Grubb Family Iron Dynasty facts for kids

The Grubb Family Iron Dynasty was a long line of businesses that made iron, all owned and run by members of the Grubb family for over 165 years. They were the top iron makers in Pennsylvania between 1840 and 1870.

Around 1737, Peter Grubb started in the iron business. He found the huge and rich Cornwall Iron Mines (also called Cornwall Banks) in Lebanon County. This was about 21 miles north of Lancaster. Peter and five generations of his family after him worked and grew the business. They eventually owned or worked closely with at least 18 iron-making places and thousands of acres of land in eastern Pennsylvania.

Peter Grubb's family sold most of the original properties between 1786 and 1803 to Robert Coleman. Coleman became Pennsylvania's first millionaire. His family continued his iron businesses through the 1800s. Starting in 1800, the family of Peter Grubb's younger son, Peter Grubb, Jr., rebuilt their business. They used the small share they still owned, mostly in the Cornwall Iron Mines. They ran their operations for nearly 100 years from Mount Hope. The Grubb and Coleman families were rivals, but they also worked together because they shared ownership in the ore fields.

Both families' businesses faced challenges as iron and steel technology changed in the late 1800s. Their companies were slowly sold off between 1883 and 1926. Many Grubb properties and the Cornwall Iron Mines were sold in 1902 to the Pennsylvania Steel Company. This company was later bought by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1916. The remaining Coleman properties and the Robesonia Iron Company were also sold to Bethlehem Steel in 1919 and 1926. Bethlehem Steel kept mining iron ore at Cornwall until 1973.

The Grubb Family: Iron Makers

In 1677, John Grubb came from Cornwall, U.K., and settled in Brandywine Hundred, Delaware. He started a tannery there. His son Peter began the iron businesses that would connect six generations of the family.

First Generation

• Peter Grubb Sr. (1702–1754): He started the Cornwall Ironworks. He found the huge iron ore fields at Cornwall, PA, around 1737. He built the Cornwall Furnace and Hopewell Forges by 1742. Later, he moved to Wilmington, Delaware. His discovery helped his family become very wealthy.

Second Generation

• Curtis Grubb (1730–1789): Peter's oldest son and a Patriot during the American Revolution. He owned most of the Cornwall Ironworks and ran the Cornwall Furnace from 1765 to 1789. He built the Union Forge in 1782. Family issues led to the Grubb properties being divided in 1785-86. By 1795, his family had sold his properties to Robert Coleman.
• Peter Grubb Jr. (1740–1786): Peter Sr.'s youngest son and also a Patriot. He owned part of the Cornwall Ironworks and ran the Hopewell Forges from 1765 to 1786. Because of the family division, he built his own Mount Hope Furnace in 1784 to compete with his brother. He died in 1786. His family later rebuilt the iron business from Mount Hope.

Third Generation

• Henry Bates Grubb (1774–1823): Peter Jr.'s youngest son. He built the Grubb family's iron empire in the 1800s, from 1800 to 1823. He used his father's Mount Hope Furnace and the remaining share of the Cornwall Ironworks. Henry bought more properties and used money from selling parts of the original Grubb lands to Robert Coleman.
• Harriett Amelia Buckley Grubb (1788–1858): Henry's wife. She managed the Grubb businesses for several years after Henry died, until their sons were old enough.

Fourth Generation

• Edward Burd Grubb, Sr. (1810–1867): Henry's oldest son. He went to Europe in 1830 to learn about the newest iron technology. In 1833, he partnered with his brother Clement to run the family business, called E. & C.B. They improved old furnaces and made the businesses bigger. He later moved to Burlington, NJ.
• Clement Brooke Grubb (1815–1889): Henry's second son. He joined the family business in 1832 and partnered with Edward in 1833. He managed the Mount Hope Estate. In 1845, he sold his share of Mount Hope to his younger brother Alfred and moved to Lancaster. He started his own businesses, buying the Chestnut Hill Ore Banks and building the St. Charles Furnace. He was said to be the richest person in Lancaster County when he died.
• Alfred Bates Grubb (1821–1885): Henry's youngest son. He was involved in the family business and bought half of the Mount Hope Estate from Clement in 1845. He continued to manage Mount Hope. After Alfred died in 1885, Mount Hope was sold back to Clement.

