Iron & Steel Heritage Sites in the Middle Schuylkill Highlands
The American Helicopter Museum and Education Center, located in the land of industry
innovators in the Philadelphia region, is the nation’s premier aviation museum
devoted exclusively to helicopters.
Located in West Vincent Township, Birchrunville and the surrounding countryside
lay along the path Washington used to march his troops to Valley Forge, where the
army spent the brutal winter of 1777-78.
Birdsboro was named for ironmaker William Bird, who established a forge on Hay
Creek about 1740.
Consisting of 119 acres of wetlands, woodlands and meadows, Black Rock Sanctuary
is dedicated to wildlife habitat and public use.
Constructed circa 1740 with upgrades circa 1840 and 1902, the old Woolen Mill
adjacent to Charlestown Road in Charlestown Village has been a land mark for many
years.
As one of three original counties founded by William Penn in 1682, Chester County
enjoys a rich and vitally important role in the development of this country.
Lost in the deep woods sheltering the Manatawny and Ironstone Creeks is a mythical
secret valley. Though today only white-tailed deer, great blue heron, and bald eagles
know the beauty of this legendary land, it was once the province of pioneers and patriots.
The historic powder mill was built in 1776, after there was a shortage of gun
powder by a proclamation of King George III, which stopped any exports of the powder
to America.The mill was established in a remote area, which is now Kimberton near
French Creek, and was designed to be able to produce two tons of powder per week.
Coventry Woods Park consists of 688 beautiful acres of mostly mature deciduous
forest and is located in rural western North Coventry Township, Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Whether your interests lie in fitness, relaxation, or nature study, Coventry Woods
offers opportunities for recreation and health.
Coventryville was founed in 1717 by Samuel Nutt. Coventry Forge was the first
iron forge in Chester County as a result of the areas rich deposits of iron and limestone.
Iron making continued at the site through the 19th century.
Crow's Nest Preserve is made up of 621 acres of woodlands, meadows, and crop
fields along French Creek.
Founded as Mary Ann Forge along the Brandywine Creek in Uwchlan Township, the
site became Dowlin Forge when John Dowlin purchased the land in 1801.
Downingtown’s origins are of a small village located midway between Philadelphia
and Lancaster. The village was first known as Milltown since it was the location of
the last mills on the edge of the unsettled western frontier. Thomas Moore erected
‘a water corn mill’ in 1716 and Roger Hunt established a gristmill in
1739.
East Nantmeal, Chester County, Pennsylvania, began when Welsh Quakers settled
in Nantmeal, or Nantmel, as first noted on County tax lists in 1717.
Originally part of West Nantmeal Township, early settlement in the area of present-day
Elverson responded to its situation along an established trade route from Lancaster
to the French Creek iron furnaces at a location where travelers had access to three
strong springs.
Land in the current hamlet of Ercildoun was first settled by Quaker farmers in the final years of the eighteenth century. In 1801 the current Fallowfield Friends Meeting House was built.
Originally part of Hopewell Furnace and other area iron plantations, today French Creek State Park is an oasis for people and wildlife.
Fricks Locks Village began as a family farm. When the Schuylkill Naviation
Company built ‘the locks’ a small village developed supported by the commerce
possible due to the canal traffic.
A 19th century iron plantation with over 900 acres, including the 90 acre Chambers
Lake, Hibernia features historic ruins along with the iron masters mansion redesigned
in the early 20th century to emulate a English county house.
Pottstown was laid out in 1752-53 and named in honor of its founder, John Potts.
The Society was organized in 1977 from a Bicentennial planning group. The Society
acquired the former Central Lutheran Church at Main & Church Streets in Phoenixville
in 1980. The Museum opened on November 1, 1980.
Located on the outskirts of Malvern, Historic Sugartown preserves the 19th-century
crossroads village of Sugartown. Originally called "Shugart's Town" after
tavern keeper Eli Shugart, Sugartown was a vital stop for weary travelers hauling
wagonloads of goods to the markets of Philadelphia and other parts of Chester County.
Historic Yellow Springs is a living village that spans almost 300 years of our
nation’s history and is steeped in such distinguished tradition and folklore
that it stirs the imagination of all who visit the property.
The last large, unbroken forest left in southeastern Pennsylvania, Hopewell Big
Woods is one of the most important natural areas in the region.
Hopewell Furnace showcases an early American industrial landscape from natural resource extraction to enlightened conservation.
The history of the Horse-Shoe Trail is closely related to the development of
the iron industry in this part of Pennsylvania during the 18th and 19th centuries.
The many furnaces and forges were connected by trails leading through the charcoal
forests between them. Portions of these trails have survived to become today’s
Horse-Shoe Trail.
The Iron and Steel Heritage Partnership (40 member organizations) was formed
to explore ways to implement the 2003 Iron and Steel Heritage Strategy.
Nestled in an area rich with iron ore, abundant woodland for charcoal, limestone,
and waterways to provide power, lies Joanna Furnace -- a historic remnant of Berks
County's thriving early iron industry.
A full service 18th century village located off Route 113, Kimberton Village
is home to the illustrious and historic Kimberton Waldorf School. The Kimberton Historic
District includes sixty-two buildings and two structures along three eighteenth and
nineteenth century roadways that helped to make the village a local education, market,
and transportation center.
In 1891 Col. Joseph D. Potts, the owner of Isabella Furnace, began building the chateau-like mansion, "Langoma" which he intended as a residence for himself and his son William. However, Col. Potts died in December 1893 and did not live to see it completed. William, his wife, and mother did move into "Langoma".
A fully restored, working lock on the Schuylkill Canal, originally built as part of the Schuylkill Navigation system, is demonstrated for groups and during special events.
