Cornwall Borough resident Bruce Chadbourne offers another of his “Who Knew?” installments of Cornwall history.
This series has been exploring the origins of the DeHuff house that in recent years has been home to many women and children served by the Lebanon Rescue Mission in its Agape Family Shelter.
Thanks now to contributions from a reader and DeHuff descendant in Amarillo, Texas, we close by circling back to Henry DeHuff, father of Gilbert, Jacob and 12 other DeHuff children, who set this story in motion. In finishing we learn a little more about early Lebanon charity.
Henry DeHuff (1794-1854)
Henry, patriarch of the Lebanon DeHuffs, was a coppersmith like his father Abraham, Jr. (1771-1814), who had plied his trade in York.
Henry’s grandfather, Abraham, Sr. (1735-1821) a saddler by trade, came from Elkton, the northeast corner of Maryland. He served as Captain of a company early in the Revolutionary War; subsequently captured, spending 17 months as a prisoner of war.
After Henry’s father died his uncle Robert Reed, a Lancaster coppersmith continued to teach him the trade. That Henry had moved to Lancaster is further confirmed by the record showing he was inducted into Lancaster’s Lodge No. 43 of the F. & A. M. (Free and Accepted Masons) on December 11, 1816. The other man inducted that day was a 25 year-old Lancaster lawyer, James Buchanan (three years prior to his engagement to Anne Caroline Coleman).
In 1816, Henry married Sarah Brown in Lancaster where he began working, and then moved to Lebanon in 1820.
Sarah Brown, a Molly Pitcher story
The DeHuff family has enjoyed a legend that Henry’s first wife Sarah was the original “Molly Pitcher,” in the colorful story of a woman who took her wounded husband’s place as an artilleryman in the Battle of Monmouth in the Revolution. While engaging in battle, the lower portion of her dress was shot away by a cannonball.
The Wikipedia account states her name as Mary Hays (buried in nearby Carlisle, PA), but adds that several women were seen that day assisting on the battlefield. The DeHuffs might still have a leg to stand on, except that Sarah was born much later in 1797. Family historian James Elfelt offers a plausible version: that Sarah was born in Trenton, near Monmouth, and it was her mother who was on the battlefield assisting and bringing water to the troops.
Margaret Arndt DeHuff (1804-1891)
Lebanon would know many DeHuffs; Henry and Sarah raised seven children before her death in Lebanon in 1831. Two years later he married Margaret Arndt, a relationship that produced seven more children. Several of these were featured in part 1 of the story, especially Catherine (Kate), Anna, and Abraham Gilbert DeHuff.
Margaret’s parents Jacob Arndt and Susanna Schindel of Lebanon married in 1799. They also raised seven children. Two siblings of note: Catherine (1808-1885) was the second wife of Dr. John W. Gloninger (1798 – 1874) mentioned in part 2 of the story.
Susanna (1811-1848) married George Gleim, a bank officer. Their son George Gleim, Jr (1843-1912) studied medicine with Dr. Gloninger and served Lebanon and Cornwall for many years.
Opening shop in Lebanon
Henry announced his arrival with a notice in the newspaper on April 29, 1820. A translation of the article informs the inhabitants of Lebanon County that he is opening his business as “Kupfer Schmiedt” (coppersmith) in the house of Mr. George Oves, opposite Mr. Gleim’s inn.
Furthermore he offered a variety of copper articles, whether in stock or manufactured to order, such as tea kettles, vats for washing or dyeing, and other articles made of copper sheet, selling all “at cheap price, doing his best to earn the support of an honored public by good work and punctuality.”
One special offering he mentioned were boilers for distilling whiskey. This was an important product of the county, for consumption locally and in trade with Philadelphia. His was the recent “Witmer improvement” to the distillation process patented by Anderson in 1801, sure to be preferred by his customers.
His business flourished; in a second newspaper notice three years later “Heinrich” DeHuff announced his moving further down Market Street (since renamed South 9th Street) into the house just south of Mr. Leineweber’s (Lineaweaver) inn. He promised no disruption to the quality and service to his friends and public.
