Why is Hopewell Furnace sometimes called an “iron plantation”?
Like the better known agricultural plantations in the American south, these early industrial enterprises were typically isolated, largely self-sufficient communities centered around the production of iron as its saleable product. Furnace owners built dwellings, stores and other structures not normally required of a business, to provide for their workers’ daily needs. Though built on different social and economic foundations from their southern counterparts, there were parallels in size, rural setting and concentration on one product.
