Museum Commission names new site administrator for Cornwall Iron Furnace

The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission has named a new site administrator at Cornwall Iron Furnace.

Becky LaBarre assumes the position today, Jan. 13, according to an announcement this month from Melissa Mann, director of the PHMC’s Bureau of Historic Sites and Museums.

In her role as site administrator, LaBarre will oversee all aspects of day-to-day operations and visitor services at Cornwall Iron Furnace, a press release states, noting that she “will be responsible for fostering a welcoming environment, strengthening community partnerships, and upholding the highest standards of interpretation and preservation for this National Historic Landmark.”

LaBarre has administered National Historic Landmark and National Register designated properties across Michigan, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, the release says. She specializes in “uplifting material culture objects, process, buildings, and landscapes, to encourage conversations about the American experience, and to inspire visitors to make meaningful connections between the past and their own lives through authentic, engaging, and inclusive experiences.”

Her professional background includes a deep focus on material culture, architectural heritage, and inclusive scholarship. She has extensive experience interpreting complex narratives, including industrial heritage, labor history, and the history of enslavement.

“We are thrilled to welcome Becky LaBarre to our leadership team and Cornwall Iron Furnace,” Mann said in the release. “Becky’s twenty-year career in historic preservation, her entrepreneurial approach to museum leadership, and her specific expertise in interpreting 18th and 19th century cultural and industrial history make her uniquely qualified to lead this site. We are confident her vision will ensure Cornwall Iron Furnace resonates with modern audiences while preserving its vital place in American history.”

The previous site administrator, Mike Emery, resigned in 2025 after seven years in the position, taking a job as chief of the eastern division of the Bureau of Historic Sites & Museums.

LaBarre earned a bachelor of fine arts in Interior Design from Adrian College and a master of science in Historic Preservation from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. For the past nine years, she has lived in a pre-Civil War home with her husband, Steve, and their two rescue cats, Tillie and Mosby, in Adams County. An enthusiast of Early American decorative arts and historic foodways, she also volunteers as a living history interpreter.

Cornwall Iron Furnace is a designated National Historic Landmark and the most intact charcoal cold-blast iron furnace in North America. It operated from 1742 to 1883 and produced pig iron and cannons for the American Revolution.