In the 1870s, merchant Cyrus Rex purchased land east of the Cornwall mines that had been timbered for the charcoal. Rex helped provide mortgages for buyers of acre-sized lots. The lure of private ownership versus company housing appealed to many of the mine and furnace workers. Rexmont eventually included a hotel, bakery, shirt factory, cigar factory, confectionery store and several dry-goods stores.
Rex's personal home was built in 1875 and is now known as the Rexmont Inn. Rex lived there with his niece, Susan Amanda, until his death.
In the 90 years after Rex’s death, the house’s imposing front tower was removed and the building deteriorated. As the Rubys and their contractors were transforming it into a lovely inn, the workers spoke of often feeling as if someone were standing behind them when they were alone.
Mystery and lore fill the internet with rumors of continued hauntings in the Rexmont Inn. Goblets flying across the room, airborne planters, slamming doors, and occasional sightings continue to fuel speculation.
Regardless of the authenticity of these supposed hauntings, Rex is remembered for offering the miners of Cornwall Iron Mines a better way of life by paving the road for private home ownership.
!!!Congrats six-pac on the FTF!!!