Theodore Perotti, a promising local filmmaker, has just provided us with a great new video he made introducing people to Beckley Furnace. Take a look!
In this video you will see some of our most knowledgeable people giving you a glimpse into how Beckley Furnace worked. You’ll learn a little bit of history, a little bit of chemistry, and a little about the Beckley Furnace site itself.
(Special thanks to Ted, of course! And thanks as well to Dick Paddock and Ed Kirby, whom you’ll see in the video.)
We at Beckley Furnace traditionally provide Summer Saturday guides from Memorial Day weekend until Columbus Day weekend, and we’re doing it again this year. Here are the details:
WHEN: Saturdays beginning at 10 AM, ending at 2 PM. Guides generally leave promptly at 2 PM, so come a bit earlier if you think you’ll have questions.
WHERE: You’ll dependably find our guides in the area in front of the furnace. Depending on the day, you may also find a guide in the office building, but try the furnace area first.
WHO: Our guides are members of the board of directors of the Friends of Beckley Furnace, the not for profit organization that researches, restores, and interprets Beckley Furnace. All are knowledgeable; some are regionally and even nationally recognized as experts in the field.
WHAT: Basically, we’re here to help. Some people like to conduct self-guided tours, using the signage we’ve prepared. Others like to be shown around by a guide. Still others like to look around and then engage one or more of the guides in discussion of particular aspects of the furnace or the historic iron industry of the Upper Housatonic Valley. It’s your choice!
HOW MUCH does this cost? NOTHING. It’s free! No admission charge, no charge for the guide.
So, we hope you’ll come see us one Saturday this summer. You can find a map and driving directions HERE.
Usually you’ll find the guides somewhere in this area.
We’ll be the first to admit that February is the earliest we can remember having a first school visit of the year here at Beckley Furnace, but we did that today!
The third grade of Salisbury Central School joined us — despite temps in the 20s — for a bit over an hour of exploration of the furnace and environs as well as discussion of the process of making iron here at Beckley Furnace. On hand were four experienced leaders: Ed Kirby, Cliff Waldow, Dick Paddock, and Geoff Brown, and, as well as the teachers, the SCS contingent was accompanied by Lou Buccieri.
The kids split into two groups of around 15 each, and while one group learned about what goes into making
One of the groups viewing the photos this morning….
iron (ore, limestone, charcoal), and what comes out (pig iron and slag — more about slag later) and went to visit the new hydraulic turbine exhibit, the other group learned about the iron industry in the tri-state area and viewed real photos of iron workers, furnaces, and mines as they appeared in the old days, and then had a hands-on tour of the furnace itself. Then the two groups changed places and we repeated the program for them.
Sadly, the weather had left us with about an inch of snow on the slag pile — always a highlight of school visits (and, in fact, most visits) — that made looking for slag samples to take home something we were able to leave out, especially since the open face of the slag heap faces north. The teachers tell us that the kids will view the video about slag when they get back to school, and many of the kids told us that they planned to bring their parents and siblings back for a visit to Beckley when the weather is a little better.
