Cornwall PA History

      John and Margery Feitig spent decades researching Cornwall's Robert H. Coleman, however both passed away before fulfilling their dream of publishing a book on Coleman and the historic treasures in Cornwall.  Furnace associate Bruce Chadbourne presented the "Cliff Notes" version of their "unpublished book," presented as part of the 2025 Cornwall Iron Furnace lecture series, held at Cornwall Manor's Freeman Auditorium and simultaneously on Zoom. The lecture may be viewed on YouTube here . Please enjoy all of the Cornwall Iron Furnace videos on the Furnace YouTube Channel .    Stay current with Furnace events and upcoming lectures on  their FaceBook page and visit their  website for general information.

  One of the mysteries of Cornwall that fascinated the late, local historian John Feitig was Robert H. Coleman's first Cornwall mansion, built in 1880.  The above photo was purported by Coleman family descendants to be that very mansion, but they were wrong. The mystery of the above photo is now solved -- read the story on LebTown , released on November 28, 2023.

Here's a great story about a local woman who attained great heights in American life, touching presidents and kings. Ironically relatively few people know of her compared to all that's known about her brother, Robert H. Coleman - the "king (according to old press clippings) of Lebanon." Read the full 4-part story: her roots, growing up in Cornwall, and landing among America's wealthiest. Published in LebTown by author Bruce Chadbourne.   Anne of Cornwall - Part 1 Anne of Cornwall -- Part 2 Anne of Cornwall -- Part 3 Anne of Cornwall -- Part 4 If you enjoy the author's stories - you may find all of them on LebTown.com .

  Not so long ago, this mill operated in Cornwall Center opposite the Cornwall Store from the Cornwall & Lebanon Railroad bridge. Read the fuller story as published in LebTown, by author Bruce Chadbourne:  The Story of the Cornwall Grist Mill

 by Bruce Chadbourne January 2023 (similar to that published in LebTown.com) Admit it, these days when you need water you reach for the faucet with very little thought. In the old days when indoor plumbing was still more of a luxury, the supply of water required some planning. In 1879 newly married Robert H. Coleman was building an exquisite mansion in Cornwall center for his new bride. He literally went to great lengths to furnish it with running water. How did he do it? At Coleman’s request, civil engineer Henry Kendall reported on January 14, 1880 the results of a survey of springs in the wooded hills of Anne Coleman Alden’s property known as Cold Springs [Note: vicinity of Old Mine Road and Route 117 today]. The survey had been conducted two months earlier in November 1879 in a period he described as “great drought.” Even so, per his report the survey of three outlets provided a combined flow of 42,000 gallons per day. From his Lebanon office at 927 Cumberland Street, Kendall des