The Hopewell trivet ~ a contemporary casting

Cast iron, 8 x 5¾ ” and signed HOPEWELL.

This handsome trivet design, frequently described as an antique, is actually a contemporary casting.

In 2003 I contacted the Superintendent of the Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site in Elverson, Pennsylvania. He confirmed that this trivet was produced for and sold in the Hopewell Furnace gift shops. It was fashioned after a piece of metalware (not a trivet) found on Hopewell Furnace grounds during excavation for the historic site.

The Hopewell trivet was initially cast by the Unicast Company of Boyertown, PA from the mid-1980s to 1995. Since then casting has been performed by the Delvest Company of West Chester, PA.

I’m aware of three signature variations: Hopewell inscribed; Hopewell on a raised plate; and unsigned. These trivets are smaller at 7½ x 5½” and most likely represent recasts. Recall that, due to the shrinkage of molten metal after cooling, reproductions from an original pattern will be slightly smaller. This concept is commonly referred to as One Size Smaller.

So, whether an original or a reproduction, the Hopewell design is a fairly recent casting.