Mt. Gretna: a Coleman Legacy

By Jack Bitner

Jack Bitner researched the history of Mt. Gretna from the time the area was used for wood to make charcoal for the Cornwall Iron Furnace a few miles away to the development of the area as the town of Mt. Gretna with its amusement park, the home of the PA National Guard from 1885 to 1935 to the founding of the PA Chautauqua and the settlement of The Brethren in Christ Campmeeting, both in 1892. This book was written and published in 1992 to celebrate the one hundredth anniversary of the PA Chautauqua & the Campmeeting. This is a colorful story about Robert Habersham Coleman, owner of the land, developing this community until his financial reversals in 1893 and the struggles to provide the unique community it is today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 19, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456718947

Jack Bitner

Born in Harrisburg, John Donald Bitner, Sr. known as "Mr. Mt. Gretna" graduated from the John Harris High School in 1935. Served in the U.S. Army Air Corp until 1938 at which time he enrolled in aeronautical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. In his senior year he met his future wife, Jeanine Stephenson. Upon graduation Jack was commissioned into the U.S. Army Air Force where he served during WWII. After the war, Jack and Jeanine were married and Jack became employed with Martin Aircraft Co in Baltimore, MD. At Martin Jack designed several missiles one of which was deployed in Germany and Okinawa as an atomic deterrent. upon retirement, he and Jeanine bough a home in Mt. Gretna where his family always had a cottage going back to his grandparents at the first campmeeting in 1892. Jack died in his beloved Mt. Gretna in March 2008.

Book preview

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chronological Subject Index

Chapter 1

Robert Coleman: An American Dynasty

Chapter 2

Mt. Gretna: The Early Years

Chapter 3

Chautauqua In America

Chapter 4

1892: Chautauqua Campus

Chapter 5

The United Brethren

Chapter 6

1892: Woodland Chapel

Chapter 7

End Of A Dynasty: Growth Of A Resort

Chapter 8

A New Century

Chapter 9

Coming Of Age

Epilogue

Chapter 10

Reflections

Appendix

Mount Gretna In All Seasons

Sources

Basic References

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. . .We came to a place thickly wooded. . .where a wagon road. . .crossing the railroad. . .toward the distant brook through tall, over-hanging green briers, a wild garden of a forest. . .

Hugh Maxwell 1883

Preface

In 1883, a rustic station where Robert H. Coleman’s new Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad crossed old Pinch Road was named Mt. Gretna. Within three years, it was joined by a park, a lake and a National Guard encampment. But the salient year in Mt. Gretna’s history was 1892, when the Pennsylvania Chautauqua and United Brethren Church found summer homes across Conewago Creek. For each new arrival, Bob Coleman served as midwife, offering liberal terms and personally overseeing all arrangements. By the end of that summer, Mt. Gretna’s enduring future was assured.

As the centennial of that momentous summer approaches, a definitive history of Mt. Gretna is presented herein as part of the observance. Emphasis is on the events of 1892, but included are the total story of a delightful Victorian summer resort, of its creator and godfather, and of the events which brought Chautauqua and Campmeeting to Mt. Gretna.

The early chapters outline the history of the Coleman family, from immigrant Robert to great-grandson Robert H., and the mesh of his life with the birth and early years of Mt. Gretna. The story of the Chautauqua movement and of the United Brethren Church set the stage for the climactic summer of 1892, which is described in considerable detail.

Later chapters covering the growth and maturing of Mt. Gretna are roughly chronological, but basically subject-oriented. To capture as faithfully as possible the utter charm and nostalgia of a Victorian woodland resort, descriptions of the day are preserved from the Lebanon Daily News and brochures issued by the C&L RR.

Appended is Mt. Gretna in all Seasons, a marvelous piece of Pennsylvania literature which captures the very essence of a past era.

Acknowledgements

As the centennial of the Chautauqua and the Campmeeting at Mt. Gretna nears, the Mt. Gretna Arts Council suggested a history with emphasis on 1892 as part of the observance. The author undertook the task as a culmination of 30 years of research into every facet of that history.

The support of Tom and Joyce Ebright has been such that this book is theirs as much as the author’s.

Joyce Ebright wrote Chapter 3, her research including a visit to the New York Chautauqua with their historian, Alfreda Irwin.

Violet Nagel Shelley wrote Chapter 5, reflecting her life-long association with the United Brethren Church.

Bill and Leane Harrington provided generous support.

Henry Westenberger has shared much of the research reflected here-in, and provided many of the photographs.

Polly King corrected most of the author’s errors while typing the manuscript.

The architectural firm of Nissley and Johnston, and Flash Light at the Lebanon Court House assisted generously with maps and reproductions.

Rev. Ezra Ranck, Tom Ebright, and Bruce Gettle provided material on the United Brethren Church camp.

Jeanine has lived with tons of railroad hardware, thousands of old bottles, a carousel organ, etc. without complaint - and patiently assisted a grateful husband in preparing this history.