Ludwig’s Corner, located in West Vincent Township, stands at the intersection
of Routes 100 and 401 which is known as the Conestoga Pike. This was the main path
of travel between Philadelphia and western towns and villages as far as Lancaster.
Marsh Creek State Park is in the rolling hills of north central Chester County.
The 1,727-acre park contains the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake, which is a wonderful resource
for fishing, sailing and migrating waterfowl.
The village of Marshallton, originally a Quaker settlement, was first settled
in the 1760s. Primarily an agricultural community, the settlement flourished as a
crossroad village due to its proximity to Strasburg Road and nearby waterways.
Morgantown was named after Colonel Jacob Morgan, who laid out the town around
1770. His father, Thomas, had been a native of Wales, a captain in the French and
Indian War, and owner of a large tract of choice land in Caernarvon Township.
Morlatton Village represents pieces of an early Swedish Settlement begun in the
early 1700’s, when Berks County was still the frontier. Structures constructed
slightly later in the 1760’s also comprise the village.
The hamlet of Mortonville was founded between 1767 and 1772 by Thomas Hayes, who erected a grist mill and sawmill where the Strasburg Road crossed the Brandywine Creek, on the east bank.
With its beginnings in the early 19th century, the iron and steel industry played
a key role in transforming both Pennsylvania and the nation. Coatesville, Pennsylvania
is central to this important story. It was here, in 1825, that a female entrepreneur
named Rebecca Lukens began managing the mill and created a successful iron-making
operation on the Brandywine River.
Revolutionary War Battle site which pitted nearly 4,000 of the best British and
American soldiers in a midnight raid where Redcoat atrocities named it the “Paoli
Massacre”.
Originally called Manavon, Phoenixville was settled in 1732 and incorporated
as a borough in 1849. In its industrial heyday early in the twentieth century, it
was an important manufacturing center and it was the site of great iron and steel
mills such as the Phoenix Iron Works.
In 1715, Thomas Rutter purchased land where he would build his first forge, on
or near the present campus of Pine Forge Academy.
Pottsgrove Manor exemplifies the restrained elegance of early Georgian architecture
popular with wealthy English gentry during the mid-18th century. Built in 1752 for
John Potts, ironmaster and founder of Pottstown, the mansion was situated on a nearly
1,000 acre plantation, which by 1762 included the town of "Pottsgrove."
A forge for refining pig iron was also located on the original property.
Rapp’s Dam Covered Bridge crosses the French Creek on Rapps Dam Road between
Routes 113 and 23 in East Pikeland Township. This bridge was constructed in 1866 by
Benjamin F. Hartman and is one of 15 surviving covered bridges in Chester County.
Learn about the role the Schuylkill River region played in three revolutions:
the American, Industrial and Environmental.
From Valley Forge National Park to the historic City of Reading, the 929,057 acre
Schuylkill Highlands of southeastern Pennsylvania and the Schuylkill River watershed
comprise a special area of historical, natural, recreational and economic importance!
The Schuylkill River Heritage Center, which sits on the site of the former Phoenix
Iron and Steel Company, is a unique, interpretive way to experience the pictures and
pieces of the past to give a better understanding of Phoenixville’s Iron and
Steel legacy and its place in the Schuylkill River’s history.
With the 128-mile Schuylkill River as its spine, our Schuylkill River National
and State Heritage Area is alive with a remarkable diversity of historic, recreational
and cultural attractions.
Built in 1850, the Sheeder-Hall Covered Bridge is the oldest standing covered
bridge in Chester County.
This historic industrial town is situated on the Schuylkill River, directly across from the town of Royersford. With the opening of the Schuylkill Navigation Canal in 1824 the town grew dramatically in size and population.
With the growth of transportation and commerce along the Schuylkill River, new industries grew in the riverside towns. The Spring-Ford Area Historical Society examines the history of two of those communities: Spring City and Royersford.
Within Springton’s historic landscape of fenced fields, stone walls and misty morning vistas is a preserved patchwork of colonial plantation, Industrial Revolution era scientific farm, Victorian tenant farm, and gentleman’s country estate.
Nestled among many acres of quiet forest Saint Peters Village is home to historic
residences and quaint shops and restaurants. This former company town has not changed
much since the late 19th century, when they provided housing for the workers of the
region's now-silent iron mines and granite quarries.
Struble Trail, with 2.6 miles currently open, follows the east branch of the
Brandywine Creek as it flows towards Downingtown.
Nestled along the Pickering Creek in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, The Mill
at Anselma is an extraordinary artifact of 250 years of Chester County’s industrial
heritage.
Fricks Locks Village began as a family farm. When the Schuylkill Naviation
Company built ‘the locks’ a small village developed supported by the commerce
possible due to the canal traffic.
Valley Forge was the site of the 1777-78 winter encampment of the Continental Army.
The park commemorates the sacrifices and perseverance of the Revolutionary War generation
and honors the ability of citizens to pull together and overcome adversity during
extraordinary times.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Warwick’s woodlands provided much of the
raw timber used to make charcoal for the region’s iron furnaces and forges.
Remains of the iron industry can still be seen at various charcoal hearths along old
cart paths and trails.
The historic 553-acre Warwick Furnace Farm along the South Branch of French Creek
in Warwick and East Nantmeal townships is home to a 108-acre nature preserve.
Welkinweir is a 197-acre oasis of natural beauty located in the pastoral heart
of northern Chester County. The former estate features a 55-acre arboretum, historic
estate house, and ecologically diverse woodland, wetland, and meadow habitats.
Pine Creek Park at 1488 Yellow Springs Road is a community park
open to all. It encompasses 70 acres where you find a playground, nature trails,
a creek and sports fields that support the youth of the area.
