Charming Forge, located along the Tulpehocken Creek a few miles northeast of Womelsdorf, is one of the most historically significant early industrial sites in Berks County. Its story spans nearly a century and a half of iron production and reflects the development of Pennsylvania's colonial and early American iron industry, the growth of rural manufacturing communities, the use of water power, the expansion of transportation networks, and the labor of skilled workers, indentured servants, prisoners of war, and enslaved people.

The site began in 1749 and remained active in iron production until the late 19th century. Over time, it developed from a relatively simple hammer forge into a much larger industrial and agricultural complex that included a mansion, mills, workers' housing, barns, shops, roads, farmland, and other supporting structures.

The Founding of Tulpehocken Eisenhammer

Charming Forge began in 1749, when hammer-smith John George Nikoll and Michael Miller established an iron forge on land owned by Miller along the Tulpehocken Creek. The original name of the operation was Tulpehocken Eisenhammer, essentially meaning the Tulpehocken iron hammer or hammer forge.

The location was selected because the creek could provide the water power needed to operate forge machinery. A dam was built across the stream, a race was dug to carry water to the works, machinery was installed, and charcoal was produced from timber in the surrounding countryside. From this beginning, iron manufacturing continued at the site with little interruption for almost 150 years.

At the time the forge was founded, Berks County did not yet exist. The area was then part of Lancaster County. Berks County was created in 1752 from portions of Lancaster, Chester, and Philadelphia Counties.

Why the Location Was Important

Early ironmaking depended heavily on local natural resources. A forge required access to water power, timber for charcoal, iron ore or pig iron from nearby furnaces, limestone, farmland, animal feed, and roads for transportation.

The Tulpehocken Valley provided many of these necessities. Water powered the forge hammers and other machinery. Forests supplied fuel in the form of charcoal. Farms supplied food for workers and animals. The location also allowed iron to be transported to Reading, Lancaster, Philadelphia, and other markets. Historical studies of Charming Forge emphasize that transportation in the 18th and early 19th centuries was often difficult because roads were poor — the records even mention workers being unable to haul goods because of rain or bad road conditions.

Henry William Stiegel and Charming Forge

By the early 1760s, the forge had become associated with Henry William Stiegel, one of Pennsylvania's best-known colonial ironmasters and glassmakers. Stiegel was born in Cologne in 1729 and immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1750. He became involved in the operation of Elizabeth Furnace and later became known for both iron manufacturing and decorative glass production.

At Charming Forge, Stiegel operated in partnership with Philadelphia merchants Charles and Alexander Stedman. Surviving ledgers from 1763 to 1767 show that Stiegel held a one-half interest in the operation and that profits and losses were divided between him and the Stedmans. Early Berks County historical accounts credit Stiegel with giving the property the name Charming Forge.

The Charming Forge Ledgers

One of the most valuable sources for understanding Charming Forge is the surviving collection of operating ledgers and account books. A 1974 study noted that the Historical Society of Berks County held 22 operating record books associated with the forge, with additional records held elsewhere. The oldest ledger discussed in that study covers February 12, 1763 through February 28, 1767.

The books provide detailed information about how the operation functioned, with accounts for forge charges, smith shop expenses, pig iron, bar iron, cordwood, charcoal, hauling, team expenses, the sawmill, plantation and meadow operations, the stable, household charges, rum and liquor, Elizabeth Furnace, and even voyages to London.

The books were kept in pounds, shillings, and pence, and were reviewed and signed by the partners, including Henry William Stiegel and the Stedman brothers. These records show that Charming Forge was much more than a single forge building — it was a large business operation involving manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, animal care, fuel production, and regional trade.

Pig Iron and Bar Iron Production

Charming Forge primarily processed pig iron into bar iron. Pig iron was brought to the forge, particularly from Elizabeth Furnace, and reheated. It was then repeatedly hammered and worked into more useful wrought forms described in the records as bar iron and anconies.

Finished iron was transported by wagon to Reading, Lancaster, Philadelphia, and other locations.

George Ege Takes Control

Henry William Stiegel eventually suffered severe financial difficulties. His interest in Charming Forge was sold at sheriff's sale in 1773 to Lancaster merchant Paul Zenzinger, who transferred that interest in 1774 to George Ege, an experienced ironmaster from York County.

