NPS Photo The Civilian Conservation Corps at Hopewell Furnace National Historic SiteOn March 4, 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) was inaugurated as the 32nd President of the United States amidst the economic and social hardships of the Great Depression. Roosevelt combatted these hardships with a series of reforms, programs, and public works projects collectively known as the New Deal. These initiatives included policies to improve the lives of young males by employing them in conservation projects across the country. On April 5, 1933, Roosevelt signed an executive order to create the Emergency Conservation Work Program (ECW). Renamed the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1937, enrollees worked to rehabilitate land at farms, forests, and parks. Starting in 1934, CCC Camp SP-7 and SP-17 developed French Creek Recreational Demonstration Area in southeastern Pennsylvania. This project led the National Park Service (NPS) to examine the historical significance of Hopewell Furnace. At the direction of the Federal government, the CCC began the process of reworking Hopewell into one of the earliest National Historic Sites administered by the NPS. After the CCC’s disbandment in 1942, the NPS continued to restore and reconstruct buildings. The legacy of the CCC, however, remains evident in the structures, trails, and roads of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site and French Creek State Park. New BeginningsIn 1883, after 112 years of iron production, the management at Hopewell Furnace permanently closed their business. Founded around 1771, Hopewell’s cold-blast furnace technology became obsolete by the late-nineteenth century. The mass production of steel was made possible with technological innovations such as the Bessemer process. As a result, iron furnaces in rural locations were replaced by steel factories in urban centers. This gradual transition between old and new methods of production closed the chapter on iron plantations in industrial history. In the years after Hopewell’s closure, the property and buildings remained in the family of successful ironmaster, Clement Brooke. The Brooke family owned the property for 135 years. After iron production ceased, the land was used for farming, charcoal making, and dairy production. By the 1930s, however, most of the buildings were in a state of disrepair. In addition, the Great Depression dealt a financial blow to the Brooke family. The condition of their property and financial problems gave them incentive to sell some of their assets. At the time of the Brooke family’s financial troubles, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was searching for land to purchase and restore into Recreational Demonstration Areas (RDA). The Federal government sought land they deemed unproductive. For example, the government purchased land that was damaged by over-cutting, mining, erosion, fires, and/or flood. The overall condition of the Brooke’s property made the land a prime candidate for an RDA. For more than 112 years, the land surrounding Hopewell Furnace was mined for iron ore and limestone. In addition, most of the soil was considered poor and the forests had been repeatedly cut for charcoal production. In August 1935, the Brooke family sold more than 4,200 acres to the Federal government. Additional purchases were made from neighboring landowners making the total amount of acquired land 6,200 acres. When the Federal government was purchasing property for RDAs, the National Park Service was expanding its mission to include development and management of historic sites. In 1930, George Washington Birthplace National Monument and Colonial National Monument were admitted into the NPS. Adding to this expansion, the War Department transferred over administration of their monuments, military parks, and national cemeteries. By 1935, the Historic Sites Act gave the NPS authority to develop additional national historic sites. Altogether, these administrative changes enabled NPS historians to consider Hopewell Furnace for inclusion in the National Park Service at the precise time the CCC was building French Recreational Demonstration Area. 
NPS Photo Camp SP-7 and SP-17The CCC was informally known as “Roosevelt’s Tree Army”. Indeed, CCC camps were structured like a military organization. In general, camps were comprised of 200 men. The government sought unmarried young males (ages 18-25) who lived in cities and had limited skills. In addition, veterans and skilled local workers were eligible to enroll. Once on the payroll, enrollees were urged to send funds home to their families. The typical morning started at 6am with the sound of reveille. The workday began at 8am and ended at 4pm. This routine took place five to six days per week depending on scheduling and circumstance. Dinner was at 5pm and workers were expected to wear a dress uniform. After the workday, enrollees could take education or vocational classes. Camps even had a site-specific newspaper. At Hopewell, the paper was called Hopewell Howl. Enrollees were instructed to be in bed by 10pm and a bed check was completed at 11pm every night. Managing the camp was a shared responsibility. An Army camp commander administered the physical camp. The park superintendent coordinated work assignments and schedules. Also present were a foreman, supervisors of various trades, historians, and archeologists. The workers would be tasked with constructing their barracks, mess hall, library, bath house, latrines, officers’ quarters, and utility buildings. Some of these buildings are still in existence. 
NPS Photo The first workers of Company 2213 arrived on December 10, 1934. The purchasing deal between the Federal government and the Brooke Family was not finished until 1935, but preliminary work could move forward. Camps were designated with the abbreviation “SP” for state park. 
