Commemoration of 50th Anniversary of the Closing of Cornwall Ore Mine

Friends of Cornwall Iron Furnace to Commemorate 50th Anniversary of the Closing of Cornwall Ore Mine

The Friends of Cornwall Iron Furnace will be honoring the legacy of the historic Cornwall Ore Mine on Saturday, June 17th, 2023, as they commemorate the 50th anniversary of the mine’s closing. This free family-friendly and wheelchair accessible event will begin at 10:00 am in the Cornwall Elementary School auditorium with remarks and recollections from community historians and local dignitaries. The tribute will conclude with the recognition of those former miners in attendance as well as a wreath-laying ceremony at the miner statue in front of the school. Guests will then be invited back to Cornwall Iron Furnace for refreshments and fellowship.

In conjunction with the anniversary event, the Friends will be officially unveiling a new publication, “Always More Production,” by local geologist and historian, Michael Weber. The book, which will be available for purchase that day, offers a scholarly and well-researched history of Cornwall’s mining operations, featuring many photographs and historic documents as well as information garnered from records of the Cornwall Ore Bank Company and Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Mr. Weber will be on-hand to meet guests and sign copies of his book.

Historically, the Cornwall Ore Mine was one of the most productive iron ore mining enterprises in the world. Beginning in 1737, over 106 million tons of ore were unearthed, and thousands of workers made the villages of Cornwall, Burd Coleman, Rexmont, and Minersvillage their homes. As a result of Tropical Storm Agnes and market forces, mining ceased at Cornwall in 1973, closing the books on 236 years of operations.

Cornwall Iron Furnace is administered by the Pennsylvania Historic Museum Commission (PHMC) and is the most complete cold-blast furnace in North America. Tours of the Furnace will be offered on the day of the event; tickets may be purchased at the Cornwall Iron Furnace Visitor Center located at 94 Rexmont Road, Cornwall. Furnace tours cost $8 for adults, $7 for senior citizens and AAA members, and $4 for youth (ages 13-17); ages 12 and under are free. Please call the furnace at 717-272-9711 and check the website at www.cornwallironfurnace.org for updated information.