Ironmasters Mansion and the Underground Railroad

This hostel was once the mansion occupied by the manager of the adjacent Pine Grove Ironworks. He also wanted to help slaves travel to freedom in the northern states. There are three false basements in addition to the large "official" basement. The house was built with many confusing corridors so if the men came looking for escaped slaves they would get turned around and miss the fact that the basement they searched was not the only one. There are two exterior walls with two round windows each, one wall is pictured here. There were no trees around the house at that time. Wood was used to make charcoal to feed the iron furnace operation, so the house was visible from a distance. The round windows were lit up at night to signal when it was safe for the escaped slaves to approach the house. This was a stop on the Underground Railroad".
Today, you can stay here and enjoy the adjacent State Park.