Charcoaling in the Berkshires

On Saturday September 17 at 10 am, join the Bidwell House Museum for the first of two Housatonic Heritage walks on the Museum property. Charcoaling was a major industry for Berkshire farmers and landowners in the mid to late-1800s and was used primarily in the iron smelting industry. Producing charcoal for the iron furnaces yielded much-needed hard money; it was one of their few cash “crops.” There are a number of charcoal hearths on the Bidwell property and the adjacent BNRC Steadman Pond Reserve property which was owned by the Bidwell and Carrington families at that time.

This program will begin by watching a 15 minute documentary film about charcoaling produced by Housatonic Heritage and then continue with a walk to explore several of the onsite charcoal hearths. The hike will be about 1 to 1 1/2 miles and the total time for the film, hike and discussion will be 2 hours. Wear good hiking shoes, bring water, and a snack if you want.

For details about all of the Housatonic Heritage hikes being offered in 2022, head to their website HERE.