Book, program to highlight Hopewell’s 80th birthday
On Saturday, Aug. 4, in celebration of Hopewell Furnace’s 80th birthday, the leading expert on colonial iron making Daniel A. Graham will present an overview of the iron making that fueled the American Revolution and discuss his new book “Samuel Nutt and the French Creek IronWorks,” which has just been released by the Friends of Hopewell Furnace. The free program will begin at 1 p.m. in the Hopewell Furnace Visitor Center.
Following the program Mr. Graham will be available to sign copies of his works. “Samuel Nutt and the French Creek Iron-Works” along with “Mark Bird, Ironmaster and Patriot,” published by The Friends in 2016, are available for sale at Hopewell’s book store They are also on sale at Masthof Press Bookstore in Morgantown, the Iron and Steel Heritage Museum in Coatesville and on line at www.friendsofhopewellfurn.org.
The new 124-page book with color illustrations tells the history of Samuel Nutt, the first iron master in Chester County and the second in Pennsylvania who immigrated in 1714 and by 1720 was producing iron. He married Anna Savage Nutt who upon Samuel’s death became the first female industrialist in the American Colonies. Their story includes George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln’s ancestor Mordecai Lincoln.
Daniel A. Graham resides in Montrose, PA. He has published more than 50 works on the following subjects: Mark Bird (the founder of Hopewell Furnace), the Potts and Rutter families, forges and furnaces, Valley Forge, the American Revolutionary War, Valley Forge, Pottstown and Montgomery County.
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.
While at the park, visitors are encouraged to explore the landscape, 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. the park is located five miles south of Birdsboro, PA, off Route 345. For more information visit www. friends of hope well furn. org.