The Historic Hope Furnace

The Hope Furnace was built by the Brown brothers and Stephen Hopkins. It was built in 1765, running in 1766 and it was sold in 1806. It was used to make cannons for the Revolutionary War. The furnace was located on the Pawtuxet River in Hope, Rhode Island and built into a hill.

The Brown brothers and Stephen Hopkins bought two acres of land for $100. The Brown brothers built and named the Hope Furnace. They named it the Hope Furnace after their mother Hope Power Brown.

When the furnace stopped the production of pig iron, they began casting guns and cannons. They used iron to make the weapons for the Revolutionary War. At that time, the Hope Furnace was very helpful because it made guns and cannons used by the people that had to fight in the war. There were 76 cannons made by the Hope Furnace. One of those historic cannons is on a memorial in front of the Hope Public Library today.

In 1806 the Hope Furnace was in debt and auctioned off. It sold for $7000 to the owner of the Hope Cotton Manufacturing Company. He built a cotton mill on that site.

The cannon ball soldered in the cannon opening is also from Hope Furnace.

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© 2017 Paula DiLuglio