Fifth Generation

• Edward Burd Grubb, Jr. (1841–1913): Edward Sr.'s oldest son, known as E. Burd Grubb. He was a famous Civil War General and later made his money in the family iron business. He became President of the Lebanon Valley Furnace Company in 1865. He was likely the last family member to actively work in the iron business, retiring around 1911.
• Charles Ross Grubb (1851 - 1928): Edward Sr.'s youngest son, often called C. Ross Grubb. He bought the Eagle Furnace in 1869 when he was 18. He partnered with the Haldeman family in 1888 to run the Chickies Furnaces. He was President of the Cornwall Ore Bank Company when it was sold in 1902.
• Charles Brooke Grubb (1844–1911): Clement's oldest son. He joined his father in 1872 to form C.B. Grubb and Son. They owned both St. Charles Furnaces and the Codorus Iron Mines.
• Daisy Elizabeth Brooke Grubb (1850–1936): Clement's youngest daughter. She inherited a lot of money from her father but sold most of the industrial businesses in 1902. She became a wealthy socialite in Lancaster. Starting in 1895, she changed the 12-room Mount Hope Estate house into a large 32-room Victorian mansion. She was the last family member to live there.

Sixth Generation

• Parker Ross Grubb (1876–1920): C. Ross Grubb's only son. He briefly joined the family business before it was sold.

The Cornwall Era (1734–1800)

Cornwall Iron Furnace

Cornwall, Pennsylvania, was the main center for the early Grubb Family Iron Dynasty in the 1700s. Later, it was also important for the Coleman family's businesses.

Starting the Business (1734–1765)

The Grubb family's businesses began when Peter Grubb, who was a stonemason, found a huge iron ore deposit at Cornwall, Pennsylvania between 1734 and 1737. This was the largest iron ore deposit found east of Lake Superior in the U.S. Grubb bought 1,000 acres of land rich in iron and started making iron products at the Cornwall Iron Furnace and Hopewell Forges in 1742. The business did very well at Cornwall. Peter Grubb leased the operations to a group called Cury & Company until 1765. He then moved to Wilmington, Delaware, where he lived out his life.

Patriot Years (1765–1789)

Peter's sons, Curtis Grubb and Peter Grubb, Jr., inherited the iron works after their father died in 1754. They took over running the businesses in 1765. Both brothers were Patriots during the American Revolution and leaders in the local militia. Their iron works made and supplied many cannons and other weapons for the war effort. Because of the high demand for iron and rising prices during the war, the brothers made a lot of money helping their new country. Curtis added the Union Forge around 1782. They kept running the iron works, making hundreds of tons of iron each year. Curtis worked at the Cornwall Furnace and Peter at the Hopewell Forges. Peter Jr. died in 1786, and Curtis in 1789. Their large homes at both locations are still standing today.

Family Changes and Sales (1783–1803)

The Grubb brothers had a serious disagreement starting in 1783. Curtis was planning to remarry, which worried his oldest son, Peter III, about his inheritance. Peter III, who had been a Captain in the Continental Army, was 26. Curtis agreed to give his son his inheritance early. This meant the courts had to officially divide the family's businesses and decide who owned what shares among Curtis, Peter Jr., and Peter III.

Peter Jr. kept a large share of the Hopewell Forges but only a smaller share of the other properties (Cornwall Furnace and Ore Banks, and Union Forge). Peter III received a share of the Hopewell Forges and a smaller share of the rest. Peter Jr. worried about getting enough raw iron for his Hopewell Forges, which he wanted to leave to his sons. So, he decided to build his own furnace at a place south of Cornwall called Mount Hope, where he had bought 212 acres. The brothers were now competing, and their relationship became very difficult. Peter III worried about the business and sold his shares to a family friend, Robert Coleman, in 1785. This put a lot of pressure on Peter Jr., who had gone deeply into debt to build his furnace. The stress of competing businesses and his poor health led to his death in 1786.

After Curtis died in 1789, none of his family members were able or willing to manage the businesses. There were also complicated family inheritance and legal issues to solve. Robert Coleman had worked for the brothers and was in a good position to take over as the family struggled to run the business. As a result, in 1795, Curtis's remaining family sold their shares to Coleman. By 1803, he had bought the Hopewell Forges and most of the other original properties. Coleman was a successful iron master and businessman. He took over the Cornwall operations, bought other properties, and became Pennsylvania's first millionaire.

It was lucky for Peter Jr.'s family that he decided to start making iron at Mount Hope. Since the Colemans were now running the Cornwall operations, Mount Hope became the main center for a new and much larger Grubb family iron business.

