Getaway idea: Pennsylvania's Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site
Located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Hopewell Furnace national historic site showcases an early American industrial landscape.
Operating from 1771-1883, Hopewell and other "iron plantations" laid the foundation for the transformation of the United States into an industrial giant. The park's 848 acres and historic structures illustrate the business, technology and lifestyle of our growing nation.
Hopewell is best known for the cast iron Hopewell Stove, which was a huge financial and cultural success. In 1839 alone, Hopewell produced more than 5,000 of them. The stove allowed women more time out of the kitchen to pursue other activities. It demanded much less attention than the open hearth fireplaces that preceded them and their cleanliness reduced housecleaning time.
This destination comes from the National Park Getaways series, which helps people find new places to reconnect with nature, history, family and friends.
Each Wednesday, the National Park Service posts a new getaway idea on its website, nps.gov/getaways. There's a new park idea every week and most of the activities listed are free, so they're good, budget-friendly vacation options.