace, the ironmaster's house and auxiliary structures including a blacksmith's shop, a company store and several worker's houses. The site's most prosperous time was during the 1820–1840 period with a brief boom in production during the American Civil War. In the mid-19th century, changes were made in iron making including a shift from charcoal to anthracite. This change rendered smaller furnaces like Hopewell obsolete. Owen liked seeing the huge water wheel and bellows.