The area of the park was originally inhabited by the Susquehannock people. They found ample hunting and fishing grounds along the Codorus Creek, whose name means “Rapid Waters”. Wars with nearby Indigenous groups and the push of European settlers led to the demise of the Susquehannocks.
The early European settlers were primarily farmers, but industry soon followed. Gristmills and sawmills began utilizing the local streams for power in the mid-1700s. With the abundance of streams, forests, and the discovery of iron ore near the Pigeon Hills in 1752, forges and furnaces quickly followed.
Mary Ann Furnace was built in 1762 by George Stevenson, George Ross, and William Thompson. This furnace is believed to be the first charcoal furnace built on the western side of the Susquehanna River. The furnace manufactured pans, kettles, utensils, and five-plate stoves. It also supplied cannon balls and grapeshot for the continental army. No structures remain of the ironworks. Artifacts, including an original five-plate stove, are on display at the park visitor center.
The four original founders of Mary Ann Furnace had a great impact on the United States.
George Stevenson emigrated from Ireland and was employed as a deputy surveyor by the Penn Family. Stevenson organized wagons and supplies for the Forbes Campaign during the French and Indian War. When the British occupied Philadelphia and York became the capital of the Colonies, George Washington called on George Stevenson to take charge of the supply lines.
George Ross was a lawyer from Lancaster. During the American Revolutionary War, he served in the Provincial Assembly, the Provincial Conference, and the Continental Congress. He signed the Declaration of Independence. He also introduced George Washington to the widow of his nephew, the flag maker Betsy Ross.
William Thompson emigrated from Ireland. In the French and Indian War, he served as a officer under John Armstrong in the Kittanning Expedition and as a captain of the light horse in the Forbes Campaign. In the American Revolutionary War, he became the colonel of the first colonial infantry and advanced to brigadier general. He was captured in the Second Assault on Quebec and held prisoner for four years, only to die not long after his release.
Mark Bird was the son of ironmaster William Bird of Hopewell Furnace. In the American Revolutionary War, Mark Bird served as deputy quartermaster and as a colonel. He used his own money and ironworks to supply cannons and munitions. After the war, he was never repaid. Deep in debt, he went bankrupt and fled to North Carolina to avoid his creditors.
The Up and Down Lake
A cooperative project between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Glatfelter Paper Company of Spring Grove resulted in the impounding of Codorus Creek. This undertaking was the first of its kind in the commonwealth. It was designed to serve the water supply needs of a private industry and the town of Spring Grove, and to provide a public recreation area.
Project 70 funding, an initiative to provide all Pennsylvania residents with access to green space, was used by the commonwealth to acquire 145 properties in 1965-1966, including the village of Marburg. The area was cleared of trees and buildings, although some bridges and roadways remain. The Glatfelter Paper Company began construction of the dam in 1965. The gates first closed, impounding the water, in December of 1966. Funding from the Land and Water Conservation and Reclamation Act, known as Project 500, was used to install the park infrastructure. Originally known as Codorus Creek State Park, the park opened on May 30, 1967. Lake Marburg is named for the small community of Marburg that the waters of the lake now cover.
The Glatfelter Paper Company was sold in 2018 to Pixelle Specialty Solutions, LLC, who is permitted to draw water from the lake for their needs. This means the lake water level can drop up to 22 feet in a summer, only to rise again with rainfall.