French Creek State Park - History

History

The land in and surrounding French Creek State Park was once dominated by old-growth forests of American chestnut. These trees were cleared, beginning in 1771, and used to make charcoal to feed the iron furnace at nearby Hopewell Furnace. The forests were allowed to regrow and were cleared again approximately every twenty-five years. The furnace was in operation for 112 years until 1883. The damage caused by the colliers had a long-lasting effect on the ecology of this section of southeastern Pennsylvania. The thickly wooded hillsides that once provided a habitat for a wide variety of woodland creatures were stripped bare. But the forest slowly began to grow back.

The second growth forests that stand today at French Creek State Park are made up of a mixture of oak, maple and other mostly hardwood trees. The land was reclaimed by the efforts of the young men of the Civilian Conservation Corps created during the Great Depression by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to offset unemployment. The CCC worked to clear the forests and streams of brush. They also built many of the facilities still in use today at the park, including several tent camping areas, two small dams and lakes, two group camps, picnic areas, and extensive roads and trails throughout the park. They also began the restoration of the historic Hopewell Furnace.