The Mount Hope Era (1800–1902)

Mount Hope Estate Mansion is an 1805 Federal-style house with significant 1895 Victorian additions.

Mount Hope Estate was the main office for the Grubb Family's iron manufacturing businesses during the 1800s.

A New Beginning (1800–1830)

Henry Bates Grubb, building on his father's work, created the Grubb family iron empire of the 1800s.

Henry was the younger of Peter Jr.'s two sons. They inherited their father's property in 1786, when they were still young. The property included 3,741 acres of iron-rich Cornwall land, a large share in the Hopewell Forges, plus 221 acres and their father's new furnace at Mount Hope. Henry was very interested in the iron business, unlike his older brother Alan. He had good advisors who helped manage their inherited property. In 1798, Henry bought his brother's share and began to rebuild the business. He seemed to work with Robert Coleman. Henry was only seventeen when he started buying properties to rebuild the family iron business. Their combined businesses grew to become one of the largest iron producers in Pennsylvania during the 1800s.

• In 1798, Henry bought his brother Alan's share of the inheritance. He paid for it over time. Soon after, he sold half of his properties to Robert Coleman to get money for his rebuilding plans.
• In 1800, Henry built the Mount Vernon Furnace at Conewago Creek, on 4,000 acres in Lancaster County. He also bought the Hellam Iron Works in York County and renamed it the Codorus Forge.
• In 1802, Henry agreed to divide the shared properties with Coleman. This gave him more money to pay his brother. Coleman received Henry's share in the Hopewell Forges and another share in the Cornwall ore banks. Henry kept a share in the ore banks to supply his Mount Hope furnace, which he now fully owned.
• In 1803, Henry bought 2,500 acres on Manada Creek in Dauphin County. His sons later built a furnace there.
• Between 1800 and 1805, Henry built the 12-room formal Federal-style mansion at Mount Hope Estate. This included large formal gardens. Mount Hope Estate was the main office of the new Grubb family iron empire. At one point, it had nearly 30 buildings, all made of local red sandstone and surrounded by a wall of the same stone.

Henry's properties grew to include at least three iron-making businesses, over 6,500 acres of land, and a share in the Cornwall ore banks. All of these were managed from Mount Hope. He died in 1823. His wife, Harriet Amelia Buckley Grubb, managed the businesses until their sons were old enough in 1830.

Peak Production (1840–1875)

Henry's three sons (Edward Burd Grubb, Clement Brooke Grubb, and Alfred Bates Grubb) took over the family business starting in 1830. They greatly expanded the family's operations. They became Pennsylvania's leading iron producers from 1840 to 1870, with their main office at Mount Hope Estate.

Edward was sent to Europe in 1830 to learn about the newest iron technology. This was a good investment for the business's future growth. In 1833, Edward and Clement took control of the business under the name E. & C.B. Alfred likely joined when he turned 21 in 1839.

Clement decided to start his own ventures. He left E. & C.B. in 1845 and sold his half share in the Mount Hope Estate to his younger brother Alfred for $25,000. He moved to Lancaster. Around the same time, Edward moved his family to Burlington, NJ, where he became an important person in that area.

Alfred was left to manage the Mount Hope Estate and Furnace. He partnered with Edward and Edward's family, continuing until at least 1873. After Alfred died in 1885, the Mount Hope Estate was sold back to Clement for $300,000.

Clement bought several businesses in other places. This included two newer anthracite furnaces near Columbia, PA, along the Susquehanna River.

• 1851: Clement bought the Chestnut Hill Ore Bank and started the Chestnut Hill Iron Ore Company.
• 1854: Clement bought the Henry Clay (anthracite) furnace and renamed it the St. Charles Furnace. It was later called St. Charles Furnace #2.
• 1866: Iron ore was found on Clement's Codorus property. This "Grubb's Bank" supplied iron ore to the St. Charles Furnace.
• 1872: Clement formed a new partnership, C.B. Grubb & Son, with his son Charles Brooke Grubb, to run the St. Charles Furnace.
• 1875: C.B. Grubb & Son built a new anthracite furnace called St. Charles Furnace #1. The existing Henry Clay / St. Charles Furnace was renamed St. Charles #2.

Edward and his sons were also active in the iron business during this time. E. Burd joined the business after fighting in the Civil War. C. Ross started working with the Haldeman family, who also made iron.

