Speedwell Forge

Peter Grubb founded the Cornwall Iron Furnace as well as the Cornwall iron mines, the richest source of iron ever found in America east of Lake Superior.

In the 1730s, Grubb, a stonemason, began mining in what is now known as Cornwall, Pennsylvania, and literally stumbled upon one of the largest and richest iron mines ever found. (It was mined for over 240 years, until the open pit mine flooded in 1972). In 1742, Grubb built the Cornwall Iron Furnace which used a charcoal-fired blast furnace to convert iron ore to pig iron.

Peter Grubb's sons, Curtis and Peter Jr., operated the ironworks after 1765 and Peter Jr., who ran the Hopewell Forges on Hammer Creek, hired Robert Coleman.

Around 1735, John Jacob Huber, a German immigrant, set up a tavern on Newport Road, which ran from Lancaster, Pennsylvania to the port at Newport, Delaware. (This tavern is now the Forgotten Seasons B&B.) In 1746 he sold the tavern and purchased 400 acres (1.6 km²) of land in what is now Elizabeth County. By 1750 he built Elizabeth Furnace and began casting five-plate stoves, some of which survive today.

Huber hired another German immigrant, Henry William Stiegel, as clerk, and in 1752 Stiegel married Huber's daughter, Elizabeth. In 1757, Stiegel purchased his father-in-law's interest in the furnace. (The township later took its name from the furnace.)

James Old (1730-1809) emigrated from Wales in 1750. Arriving in Lancaster, he was employed at Windsor Forge in Caernarvon Township. A few years later, he struck out on his own and built Poole Forge, also in Caernarvon Township. In 1760, he and his partner David Caldwell purchased land from Huber along Hammer Creek, and built Speedwell Forge.

Robert Coleman (1748–1825) was born in Caste Finn, Ireland, and immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1764. Arriving penniless, his beautiful penmanship soon earned him a clerk position for the Reading Prothonotary. After two years, he was hired by Peter Grubb Jr. as a clerk at Hopewell Forge, in Lancaster County. However, in 1767, after only six months at Hopewell Forge, Coleman was hired by James Old, who had just leased Quittapahilla Forge in Lancaster County (now Lebanon County). Coleman lived with the Old family, travelling between Speedwell and Quittapahilla.

Because of its distance from town, a forge had to be self-sustaining, employing farmers, lumberjacks, blacksmiths, horses, livestock, etc. Thus the iron master oversaw not just a forge, but a community.

In 1767, Old took Coleman to Reading Furnace, in Chester County, Pennsylvania. In 1773, Coleman married Old's daughter, Anne. With the help of his father-in-law, Coleman leased Salford Forge, and began building his iron empire. In 1784, Coleman purchased Speedwell Forge from his father-in-law for 7000 pounds. After selling Speedwell, James Old purchased an interest in Hopewell Furnace in Berks County, Pennsylvania. There are indicators that he worked as a Justice of the Courts in Lancaster, and was a member of the State Assembly.

Coleman owned several furnaces during the Revolution, receiving many contracts for munitions and chain links, which were stretched across the bays to keep English war ships at bay. Coleman reinvested his profits, buying many forges and furnaces, even the Cornwall iron mine. He became Pennsylvania's first millionaire, and by the time of his death, his legacy was fully established.

Speedwell Forge was used as a training ground for his sons, before being promoted to furnaces.