Ege became one of the most important figures in the history of Charming Forge. He constructed a slitting mill in 1775 and later secured full ownership of the property by purchasing the Stedman interest. Under Ege, Charming Forge expanded into a much larger ironmaking and agricultural estate.

George Ege's Expanding Iron Interests

Ege became one of the major ironmasters and landowners in Berks County. Historical accounts indicate that by 1804 he controlled Charming Forge, Schuylkill Forge, and Reading Furnace, along with approximately 16,000 acres of land — much of it supplying timber for charcoal production. Charming Forge became an important center of business and industry in western Berks County.

The Mansion

During George Ege's ownership, the large stone mansion that still defines the site was constructed. Historical accounts describe it as a substantial Georgian residence containing large rooms, broad halls, large fireplaces, ornate architectural carvings, a staircase extending through four levels, large family bedrooms, smaller rooms for servants, basement storage spaces, a wine cellar, potato bins, and cooling storage areas.

The mansion served as the residence of the ironmaster and became the principal domestic building on the estate.

The Revolutionary War and Hessian Prisoners

Charming Forge was also directly connected with the Revolutionary War period. In 1777, Pennsylvania authorities allowed Hessian prisoners of war being held in Reading and Lancaster to be employed for labor. George Ege obtained the labor of 34 Hessian prisoners, who were used to cut a channel through approximately 250 feet of rock to provide water power for the industrial works. Historical accounts state that Ege paid Congress about £1,020 for this labor. The prisoners were reportedly housed in the mansion complex.

Charming Forge and the Continental Army

The forge's production also became connected with the Revolutionary War economy. Historical accounts state that iron products from Charming Forge reached George Washington's army, and a more recent study also discusses Charming Forge production as contributing military supplies during the Revolutionary period.

A Large Industrial Community

Charming Forge gradually developed into an entire industrial village. Historical descriptions identify numerous structures associated with the property, including the mansion, forge office, working farm, carriage house, mule barn, barn complex, wash house, summer kitchen, smokehouse, spring house, blacksmith or smith building, boarding house, and workers' cottages. One later account describes approximately 15 workers' cottages as part of the village.

The property functioned much like a small company town. People lived, worked, farmed, transported materials, maintained equipment, cared for animals, and supported the iron operation within the larger estate.

The Workforce

The Charming Forge ledgers preserve the names and occupations of many workers, including hammermen, blacksmiths, carters, teamsters, woodcutters, colliers, servants, farm workers, smith-shop workers, and haulers. Many individuals performed more than one job — some cut wood, produced charcoal, and also transported materials. By 1805, about 25 people were identified as hauling goods connected with the forge, making teamsters and haulers one of the largest occupational groups.

Charcoal Production

Before anthracite coal became widely used in ironmaking, charcoal was the principal fuel, requiring tremendous quantities of wood. In 1805, Charming Forge workers cut more than 2,800 cords of wood. The timber was seasoned and stacked into large mounds; colliers covered the piles with dirt and leaves and controlled the burn so the wood would convert into charcoal rather than burn to ash. The records suggest Charming Forge produced between 98,000 and 113,000 bushels of charcoal in 1805.

Enslaved and Indentured Labor

The labor history of Charming Forge is an important part of its story. The early 1763–1767 ledger refers to workers identified as Negro Cyrus, Negro Samba, and Indian Joe. The 1974 researcher studying the ledger noted that the records themselves did not identify those three individuals as slaves and that each had individual accounts. The forge also used indentured labor, which is directly documented in the surviving books.

Later records clearly show that enslaved people were part of the Charming Forge community. The 1800 Berks County Septennial Census listed seven people enslaved by George Ege: Timothy, Philip, James, Robert, Ben, Giff, and Dina. A 2023 study based on Berks History Center records states that approximately 20 enslaved people and their families were connected with the Charming Forge property over time.

Pennsylvania's Gradual Abolition Act of 1780 began the long process of ending slavery in the state, but it did not immediately free everyone already enslaved.

Charming Forge in 1805

A detailed historical study of Charming Forge in 1805 shows that the operation had become unusually large and diversified. The site included traditional forge work along with slitting and plating operations — approximately 63 tons of iron produced under the slitting mill account, and nearly 174 tons of bar iron, that year. The operation represented an iron industry in transition from smaller 18th-century forge production toward a more concentrated manufacturing system.

