HOWARD — The public is invited to the annual Heritage Day fundraiser at Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is a celebration of traditional crafts and frontier ingenuity.

Throughout Heritage Day, visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to interact with traditional artisans such as tin smith Ken Smith, shoemaker Rich Watters, blacksmith Seth Green and charcoal maker Paul Fagley as they revive lost arts.

Visitors will also be able to discover the evolution of women’s aprons through the decades with Linda Wilson, tour the iron furnace, play old-fashioned children’s games and stroll through the restored herb garden with a Penn State Extension Master Gardener. Heritage Day visitors can purchase Ice Shack ice cream sandwiches and lunch prepared on site from Lock Haven based Old Corner Grill and Bar.

Back by popular demand will be the Pop-up Civil War Museum, opening at 3 p.m. This is a temporary exhibit created by the people who show up to share a personal story or a Civil War era object. Local historians will aid in answering questions, identifying objects and facilitating conversation.

Admission to the Heritage Day fundraiser is $5 per individual for all persons over the age of 10. Tickets can be purchased at the gate. All proceeds benefit the preservation, interpretation and maintenance of Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village, a 501(c) 3 managed by volunteers through The Roland Curtin Foundations. Volunteers are always needed to assist with events and tours. Donations are much appreciated.

“Curtin Village is not just a place — it’s a living story,” said Sue Hannegan, president of The Roland Curtin Foundation. “We invite the community to come walk its paths, hear its story and traditions and explore Central Pennsylvania’s industrial past. Heritage Day, Apple Fest and Christmas at the Curtin are our signature fundraisers that really showcase how learning history can be inspiring and fun for all ages.”

Featured this year at Heritage Day will be Paul Fagley, long-time environmental education specialist at Greenwood Furnace State Park. Fagley will demonstrate 19-century charcoal making and share his insights from over 30 years of research and education experience related to the renowned Juniata Iron District.

Eagle Iron Works was the District’s longest and last operating charcoal-fired iron production and processing facility. With its many original and replicated structures, Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village is the only place in Pennsylvania where visitors can view all major components of an old-time iron-making plantation.

The Foundation hopes to raise $3,260 — a dollar for each pound of the last piece of charcoal fired, cold-blast iron made in Pennsylvania, and possibly the nation. The 1.5-ton slab of partly smelted pig iron was recovered from Eagle Furnace during its 1976-78 reconstruction. The slab rests today beside the reconstructed casting house, a fitting memorial to an important chapter in Pennsylvania’s industrial history.

Two more fundraisers will take place before the end of December — the Curtin Village Apple Festival on Oct. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., where visitors can enjoy a day to savor the bounty of the season with fresh apple cider, homemade bread and apple butter, barbeque chicken and corn on the cob along with local cheese and cider tastings. Tickets are already sold out for the Bellefonte Historical Railroad’s “Apple Harvest Special” fall journey through Bald Eagle Valley with a final stop at Curtin Village. The season ends when Santa arrives Dec. 6 for Christmas at the Curtin for the annual holiday photo taking and evening reception.

The volunteer board of the Roland Curtin Foundation voted in March 2022 to pursue ownership of this significant historic site and return it to local ownership. The Foundation relies on volunteers, donations, membership sales, grants and special events like these to support their mission: preservation and education.

For more information, visit www.curtinvillage.com or email curtinvillage@gmail.com. Follow Eagle Iron Works and Curtin Village on Facebook and Instagram. You may also address your questions to Phil at philruth1@gmail.com, or 215-622-4786 or Sue at sbhannegan@gmail.com, 570-220-9290.