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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Union Township near Elverson in Berks County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

Headraces

Powering the water wheel

 
 
Headraces Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
1. Headraces Marker
Inscription.
Ahead of you is a large wooden trough called a flume, part of the west headrace. Water from surrounding Hopewell land flowed down this flume and spilled into buckets on the water wheel, providing a reliable source of water to power the blast machinery.
 
Erected by National Park Service.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & CommerceNatural ResourcesWaterways & Vessels.
 
Location. 40° 12.331′ N, 75° 46.455′ W. Marker is near Elverson, Pennsylvania, in Berks County. It is in Union Township. Marker can be reached from Mark Bird Lane. Marker is under the covered walkway between the cooling shed and the furnace on the grounds of Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, off Shed Road (Pennsylvania Route 345). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 50 Mark Bird Ln, Elverson PA 19520, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Cooling Shed (within shouting distance of this marker); Anthracite Furnace (within shouting distance of this marker); Charcoal Kilns (within shouting distance of this marker); Charcoal Pit (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Ironmaster's Garden
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(about 300 feet away); Warwick Furnace (approx. 3.1 miles away); Colonel Thomas Bull (approx. 3.9 miles away); Swedish Pioneers (approx. 4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Elverson.
 
Also see . . .  Hopewell Furnace. (Submitted on November 3, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.)
 
Headraces Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
2. Headraces Marker
Looking SSE toward blast furnace.
Headraces Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
3. Headraces Marker
Looking NNW toward cooling shed.
Lake Photo on Headraces Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
4. Lake Photo on Headraces Marker
"Water from Hopewell Lake and adjacent creeks supplied power to turn Hopewell's water wheel."
Map on Headraces Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
5. Map on Headraces Marker
"The one-mile-long east headrace originated in the Baptism Creek area and runs through the ironmaster's garden. The tailrace carried water away from the water wheel into French Creek."
Headrace image. Click for full size.
Photographed By William Fischer, Jr., July 4, 2009
6. Headrace
The remnants of the headrace can be seen to the left of the garden.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 695 times since then and 6 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on November 3, 2009, by William Fischer, Jr. of Scranton, Pennsylvania.

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Mar. 28, 2024