While Philadelphia abounds in noteworthy early American history, pastoral and vegetatively lush Berks County, Pennsylvania, about an hour’s drive from the big city, is known more for commercial farming. Seas of corn and wheat fields extend to endless horizons, silos are the only skyscrapers, and dairy cows line up a few times a day to be relieved of their milk.
However, nestled in the curve of a rural road is a significant historical site. Thomas Rutter’s mansion is a tangible reminder of both Pennsylvania’s first iron forge as well as Underground Railroad, a spot of relief for enslaved people fleeing the South over a century later.