Chronological Subject Index

Chapter 1

Robert Coleman: An American Dynasty

The Coleman Dynasty played a vital role in the economic and industrial growth of our nation throughout its first century. By 1798, immigrant Robert Coleman controlled an iron-producing complex centered at Cornwall. The affairs of this European-style Baron rivaled those of darkest Victorian fiction. His great-grandson, Robert Habersham Coleman, inherited controlling interest of one of the richest empires in the nation at age nine. In the process of expanding it, he personally oversaw the creation of a summer community named Mt. Gretna. Of different temperament than his ancestor, he yielded to financial reverses ten years later and left Cornwall never to return. He was to all practical purposes the last of his line.

The boy who was destined to become Pennsylvania’s first millionaire arrived in Philadelphia from Ireland in 1764. He was 16 years old. His assets were those which led many others to success in the new world; he wrote a good hand, he could do his sums, he was intelligent, energetic and ambitious. His tangible assets consisted of three guineas and two letters of introduction.

After two years as a legal clerk, he caught the attention of Curtis and Peter Grubb, sons of the Peter Grubb who built the Cornwall Furnace in 1742. They hired him as record keeper at their Hopewell Furnace. We may assume that during his six months at Hopewell, he lost no opportunity to learn all he could about the iron industry, revealing the first vestiges of that shrewdness which was to become so basic a part of his character.

Coleman’s next employer was James Old, with whom he lived at Speedwell Forge. This opportunity Coleman took full advantage of, for in October 1773 he married Old’s daughter Ann. That same year he rented Salford Furnace. Robert Coleman was now well established in the iron industry with excellent prospects for the future.

Three years later Coleman leased Elizabeth Furnace, on the eve of our revolt against English rule. His efficient management quickly made him a prime munitions supplier to the Continental Army. Ironically, he employed William Henry Stiegel, whose phenomenal career had been similar to Coleman’s. That career was now tragically ended as a result of personal excesses and failure of his glass-making venture at Manheim. Ironic too is the fact that today Stiegel glass is the most coveted by collectors, one piece often bringing more than several month’s production in Stiegel’s time.

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House Built by Immigrant Robert Coleman at Colebrook in 1791

Among the munitions supplied by Elizabeth Furnace was the huge iron chain which was stretched across the Delaware River to prevent entry by British ships. Manpower requirements at the furnace were such that when Hessian mercenary soldiers were captured at the battle of Trenton in December 1776, seventy were sent to Elizabeth. It was they who dug the Hessian Ditch to Furnace Creek to increase water-wheel power. The trench remains to this day.

Profits from these activities were such that by 1786, Coleman had purchased two-thirds of Elizabeth Furnace, one-sixth of Cornwall from the Grubbs, all of Speedwell and one-third of Upper and Lower Hopewell. These purchases involved a total of about 25,000 pounds - a very large sum in those days. In 1791 he built Colebrook Furnace which was similar to Cornwall. It was supplied with ore from the Cornwall pits over Mine Road, which is in use today. That year he also built the stone house which still stands at the intersection in Colebrook. By 1798, he owned all of Elizabeth Furnace, and all but one-sixth of Cornwall which was retained by the Grubbs.

Robert Coleman was now not only a very prosperous ironmaster with vast holdings, but a man of considerable prestige and political influence. Washington is believed to have visited him at Elizabeth Furnace in 1792, as well as many other prominent figures of the day such as Robert Morris. A staunch Federalist, he became active in political affairs. In 1783, he was elected to the Pennsylvania legislature, and was commissioned an Associate Judge in 1791. He narrowly missed election to the United States Senate in 1793. Although he held a number of other offices, his prospects for national office declined with the popularity of the Federalists at the turn of the century.

There has long been uncertainty as to the number of Robert and Ann Coleman’s children. We now take as authoritative the results of long research published in 1988 by Ruth Stark Burnite, a descendant (ref 4). She concludes that there were fourteen children. It is well beyond the scope of this book to trace the complex affairs and transactions of the Coleman Dynasty, which would require a number of volumes. We shall touch briefly on those of interest and of relevance to historic remains of their endeavors, then take up the story of the fourth generation Robert Coleman who literally created Mt. Gretna.

Of the fourteen Coleman children, two died in infancy, and six died without issue. Two sons and their progeny perpetuated and expanded the Coleman Empire. To these we will return.

Two daughters achieved lasting memory under tragic circumstances. History usually deals charitably with the intimate personal affairs of its cast. Yet one need not delve too deeply between the documented lines to conclude that in the accumulation of his vast holdings, Robert Coleman had become not only shrewd, but ruthless. As his wealth and prestige increased, one senses that so did his stubborn will and determination to have his own way. Those who knew him might have thought him to be arrogant, perhaps cruel.

Robert and Ann’s twelfth child was born in 1796. Ann Caroline was thirteen when her father retired from active involvement in the iron industry and they moved to Lancaster. In the course of her active social life, she met and announced her engagement to a young lawyer named James Buchanan in 1819. Her father withheld his approval, leading to termination of the engagement. Ann was sent to her sister Margaret in Philadelphia. She died on December 9, 1819. While there is no conclusive proof, it is conceded even by historians that the cause of death was an overdose of laudanum. Buchanan never married; his niece Harriet Lane served as hostess during his days in the White House.