• 1865: Edward decided to build a new furnace, probably for his sons' future. He started the Lebanon Valley Furnace Company.
• 1867: Edward finished the Lebanon Valley Furnace, a modern furnace that used anthracite and coke.
• 1867: Edward's oldest son, Gen. E. Burd Grubb, joined the business after his Civil War service. He took over from his father as President of the Lebanon Valley Furnace Company.
• 1869: Edward's youngest son, C. Ross Grubb, bought the Eagle Furnace. It was later renamed Chickies Furnace #2. This began several business relationships with the important Haldeman industrial family.

Post-Civil War Years (1870–1900)

Grubb family members owned or ran eleven iron-making businesses after the Civil War. Iron was in high demand to help the country grow. Old plants were bought or improved, and new ones were built. The Cornwall ore banks continued to supply large amounts of ore to both the iron and newer steel industries. However, the growth of ironworks did not last long, as the shift to steel production was coming soon.

• The Codorus Iron Mine (Grubb's Bank) was mined from 1866 to 1874 by C. B. Grubb and Son.
• The Manada Furnace (charcoal) continued production under the Grubb family until 1875.
• The Mount Hope Furnace (charcoal) continued production under Alfred Bates Grubb until his death in 1885.
• The Conewago Furnace (anthracite) was improved in 1879 and continued production under the Conewago Iron Company until 1888.
• The two St. Charles Furnaces (anthracite), one bought in 1875, continued production under C.B. Grubb & Son until 1886 and 1889.
• The Joanna Furnace (charcoal) was technologically improved in 1889. It continued production under Clement's son-in-law L. Heber Smith until his death in 1898.
• The two Chickies Furnaces (anthracite), bought in 1868 and 1888, continued production under Haldeman, Grubb & Company until 1899.
• The Chestnut Hill Ore Bank continued to be mined by Charles Brooke Grubb until 1907.
• The Lebanon Valley Furnace (anthracite & coke), built in 1867, continued production under Gen. E. Burd Grubb, who likely retired in 1911.

End of an Era (1898–1911)

The iron-making business, which used charcoal and anthracite coal, quickly lost out to newer technology and the rise of the steel industry. The ten Grubb family furnaces and mines listed above closed down over just 25 years. Daisy Grubb sold some of her inherited industrial properties. C. Ross Grubb, as President of the Cornwall Ore Bank Company, sold the Cornwall Iron Mines in 1902. Both sales were to the Pennsylvania Steel Company, which was later bought by Bethlehem Steel Company in 1916. E. Burd Grubb continued to run the Lebanon Valley Furnace until about 1911.

The Cornwall Iron Mines, which had been the source of the family's wealth, continued to produce under Bethlehem Steel. Operations stopped in 1973 due to a flood from Hurricane Agnes. The mines had been worked continuously for 234 years.

The Daisy Grubb Era (1890–1936)

Daisy Elizabeth Brooke Grubb was Clement Grubb's youngest child. She never married. She inherited properties worth $6 million from her father in 1889. She became a wealthy socialite in Lancaster. She lived at Mount Hope Estate and her father's mansion in downtown Lancaster. She also had a home in Philadelphia. In 1902, she sold most of her inherited industrial properties to Pennsylvania Steel Company. In 1895, she started renovating her 12-room Federal-style Mount Hope mansion. She made it into a large 32-room Victorian mansion where she hosted many important guests. She kept the formal gardens that her grandfather had created. Daisy was the last family member to live at Mount Hope. She may have died there in 1936. The estate is now privately owned and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Important Properties and Companies

The following properties were owned and operated by Grubb family members, or were closely connected to their businesses. Early furnaces used charcoal and were near large forests. Later furnaces (after about 1845) used anthracite coal or coke. These were built near waterways or railroads to transport the fuel. Forges changed the raw iron from furnaces into finished products.

Cornwall Iron Mines

The Cornwall Iron Mines in Lebanon County, also known as the Cornwall Ore Banks, were the start of the Grubb Family Iron Dynasty. Peter Grubb found them and bought 1,000 acres by 1737. They were the largest iron ore deposit east of Lake Superior and once the biggest open pit iron mine in the world. The ore was mostly magnetite. While Robert Coleman slowly bought most of the mines by 1803, the family of Peter Grubb, Jr. kept a small share.

