Lebanon County, PA news, events, and opinions.

Robert Habersham Coleman (left inset) and his family would have furnished their long-gone mansion with innumerable treasures whose historical and artistic appeal are frankly hard to imagine. His mansion used to stand near the corner of Cornwall Road and Freeman Drive (Route 417) across from where the Cornwall Elementary School and Sacred Heart Church now stand.

Cornwall Borough resident Bruce Chadbourne moved to Cornwall Manor a few years ago after his retirement, drawn by the history of the mine and the Cornwall Iron Furnace. He has taken to writing a few historical articles, which he’s kindly shared with LebTown for our readers to enjoy in a semi-regular series titled, “Who knew?” We hope you enjoy.

Straight from the 1885 annals of “Robin Leach’s Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” comes this fascinating report, a surprising glimpse into the opulence of Cornwall, Pennsylvania, in the 19th century.

A published record of the Dauphin County Centenary Exhibition graciously recognized the generous support shown by Cornwall’s Iron Baron Robert H. Coleman with his loan of cherished souvenirs from European travels.

Not just Robert, but his mother, aunts, and cousins made frequent trips to Europe, boarding steamships in the springtime bound for England and France and staying for months. Their letters record the anticipation of the annual trip, with an occasional regret: “Sorry, I shan’t be able to travel abroad with you this year.”

Wm. Henry Egle’s book (1886) on the Centenary Exhibition records the following exhaustive list of donated possessions. One might assume that these are just a part of his total collection. Just reading the items invites many questions and an opportunity to “google” some arcane bits of European history. [Note: the following lists are quoted exactly as described in Egle’s account.]

The competition between the “north” and “south” branches of the Coleman family’s Iron Dynasty (Cornwall and Lebanon) is legendary. Ownership of the various 1/96th shares of Cornwall Ore Bank and fights over who was taking how much iron to their respective furnaces were occasionally argued in the local courts. One could imagine the writers of those fictional TV series “Dallas” and “Dynasty” taking their scripts from the Coleman family archives.  

Yet both branches were known for their beneficence; many fine churches, buildings and hospitals still stand in this county thanks to them. So not to be out-done, Mrs. G.D. Coleman of the Lebanon branch contributed her share of finery to the Dauphin County celebration.

It boggles the mind to consider that such riches found their home here in sleepy Cornwall and also North Lebanon. Although the mansions that housed them are long gone the question is, “Where are these treasures today?”

The author wishes to acknowledge his colleagues and staff at the Cornwall Iron Furnace and Cornwall Iron Furnace Associates (CIFA).

Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using the contact form below and we’ll do our best to get back to you.

Do you support local news? If you believe that Lebanon County needs independent, high-quality journalism, consider joining LebTown as a member. Your support will go directly towards stories like this and you will be helping ensure that our community has a reliable news source for years to come. Learn more about membership and join now here.

Steckbeck Engineering & Surveying, Inc. An Employee Owned Company