Our 20th Anniversary….
2016 is the 20th Anniversary of the founding of the Friends of Beckley Furnace, and of the Preservation of the Furnace.
In this special year:
During this year, we’ll be sharing with you photos and other artifacts from Beckley’s past, as well as those relating to the preservation efforts themselves. We’ll bring you recollections of those who were most closely involved in saving this structure — and the whole Beckley complex — from the effects of the passage of time. We have a few special projects in the works as well, including events you’ll want to attend.
You’ll see more here soon about these activities, so come back often!
But we’ll keep doing:
Of course, during the year we’ll continue to do what we do all the time and have done for the past 20 years:
–Offer our summer Saturday guided tours.
–Welcome visiting school groups, historical societies, and other groups with presentations and tours targeted to their interests.
–Add resources to this website about the history of Beckley Furnace, the iron industry, and our place in the world of the Upper Housatonic Valley and the world.
–Research our site and our area to learn more about how iron was made here — and what else went on here as well.
–Support initiatives in teacher education.
–Create media, especially video, to make the history clearer and easier to understand.
–Collaborate with other organizations, like the Falls Village/Canaan Historical Society, the Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, the Salisbury Association, and a host of others.