Caledonia State Park

Caledonia State Park in southern Pennsylvania grew around the Caledonia Furnace, operated from 1837 by Thaddeus Stevens, whose anti-slavery views and use of formerly enslaved workers tied the site to both industry and reform. Confederate cavalry under General Jubal Early destroyed the furnace in June 1863, and nearby pastures became field hospitals during the Battle of Gettysburg a month later. Rebuilt after the war, the furnace ceased ironmaking by 1902, and the land became a state park in 1903. Furnace ruins, Civilian Conservation Corps construction, recreation facilities, and the Totem Pole Playhouse together make the park a blend of historic landscape, outdoor destination, and performing-arts venue.

Pennsylvania · United States