Cornwall

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Cornwall became a borough on October 11, 1926 after having been a

part of northern Lancaster County and, for a while of eastern Dauphin

County as Cornwall Township. At the time it officially became a

Borough, it was comprised of 6 widely separated villages. In 2002 it

currently consists of 16 separate villages or developments with a total

population of about 3,486. Cornwall Borough embraces 9.7 square

miles in area (more than twice that of the City of Lebanon at 4.6 square

miles and has about 1/10 the population as has the City). Cornwall

maintains more than 50 miles of paved roads and streets. It is the

largest borough geographically, in the continental United States. Cornwall is also larger in area than the City of Harrisburg – the Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

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Cornwall’s heritage is completely that of a industrial complex which flourished for 236 years, generated by the world famous Open Pit Iron Ore Mine, and underground mine at Burd Coleman and another at Rexmont, iron furnaces at North Cornwall, Burd Coleman, and Anthracite Village, ore roasters at Anthracite, an iron ore Concentrator Plant at Rexmont, all of which were serviced by three railroads – Cornwall Railroad, Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad, and Cornwall Ore Bank Railroad. The former two railroads transported passengers, as well, with the Cornwall R.R. handling more than five million passengers during its operating years. All of the foregoing have disappeared, leaving only the original Charcoal Furnace (1742) standing intact as a museum, having ceased operations in 1883.

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Cornwall’s industry produced cannon and munitions and iron products for all of the wars in which our Country was engaged from the Revolutionary War through Vietnam. It supplied the iron for rails and spikes necessary for the westward expansion and development of the United States and for its bridges and buildings. Cornwall played a vital role in the overall development and protection of our Country.

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Today living in Cornwall offers residents a suburban feel and has good public schools.