I am not sure of the amount of literature regarding the actual archaeology
of the US National Park Historic Site (was/is an active interpretative park,
great cucumber salad) the Hopewell Village Foundry which I once excavated
with them, in the Ironmasters House, and there is literature published about
it. It's significance is that the owner supplied cannon and supplies to
Generals Washington and Von Steuben at Valley Forge,PA and he also mustered
his own small regiment to serve there. The company store was in operation
while I was there and stove molds were cast in aluminum on Sundays for the
tourists from the original patterns from the 1840's as that stove, a box
stove, became popular. A wonderful example of a casting floor and operating
double barrel bellows is there along with foundry "stumps" from a previous
furnace(s) and charcoal production for founding is reenacted. They may also
may be able to provide links to other research as foundries such as this
once dotted the eastern Pennsylvania landscape. Also in a nearby "hillside"
barn is a great collection of carriages, including an original Conestoga
wagon developed in PA, if my memory serves me.


George Myers

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