The Cornwall Ore Bank Company was formed in 1864 to run the mines for all the owners, who by then numbered 96! The company ran the mines until they were sold in 1902 to the Pennsylvania Steel Company. This company was later bought by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1916. The mines produced high-quality iron ore for 234 years. They grew to produce over a million tons per year. They closed permanently in 1973 after being flooded by Hurricane Agnes.

Cornwall Furnace

The Cornwall Furnace in Lebanon County was built by Peter Grubb in 1742. It processed ore from his nearby Cornwall Iron Mines and made raw iron for his Hopewell Forges. This furnace used charcoal and cold air. It could make about 32 tons per week. It supplied raw iron to six forges in the area and in Philadelphia. After a 20-year lease ended around 1765, Peter's sons Curtis and Peter Jr. jointly owned the furnace. Curtis, who owned more, ran the furnace, and Peter ran the Hopewell Forges. The brothers were strong Patriots. Their iron works supplied cannons and other weapons for the Revolutionary War. This ended when Curtis died in 1789.

Curtis Grubb's family could not or would not run the business. In 1795, they sold their shares to Robert Coleman, who had already bought some shares and was managing the business for them. Coleman and his family ran Cornwall Furnace, with improvements over the years, until it closed in 1883. It is now well-preserved and open to the public. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hopewell Forges

The Hopewell Forges on Hammer Creek were part of the original Grubb iron works. Peter Grubb built them in 1742 to turn raw iron from Cornwall Furnace into finished iron products. After 1765, Peter's sons Curtis and Peter Jr. took over ownership. Peter Jr. lived nearby and ran the forges until he died in 1786.

These forges were involved in a sad family event. In 1783, Curtis's son Peter III received a share in the family iron works as an early inheritance. The courts then had to divide all the family's properties. Peter III got a share in the ore fields and a share in the forges, making him partners with his uncle Peter Jr. Neither was happy with this. In 1785, Peter III sold his share of the forges (and ore fields) to Robert Coleman. Coleman then became Peter Jr.'s partner. Peter Jr. became even more worried about his business, especially about getting raw iron from his brother's Cornwall Furnace. He decided to build his own furnace at Mount Hope.

As part of the sale to Coleman, Peter III kept the right for himself and his family to take enough ore from Cornwall Iron Mines to supply "one furnace" forever. This rule, especially what "one furnace" meant, caused problems in the courts for nearly 100 years.

Coleman bought the remaining share in the Hopewell Forges in 1802 from Henry Bates Grubb. The property was among those Robert Coleman left to his four sons when he died in 1825. The forges probably closed before 1854. Today, little is left of the forges except parts of the dams at the creek. However, Peter Grubb's mansion and a historic marker can still be seen.

Mount Hope Furnace

The charcoal-fired Mount Hope Furnace was built in 1785 by Peter Grubb, Jr. It was on 212 acres of land he bought in 1784. Peter went deeply into debt to build the furnace. He worried about getting enough raw iron for his Hopewell Forges from his brother's Cornwall Furnace, where he only had a small share. Peter died in 1786 due to business pressures. His sons Alan Burd Grubb and Henry Bates Grubb inherited the furnace. It became a key part of the future Grubb iron business. The furnace made 1,000 tons of raw iron in 1833. It was improved to use hot air and likely kept running until at least 1885. At that time, it was sold by Alfred Bates Grubb's estate, along with nearly 2,500 acres of land (the Mount Hope Estate), back to his brother Clement Brooke Grubb for $300,000.

Mount Hope Estate

The Mount Hope Estate was the family home and main office for the Grubb family's iron businesses after 1800. It grew from Peter Grubb Jr.'s original 212 acres in 1786, which included the Mount Hope Furnace and a gristmill. By 1885, it had grown to over 2,500 acres and many buildings. Peter's son, Henry Bates Grubb, built the original Federal-style mansion between 1800 and 1805. It was the most formal iron master's mansion in the area until 1850. It had formal gardens that are still kept today. At its busiest, the estate had nearly 30 smaller buildings, including the Hope Church (built 1848-49). Most were made of local red sandstone and surrounded by a wall of the same stone.

Henry B. Grubb, who inherited Mount Hope from his father at age 12, passed it to his two older sons, Edward Burd Grubb and Clement Brooke Grubb, when he died in 1823. Henry's wife, Harriet Amelia Buckley Grubb, managed the Estate until the sons were old enough. The brothers partnered to run the business in 1833, called E. & C.B. In 1845, Clement sold his half share to their younger brother Alfred Bates Grubb for $25,000. After Alfred died in 1885, his family sold Mount Hope Estate back to Clement for $300,000. This was the most expensive real estate deal in Lancaster at that time.