The Grist Mill

George Ege continued to develop the property. In 1817, he constructed a substantial three-story stone grist mill, using a separate water-power system from the one that operated the forge hammers. The grist mill became an important part of the Charming Forge operation and survived the eventual decline of iron production.

Later Ownership

Following George Ege's death, the property passed through several hands. One later owner was Dr. James Alexander McCrea, a Yale graduate who also studied medicine at the University of Pennsylvania; McCrea owned the property from 1841 to 1846 and lived in the mansion after retiring from medical practice.

The Taylor family also became important in the later operation of Charming Forge. Andrew Taylor had earlier served as Ege's assignee and helped manage the financial affairs of the property, and his sons later became associated with the operation.

The Charming Forge Covered Bridge

One of the most recognizable later features of Charming Forge was its covered bridge. Residents had petitioned the county for a bridge across the Tulpehocken Creek as early as 1861 because the existing ford became dangerous or impassable during high water and winter ice. Construction did not begin until 1873. The bridge was built by Simon Dreibelbis, with 165 feet between the abutments, 186 feet portal to portal, 16 feet clear width, and 13 feet clear height — using white oak structural members in certain locations, white pine for many arches, braces, beams, and weatherboarding, and hemlock or oak for rafters and laths.

Early Problems With the Bridge

The bridge experienced serious problems soon after construction. In 1874, Dreibelbis performed approximately $500 worth of repairs. By 1876, Berks County officials were seeking proposals for extensive repairs or reconstruction; the contract was awarded to Jonathan Bitner, who ultimately received about $1,525 for the work. The repairs were so extensive that later records sometimes incorrectly listed 1876 as the original construction date — historical research established that the original bridge was constructed in 1873.

By 1920, the bridge was described as having a plank floor, tin roof, and stone wing walls. As it continued to deteriorate, additional wooden supports were installed beneath it. In 1938, the old covered bridge was replaced by a concrete bridge. The precise reason for the bridge's unusual structural difficulties remains uncertain — possibilities raised in historical research include storm damage, the bridge's proximity to the dam, and the effect of heavily loaded wagons.

The Decline of the Forge

By the late 19th century, Pennsylvania ironmaking had changed dramatically. Large furnaces and mills located near railroad lines could operate on a far greater scale than older water-powered charcoal forges, and traditional iron plantations such as Charming Forge gradually became obsolete. The Charming Forge iron operation finally ceased around 1890. The grist mill and other parts of the property continued to be used, but the long era of iron production was over.

Charming Forge in the 20th Century

The property later developed a new purpose. By 1905, John J. Sallade and his sons were using portions of Charming Forge for recreational and social activities — luncheons, card parties, and children's birthday parties. By 1925, former workers' cottages were being advertised as summer vacation bungalows. The property was gradually transformed from an industrial community into a historic rural estate and recreational location.

Surviving Structures

Many features of the original Charming Forge complex have disappeared, but some remain or are still recognizable. A 2023 historical account identifies surviving or altered features including the mansion, forge office, spring-house remains, summer kitchen and smokehouse, wash house, carriage barn, boarding house, mule-barn remains, blacksmith building, and workers' cottages. Some buildings have been adapted to modern uses, while others survive only as ruins or portions of earlier structures.

A Site With Several Layers of History

Charming Forge is important because it brings together several major themes in Berks County history: colonial ironmaking, water-powered manufacturing, Henry William Stiegel, George Ege, the Revolutionary War, Hessian prisoners, slavery and indentured labor, rural industrial communities, charcoal production, early transportation, covered-bridge construction, and the eventual transition to larger-scale industrial manufacturing.

The surviving records are especially valuable because they document not just the owners but many ordinary people whose labor kept the operation functioning.

The Importance of Charming Forge

For generations, Charming Forge was one of the most significant industrial communities in the Tulpehocken Valley. Its operations connected Berks County with markets in Reading, Lancaster, Philadelphia, and beyond. Its iron production supported regional manufacturing and, according to historical accounts, contributed to the Revolutionary War economy. Its thousands of acres of woodland, agricultural land, shops, mills, housing, and waterworks demonstrate how extensive an early iron operation had to be.

The forge itself disappeared, but the surviving mansion, buildings, roads, and landscape continue to preserve evidence of what once existed. Charming Forge is therefore much more than an old mansion or the site of a vanished forge. It is the surviving remnant of an entire early industrial community — one that operated for nearly 150 years and played an important role in the economic, industrial, and social history of Berks County.