Well-established
Henry grew in standing as a citizen of Lebanon. In 1839 Governor David Rittenhouse Porter appointed him prothonotary for Lebanon, along with his neighbor George Lineaweaver as Register.
The next year he became elector in the 10th district for the presidential election for Martin van Buren and his vice president Richard M. Johnson.
In 1852 he was treasurer of the Lebanon School District, posting a notice in the paper advising taxpayers in the district to appear at the courthouse on a particular Saturday to pay the school tax for the year. Those failing to do so would be visited by the Constable of the Borough and be assessed an extra 5%.
In 1854, Henry DeHuff was elected to the board of directors of the North Lebanon Railroad, along with fellow directors R.W. Coleman and Wm. Coleman (uncle and father, respectively of Robert H. Coleman “Florida Man”) among several others.
Henry died later that same year, leaving his house and estate to his wife Margaret. She continued to live in the house at 520 Cumberland Street with several of her adult children. She died in 1891, leaving the house to Jacob and Susanna (part 3).
The Brick Sunday School house and Beneficial Societies
In keeping with the theme “Spirit of Kindness,” one more thread in the DeHuff story bears mentioning.
In 1946, with his neighbor George Lineaweaver and friend Israel Embich, Henry bought the old “Brick Sunday School house” formerly belonging to the Lutheran and German Reformed Church (photo above from Mike Trump is believed to be the structure, which later became the Lebanon High School). It is described as bounded by Mulberry Street north (later known as North 10th Street), adjacent to lots of John Oswald, Jacob Arndt, John Gloninger (southeast of now 10th and Willow).
The indenture of the sale described the property as “for sole use by the Lebanon County beneficial society.” Later, after Henry’s death, the only surviving trustee George Linaweaver sold it to the Lebanon County Beneficial Society for $1 in 1857.
A news article in 1873 reported the “Beneficial Society” meeting the third Monday of each month in their hall on 10th Street.
This “Spirit of Kindness” story began with the Agape shelter and mentioned the Home for Widows. Were beneficial societies another example of benevolent care by Lebanon’s 19th century citizens? Or could it have been a kind of men’s club?
One story that year reported a controversy in the German Lutheran congregation over “secret beneficial societies.” The minister opposed them to the extent of refusing to officiate at the funerals of such members.
Researching old reports in the “Lebanon Daily News” shows numerous beneficial societies had formed for a variety of reasons. DeHuff and Lineaweaver’s may have begun to serve the members of their F.&A.M. Lodge 226, to provide hospitalization or to look after their widows.
In the 1870s and later, beneficial societies served companies such as the Reading railroad and the Lebanon Rolling Mill. Another served the members of “St. Patrick’s Hibernian Beneficial Society of the Borough of Lebanon (first formed in Philadelphia in 1790 for the relief of Irish immigrants).” St. Mary’s Beneficial Society saw to the funeral of a railroad watchman who had served for years at the corner of Eighth and Railroad streets. The Pennsylvania Bolt and Nut Beneficial society paid death benefits to employees whose wives had died, and to the widow of an employee crushed in a fly wheel.
All these examples shed an interesting light on how 19th century society cared for its own, in years before the “insurance and benefits plans” offered by large corporations.
Story Credits
Thanks to James Elfelt of Amarillo, Texas, for being a LebTown reader, and for his wonderful and extensive contributions to this story concerning Henry DeHuff. Other helpful input came from Mike Trump, and Michael Emery Site Administrator Cornwall Iron Furnace, and Chief, Eastern Division of the PHMC.
Questions about this story? Suggestions for a future LebTown article? Reach our newsroom using this contact form and we’ll do our best to get back to you.
Free news isn’t cheap. If you value the journalism LebTown provides to the community, then help us make it sustainable by becoming a champion of local news. You can unlock additional coverage for the community by supporting our work with a one-time contribution, or joining as a monthly or annual member. You can cancel anytime.
More Top Stories
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
