Collier’s hut built by the National Park Service at Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site

Historical Furnace Village Main Page

A collier is a person who makes charcoal, and when doing so he may have a half dozen or so charcoal-producing chimneys, called stacks, going at the same time in his charcoal pit. The stacks require tending at least every three hours, so he had to live at the charcoal pit, typically in a quickly-built hut, during the entire two weeks it took to make a batch. The charcoal-making process removes water and other impurities from the wood, which allows the charcoal to burn hot enough to melt the iron ore. Burning raw wood does not produce the necessary heat.

A short ways down the path to the right of the Charcoal House, the first building you see when leaving the Visitor Center to explore the furnace property, is a charcoal pit created by the National Park Service. Each year in May, park volunteers spend seven days making a batch of charcoal. In fact, all the charcoal now in the Charcoal House was made at the park. See the National Park Service’s official Calendar web page for a schedule of the charcoal-making demonstration and other events in the park.