The fourteenth and last child of Robert and Ann was Sarah Hand Coleman, born in 1802. Her father was dominant in affairs of St. James Episcopal Church, based, of course, on the fact that he was its primary financial pillar. He differed with Rev. William Muhlenberg over the issue of Wednesday evening services, and forbade the minister to enter his home. Whether or not he knew that Sarah and Rev. Muhlenberg were in love would have made no difference to Coleman. After Coleman died in 1825, his will imposed restrictions which continued to prevent a union between them. Rev. Muhlenberg left Lancaster for another congregation, and, like James Buchanan, never married. Sarah was sent to Philadelphia to her sister Margaret, as her sister Ann had been. Her life ended a few years later under circumstances very similar to those surrounding Ann’s premature death.

James, the sixth child of Robert and Ann, was born in 1784. He followed in his father’s footsteps, taking over management of several furnaces. At age 37, he married Harriet Dawson of Philadelphia. Their five children were Robert, George Dawson, Anna, Sarah Hand and Harriet. After James’ death in 1831, the family lived in Philadelphia but spent their summers at the Elizabeth Estate. Robert and George Dawson managed Cornwall and Elizabeth Furnaces which were included in their inheritance. In 1852, George Dawson purchased Robert’s interests and remained active in the iron industry throughout his life. He married Deborah Brown of Philadelphia. The union produced eleven children. It was their son James who was thrown from a horse and killed at age fourteen. The Coleman Memorial Chapel, which is on Route 501 just north of Brickerville, was built and dedicated in his memory.

The chapel is just across Route 501 from the site of Elizabeth Furnace. The estate is now known variously as Elizabeth Mansion, Elizabeth Estate,

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Coleman Memorial Chapel

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The Mansion at Elizabeth Furnace

Wing at right is the original Stiegel House, the left portion added by Robert Coleman.

or more recently as Evergreen Farm. The large stone mansion consists of a wing originally built by William Henry Stiegel, to which was appended a larger block by Robert Coleman. The original home of Jacob Huber, who built Elizabeth Furnace, stands near the mansion, in a marvelous state of preservation. It dates to around 1750. The estate is owned and periodically occupied by descendants. Sons offer promise that this last Coleman mansion will continue beyond the two centuries it has remained in the family.

Thomas Burd Coleman, the eleventh child of Robert and Ann, was born in 1794. (Their fourth child of the same name died at age two). Apprenticed at age 15 into the iron industry, he moved to York County where he married Hannah Cassat. They had six children. When Hannah died at age 34, Thomas and the children returned to his parent’s home in Cornwall. He survived Hannah by only six years, dying in 1836 at age 42.

Robert W. and William, the two sons of Thomas Burd and Hannah, inherited jointly their father’s estate, which included 25 shares each of the original 80 shares in the Cornwall operations acquired by their grandfather, Robert Coleman.

In 1855, William married Ellen Habersham of Savannah, Georgia. Robert W. never married, but lived with his brother at Cornwall. Two sisters of William and Robert W. married men who became active in managing the Cornwall enterprises, Annie to Bradford Alden, and Margaret to William Freeman. Both built mansions in Cornwall.

William and Robert W. now turned to the serious task of managing the iron empire they had inherited. Between 1846 and 1854, two anthracite furnaces had been erected at Cornwall, and one in North Lebanon. More efficient because of the higher temperatures provided by coal, these were soon to force termination of charcoal furnaces - both the original built by Peter Grubb at Cornwall in 1742, and the Colebrook Furnace built in 1791 by immigrant Robert Coleman.

Ellen Coleman returned to Savannah twice, for the birth of a son, Robert Habersham, in 1856, and then a daughter, Anne, in 1858. As the nation entered into the agony of the Civil War, its distress was symbolized and amplified in Ellen’s. Born and raised in Georgia, she now owed first loyalty to the man and family who helped arm the Union forces in the heart of Pennsylvania. This became compounded by her husband’s failing health. William Coleman died at home in Cornwall in May 1861, at age 35.

With the help of lawyer Samuel Small, Robert W. now took control of the vast Coleman iron empire. Their efficient management produced huge profits during the war, but Robert W. did not live to enjoy these nor the victory of the Union, for he died in 1864. Controlling interest of the empire passed to Robert Habersham, age nine, and his sister Anne, age seven. Samuel Small was appointed their guardian. Thus was the stage set for Robert Habersham Coleman to step forward as star of the final act in the American epic of the Coleman Dynasty. We have to this point slashed the shortest path through the tangled affairs by which the Colemans had assembled their empire. It is of interest now to reflect on the childhood of this nine-year old boy who is already a millionaire, and who is destined to control one of the richest estates in the country. Surely it is relevant to the fact that at age 37 he retired from the stage never to