BlfrUncMtef Farming, Saturday, February 1, 1992
Grube Family Surrounded By Rich History
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Farming Staff
LmTZ (Lancaster Co.) If
you are a history buff who is
intrigued by the glamour and mys
tique of the famous, then the life of
Judy and Don Grube would thrill
you.
The Grubes and their two child
ren, Todd and Sherec, live in the
Stiegel House and are caretakers
for the Coleman Mansion near
Brickerville.
This former home of aristocrats
brims with history, glamour, and a
bit of mystery. It’s the house where
Baron Stiegel amassed great for
tune until his frivolous lifestyle
forced him to sell the property to
Robert Coleman who built a nine
room addition and amassed 22,000
acres.
For the past 14 years, the prop
erty while owned by descendants
of Robert Coleman, is home to the
Grubes. Judy is quick to point out
that living on the estate is not all
glamour. It’s a lot of hard work
both inside and outside the man
sion to keep it in shape. In addition,
the couple operate their own busi
ness, Eton Grube’s Property Ser
vices. which has mulch, firewood
sales and offers custom skid
loader and back hoe work.
In the fall, Todd was admitted to
DeVry Institute of Technology in
Columbus, Ohio, on a full scholar
ship for electronics engineering.
His absence means that 16-year
old Sheree and Judy need to help
more with the business. They tend
the business located along Route
322, load mulch with the skid load
er and even split firewood with a
splitter. Judy also does the
bookkeeping.
“Caring for the grounds and
operating our business is a family
family works together In their business called Don Gmbe’s
Property Services. Here Don and Judy load firewood for a
customer.
The Coleman mansion on the left is connected to the Stelgel house i
Gmbes) that hasa long connecting belfry wing that was usedto house
oners of war during the American Revolution.
affair and keeps us busy,” said
Judy. “It takes seven to eight hours
to mow the lawn and we hire
neighbor kids to pick up sticks.”
Despite the business, Judy
admits the breathtaking beauty Of
the grounds is exhilarating.
The history of the Coleman
Estates begins in 1746 when John
Jacob Huber, an immigrant from
Germany, acquired 400 acres of
land on the northern end of Lan
caster County where he amassed a
fortune in ironmaking.
About six years later, Heinrich
Wilhelm Stiegel, an employee in
the blast furnace married Huber’s
daughter Elizabeth. Five years
later, Stiegel with partners. Alex
ander and Charles Stedman and
John Barr, purchased the land from
his father-in-law. Within .three
short years, Stiegel increased the
acreage to 10,544.
Stiegel updated the Huber Fur
nace and when the official opening
ceremony was held, the torch
which set the Furnace ablaze was
held by his wife Elizabeth and
christened Elizabeth Furnace. That
same year, the surrounding lands
were named Elizabeth Township.
One year laler, Elizabeth died
while giving birth to her second
child. Elizabeth Furnace experi
enced a building boom and in less
than a year, Stiegel married
another woman named Elizabeth.
Judy said that during that era,
people referred to the property as
the Elizabeth Furnace Plantation
because it was a village complete
with schoolhouse, grist and saw
mill, 2S tenant houses, a general
store, blacksmith shop and wagon
maker’s shop.
Four of the buildings still stand
ing today include the long stables
with their flattened arch doorway.
Although surrounded by the fascinating history of the rich and famous, the Grube
family believe they live an ordinary life as caretakers of the Coleman Mansion. From
left: Don, Judy, Todd, and Sherae Grube.
the charcoal house where charcoal
was stored to provide heat to melt
the ore, the original home of John
Jacob Huber, and the original ten
ant worker’s house now used as a
play house. A large stone outhouse
containing two rooms, one for men
and one for ladies, is still standing.
Each side has three seats, one low
enough for children.
In 1763, the Baron began his
glass blowing business for which
he became famous. Bottle glass
and windows known as Stiegel
glass are rare but several pieces
remain in the Coleman mansion.
At first, it seemed that Stiegel
was bom to amass fortunes, but
unfortunately Stiegel. who
claimed to be a baron although it
was never documented, was prone
to grandiose living and high risk
business ventures and he ended up
in debtor’s prison.
It is said that Stiegel had a
75-foot tower erected where a
watchman fired a cannon to salute
the Baron and announce his
arrival.
Later, the Baron founded the
town of Manheim and had a band
and orchestra play whenever he
approached the town. The towns
people were expected to dance in
the streets whenever the band play
ed to greet the Baron’s arrival.
After the Coleman family took
over Elizabeth Furnace, they
•motor the
lesoian pile-
jiKfing the Coleman Mansion are
excellent for horserlding, which the Gnibe’s two duarter
horses offer.
<fli JP A PL
during the 1700 s are still In good condition on the Coleman
Mansion grounds.
amassed a great fortune from the
iron business.
During the Revolutionary War,
70 Hessian prisoners of war were
lodged in the Belfry addition. It
was their job to dig a canal 6x6 feet
to reinforce waters to run the wheel
which drove the blast engine at the
furnace. It is known as the Hessian
Ditch and remains of it can still be
found today.
During die era when former
President James Buchanan was
Lancaster’s most eligible bache
lor. Coleman’s daughter, Ann, fell
in love with young James Bucha
nan. When the relationship ended
during a lover’s quarrel. Ann
traveled to Philadelphia where she
died suddenly and mysteriously.
Although no legal evidence
exists, it is rumored that she com
mitted suicide. Her father must
have believed Buchanan was
responsible for his daughter’s
death, because he refused to allow
Buchanan to attend the funeral or
visit his home again. It is believed
that Buchanan never forgot Ann as
he kept her portrait above the man
tel in his Wheatland bedroom and
he never married.
Tragedy increased for the Cole
man family when a younger Cole
man daughter became romantical
ly attached to William Augustus
Muhlenberg, a minister for whom
Coleman built a church. But when
the minister attempted to hold
evening services in the church,
Coleman forebade the minister to
visit his daughter. Two months
after her father’s death, the daugh
ter traveled to Philadelphia where
she died as suddenly and mystcri-
(Turn to Pago B 18) '