NPS Photo Iron Making VillageHopewell Furnace was founded by wealthy Pennsylvanian entrepreneur, Mark Bird. Bird lost most of his wealth during the American Revolution. During the war, Bird had supplied cannons and shot to continental frigates. Nevertheless, he stretched his resources beyond his means. Bird fled Pennsylvania after the war to avoid debtors. The CCC enrollees knew about the connection of Hopewell Furnace and the American Revolution. In an issue of Hopewell Howl on June 29, 1936, the reporter writes:
NPS Photo The history of Hopewell interested at least some of the CCC members. Nevertheless, the profession of historic preservation was still in its infancy. Mistakes were made with early work including the regrading of ground, removal of artifacts from original buildings, and the use of slag piles for building materials. In addition, the CCC adapted the Office/Store for their headquarters and the Blacksmith Shop for a utility building. Some of the historic records stored in the Office/Store were even destroyed by the CCC before the National Park Service intervened and stop further destruction. 
NPS Photo NPS historians also misinterpreted the historic function of Hopewell by labeling it an iron making village. Throughout Hopewell’s operation, the management of the furnace company never referred to their business as a village. In actuality, the furnace was an industrial site located in a rural setting with multiple buildings to support employees and the business. In the 1930s, the historian’s interpretation might have stemmed from their enthusiasm for popular historic villages at the time such as Williamsburg, Virginia [Stanton, 86]. Despite a series of bad decisions, CCC workers and NPS historians accomplished important work. Research assistant, Jackson Kemper, conducted historical research and interviewed residents of the area. Documents were preserved and artifacts were put aside in a predetermined room in the Ironmaster’s Mansion. In addition, Kemper demonstrated the process of charcoal making with collier, Lafayette Houck. Workers stabilized structures such as the furnace stack. Route 345 was also constructed by the CCC and this greatly improved visitor access to the site. Lastly, the enrollees briefly assisted the NPS with archeological digs and the CCC’s architect prepared plans to restore the bake ovens. When Hopewell Furnace was designated as a historic site, CCC workers even acted as some of the first tour guides. Reportedly, the workers studied hard before the tours. In the Hopewell Howl, they lamented how difficult it was to get a college education in six months.
NPS Photo Productivity and DisbandmentThe original intention of the federal government was to create French Creek Recreational Demonstration Area. From the worker’s initial perspective, the goal of the projects was to create access for recreational use. Projects included latrines, trails, water fountains, parking lots, and camping areas. Construction of a dam in French Creek led to what is known as Hopewell Lake. In the present-day boundaries of the NPS, the CCC constructed Baptism Creek Picnic Area. In an article from the Hopewell Howl on August 8, 1936, the writer informs the reader of the picnic grounds status: “It is located in the National Hopewell Park area and is the first project to be opened for the use of the public. Sixty tables, numerous drinking fountains with water tapped from springs, a half a dozen stone fireplaces with plenty of wood for cooking, a half dozen bridges crossing the creek and a shelter to hold a hundred or more adds to the completeness of this new recreation grounds”. 
NPS Photo The writer is proud of the workers' accomplishments. Nevertheless, the number of workers waned over the years. In 1937, there were 121 people in Camp SP-7 and 138 in Camp SP-7/NP4. Camp SP-17 would shut down because of budget cuts in June of 1938. By 1941, there were only 96 CCC workers in the area. Ranks of enrollees were supplemented by workers from the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, Works Progress Administration, and Works Projects Administration. When the United States entered World War II in December 1941, Congress ended the CCC program. Camp SP-7/NP-4 was scheduled to leave in April, but some of the men remained to host sailors from the British battleship HMS Nelson. The camp area around Hopewell and French Creek continued to be used by the Navy throughout the war. In 1946, French Creek State Park was created when the Federal government gave most of the land and buildings in the area to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The historic industrial site and surrounding area, however, was retained by the National Park Service. 
NPS Photo ConclusionFrom 1934 to 1942, CCC projects made a lasting impact at Hopewell Furnace and the surrounding area. Decades after the CCC was disbanded, visitors who walk the trails may still see an old structure or water fountain in a seemingly random place. Since the 1930s, conservation methods have improved. The CCC’s legacy, however, persists in the park’s trails, roads, and structures. In an issue of the Reading Times dated August 1, 1938, an illustration comically portrays relatable aspects of visiting a park. The illustration’s headline declares, “KNOW YOUR COMMUNITY”. The illustrator saw parks as a place where people gather as part of a community. Parks remain an enduring place for communities to connect with recreational activities, nature, and history. |
Last updated: January 26, 2023