The last family member to live at Mount Hope was Clement's daughter Daisy Elizabeth Brooke Grubb. She inherited it from her father along with millions of dollars. In 1895, she began a big renovation. She turned the original 12-room house into a 32-room Victorian mansion. Daisy lived at Mount Hope at least part of the time until she died in 1936. The property was later divided and mostly sold. However, the mansion and some land were bought by Charles Romito for a winery in 1980. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Mount Vernon Furnaces and Forge

The Mount Vernon Furnace was the first furnace built by Henry Bates Grubb, in 1800. It was a charcoal-fired furnace located near Elizabethtown on Conewago Creek. It made 50 tons of raw iron per week from Cornwall ore. The property grew to over 4,000 acres. It also had a forge, a gristmill, and a sawmill. After Henry died in 1823, his sons Edward Burd Grubb and Charles Bates Grubb continued the businesses. Edward built a second furnace with the same name in 1831. The iron furnaces stopped production and were abandoned in 1852.

The sawmill is still working today. The gristmill operated until 1913. The original inn was built by Samuel Smith after 1739. Henry Bates Grubb added the large stonework building in 1811 and named it Mount Vernon Estate.

Chestnut Hill Ore Bank

The Chestnut Hill Ore Bank was bought by Clement Brooke Grubb by 1851. It was about eight miles west of Lancaster, near Columbia. The ore properties at Chestnut Hill were one of the largest hematite ore deposits in Pennsylvania. Ore was first found there between 1825 and 1832. Most furnaces in and around Columbia and Chickies relied on these mines for their main supply of ore.

The Grubb part of the mine, about 13 acres, was developed by Jerome Boyer around 1839. Clement Brooke Grubb bought and further developed it before 1851, when the Chestnut Hill Iron Ore Company was started. In 1904, Clement's son, Charles Brooke Grubb, owned the property. The ore bank supplied thousands of tons of iron ore to the Grubb's Codorus and Manada furnaces and other nearby furnaces until 1907.

The ore pit, about 13 acres and 110 feet deep, has since filled with water. It is now part of a 54-acre recreational area in Silver Spring, Pennsylvania.

St. Charles Furnace #1

Clement Brooke Grubb built the St. Charles Furnace in 1854. It was in Columbia near the Susquehanna River. Years later, in 1875, Grubb and his son Charles bought the Henry Clay Furnace, about a mile upriver, and renamed it St. Charles No. 2. Both furnaces used anthracite coal. Together, these two furnaces could produce over 20,000 tons of raw iron each year. This iron was known for its quality for boiler plates, bars, nails, and foundry work. In 1863, Grubb built a large iron ore roaster, the first in Lancaster County, to remove sulfur from local ores. The St. Charles Furnace was remodeled in 1879–80, but it stopped working for good in 1886. It was taken apart in 1897. Some remains can be seen from the Route 30 bridge.

Henry Clay Furnace (St. Charles Furnace #2)

In 1875, C.B. Grubb and Son (Clement and Charles) bought the Henry Clay Furnace. It was about a mile up the Susquehanna River from Clement's St. Charles Furnace. They renamed it St. Charles No. 2.

The Henry Clay furnace was one of the first furnaces in the area to use anthracite coal. It was built in 1845. In 1875, Clement and Charles bought and renamed it St. Charles Furnace No. 2. Together, the two St. Charles furnaces could make over 20,000 tons of raw iron each year. The furnace was remodeled several times, but its production went down, and it was abandoned in 1889. Ruins of the old buildings can still be seen today.

Eagle Furnace (Chickies Furnace #2)

The anthracite-fired Eagle Furnace (later renamed Chickies Furnace #2) was built in 1854. It was bought by C. Ross Grubb in 1869. He later worked with E. Haldeman and Company, who owned and ran the Chickies Furnace. The Haldeman company managed the furnace, improved it, and changed its name to Chickies #2. Haldeman, Grubb & Co. was formed in 1888 to own Chickies #2 and the nearby Chickies #1. The main ores used at both Chickies furnaces came from the Grubb and Haldeman's Chestnut Hill ore mines and from Cornwall, Lebanon County. In the late 1880s, the furnace was greatly rebuilt. It worked well until it closed in 1899. Parts of the furnace, including the engine house, can still be seen today.

