Hopewell Furnace Spring House - Elverson, PA - Spring Houses on Waymarking.com

I was completing an Earthcache and stumbled onto this spring house. This is the very first spring house I have ever visited or scene (at least as far as I can remember) Of all the spring houses I have seen, this is largest and most complex because of the sheer number of people it serviced (I surmised).

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site is one of the finest examples of a rural American 19th century iron plantation. The buildings also include a blast furnace, the ironmaster's mansion, and auxiliary structures. Hopewell Furnace was founded in 1771 by Ironmaster Mark Bird. The furnace operated until 1883.

Way back, when the agrarian lifestyle was still our cultural mainstay, people needed a way to collect fresh water and keep it cold. If you ever wondered how that was accomplished, this is it. This house was built over a spring. Its "basement" or foundation was sunk deep enough to have it submerged within the spring itself. This spring house kept the workers and residents hydrated and healthy. In addition to providing clean drinking water, the spring house also served as a laundry where clothes were washed. Containers of food, milk and butter would last longer when put in the cold spring water so they were stored here as well. The fireplace in the spring house was used to melt down fat or lard for making soap. In the autumn, bubbling kettles of apple butter drew crowds of folk after work to this location, much like a local tap room does for its local denizens today.

Although I listened to the recordings to gather my facts and information concerning this waymark, this SITE has a virtual representation of what is offered at the actual site.

Photos courtesy of ChStress53