Ref: The Hearthstone Town and Country Newspaper Pennsburg, Montgomery County, PA Thursday - July 10, 2003 VALLEY PAST By Larry Roeder THE IRON MASTER'S MANSION Three cheers to Barbara BRAY and the rest of the foundling members of the Green Lane Historical Trust! Some folks talk about saving historical sites, others shake their heads and say "somebody should have done something" right after the bulldozer turns a vital link to a proud past into dust. However, this recently organized group is focused, has a plan, and is now looking for partners to help them save the SCHALL House. Some may know the homestead as the HILTEBEITEL House. By any name, it's a gem. General William SCHALL built the house in 1835. It stands like a sentry guarding the intersection of the old Sumneytown-Spring House, Green Lane-Goshenhoppen and Perkiomen turnpikes (Routes 29 & 63) in Green Lane. An ornate iron fence surrounds the majestic gray stone building. I don't think one would be too far out of line if they assumed the fence was molded at the Green Lane Forge - the early industry that occupied most of the Green Lane area well into the 1800's. SCHALL succeeded Thomas MAYBURRY as iron master at the forge. MAYBURRY founded the original iron works in 1741. We'll learn more about MAYBURRY and the early Green Lane Forge in a future column. William SCHALL was an iron master from Berks County. His wife Caroline was the daughter of Reuben TREXLER, another iron master from that county. SCHALL purchased the Green Lane Forge and its 1,240 acres of land from the county sheriff in 1833. At first the SCHALLs lived in a nearby two-story house before moving into the iron master's mansion in 1835. It is believed that their original home was built by MAYBURRY in 1767. According to Beans' 1884 History of Montgomery County, SCHALL served in the Pennsylvania State House in 1835. By 1839, SCHALL had made considerable repairs to the business and added a furnace to the forge! In addition to operating the forge, William SCHALL was also an early developer in Green Lane. Among the buildings constructed by SCHALL were the Green Lane Hotel and a gristmill. The SCHALL family made a significant contribution to the Grand Army of the Republic during the Civil War. Eight of their sons served with the Union forces. Among them were twins Edwin and Edward. Edward served as a captain and lieutenant colonel under Colonel John HARTRANFT. After completing his first enlistment hitch, Edward re-enlisted but resigned his commission soon after in order to return to the family iron business, which was by now engaged in important government contracts to supply the war effort. Edwin served as a major, and later in 1862, he was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. He took over as the commander of the Second Brigade when HARTRANFT was made division commander. It was in Tennessee that SCHALL and his command endured some of their worst moments of the war. They were forced to share meager rations of corn with their artillery horses and baggage mules, while staging the heroic defense of Knoxville during the autumn of 1863. With the enlistments of his ragtag army about to expire, Edwin needed to gather all of his leadership skills and charisma to encourage them to re-enlist. Most of them did. Edwin and his brigade returned east for the spring campaign in 1864. He passed unharmed through the battles of the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and the North Ann. On June 3rd 1864, the day he re-enlisted, a sharp shooter's bullet felled Lieutenant Colonel Edwin SCHALL as he was leading an infantry charge at Cold Harbor Virginia. There are other stories about folks who called the iron master's mansion their home. Each one interesting, and most of them a vital part of the region's history. But I need to save some space to tell you about this house! I recently had the opportunity to take a tour of the building, and I must confess that the condition of it is quite impressive! Most of the doors have the original iron latches and hinges. Many of the windows are still sectioned in the six-panel panes that were popular when it was built. The waviness or imperfections in the windows hint that some of the glass panes may be the original sections placed there nearly 170 years ago! On top of the fireplace sat an iron plate with the initials WS and CS on it. The engraving is undoubtedly for William SCHALL and his wife Caroline. The beautiful marble fireplaces hint at the social stature of the early inhabitants of the home and the elegance that greeted guests. Even so, you couldn't help but visualize the office of an iron master located inside its walls. The prominent businessman whose savvy and skill were used to provide work for many of the local inhabitants. You could almost see SCHALL's desk in one corner of the room with a ledger propped open to today's entries, and a quill pen and inkwell setting along side. The outline of a large walk-in fireplace greets you by the back door, and the impressive wooden beams of the summer kitchen are full of large flat nails that may have been used to hang smoked meats upon. Nails that most likely came from the Green Lane Forge. The grounds surrounding this gem of a building are lush and green. You don't have to live in Green Lane to become a member of the Historical Trust - anyone can join. Just contact President of Green Lane Historical Trust, Inc. and head of the steering committee Barbara Bray at (215) 234-4575 or Vice-President Walt Hockman at (215) 234-4015. The cost is $15 single, $20 family. Plan on becoming a member of the Green Lane Historical Trust, and do it now. I am. These folks have a plan and are working on making it a reality. Don't put off joining until it's too late.