Conewago Furnace

The Conewago Furnace, formerly the Middletown Furnace, was in Middletown, Dauphin County. The furnace, built in 1853 and rebuilt in 1879, was owned in 1882 by the Conewago Iron Company, a partnership between Grubb and Haldeman. It used anthracite and coke. The ores came from Cornwall and Chestnut Hill. The furnace stopped working in 1888.

Chickies Furnace (Chickies Furnace #1)

Henry Haldeman built the first Chickies Furnace in 1845. His sons took over his businesses later that year and started the anthracite-fired furnace in 1846. The furnace was almost always working. With several improvements, it produced 17,000 tons of raw iron per year by the late 1800s. In 1888, Paris and Horace Haldeman partnered with C. Ross Grubb, who owned the nearby Eagle Furnace. They formed Haldeman, Grubb and Company. They renamed the furnace Chickies #1 and renamed Eagle Furnace Chickies #2. They ran both furnaces until they closed in 1899. The main ores used at the Chickies furnaces came from the Grubb and Haldeman's Chestnut Hill ore mines and from Cornwall, Lebanon County.

Lebanon Valley Furnace Company

The Lebanon Valley Furnace Company was started in 1865 by Edward Burd Grubb, Sr. His oldest son, Gen. E. Burd Grubb, Jr., became president after his father died in 1867. In 1902, the company officially bought the Lebanon Valley Furnace and Gen. Grubb's share in the Cornwall Iron Mines from him. The company still owned and ran the furnace in 1907. E. Burd Grubb may have been the last Grubb family member to retire from the iron business, probably in 1911.

Lebanon Valley Furnace

The Lebanon Valley Furnace, in Lebanon, PA, was built in 1865-7. Gen. E. Burd Grubb became the owner when his father died, shortly before the furnace started working in 1867. The furnace was modern and used anthracite and coke. It was remodeled in 1884 and rebuilt in 1904. It produced 24,000 tons of raw iron per year. It was still active in 1907 and likely continued under Grubb's control until 1911.

Cornwall Ore Bank Company

The Grubbs were minority partners in the Cornwall Ore Bank Company. They still held a small share in the ore banks. The company was formed in 1864 to run the Cornwall mines for all the owners, who were 96 people by then! The company ran the mines until they were sold in 1902 to the Pennsylvania Steel Company. This company was later bought by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in 1916. C. Ross Grubb, representing the Grubb family's fifth generation, was the President of the Cornwall Ore Bank Company when the mines were sold.

Joanna Furnace

While not officially a Grubb property, the charcoal-fired Joanna Furnace was owned by Clement Grubb's son-in-law, L. Heber Smith. He was a Civil War Colonel who married Clement's daughter Ella Jane Brooke Grubb in 1868. The furnace was built in 1792. It is likely that the Grubbs helped with the furnace's big technological upgrade in 1889. The furnace continued to operate under Smith until it closed after his death in 1898. The furnace was bought by Bethlehem Steel, who later gave it to a historical association. The ruins have been improved and are open to visitors.

Robesonia Iron Company

The Robesonia Iron Company, which owned the Robesonia Furnaces in Berks County, was not a Grubb property. However, it affected the Grubbs and Colemans for most of the 1800s because it had rights to access Cornwall iron ore.

After Curtis Grubb's oldest son Peter Grubb III received his inheritance in 1783, he sold his share in the Hopewell Forges to Robert Coleman. But Peter made a condition: he and his family would always have the right to take enough ore from Cornwall Iron Mines to supply "one furnace." Peter later sold his remaining share of the iron mines, along with these rights, to George Ege in 1883.

Henry P. Robeson bought the business in 1845, and with it, the right to access Cornwall iron ore. Robeson replaced the old Reading Furnace with two newer and much larger Robesonia Anthracite Furnaces in 1848 and 1855. He still demanded the right to access Cornwall iron ore, to supply one furnace at a time. The new furnaces could make much more iron than was imagined in 1783. This right of access, especially how much ore "one furnace" could take, was a big problem for years between Robeson and the Grubbs and Colemans. The issue was in the courts for years and was not solved until 1880. In 1884, the company decided to make only one type of raw iron called "Robesonia," using only Cornwall ore, which they used in large amounts.

In 1926, the Bethlehem Steel Company, which owned the Cornwall iron mines since 1916, bought Robesonia. To protect the mines from using too much ore, Bethlehem Steel decided to close the Robesonia furnaces in 1927.