True or false: The Johannes and Cristina Schultz House along Locust Grove Road in Springettsbury Township is the oldest in York County?

Most people who have studied York County history will probably answer “True.” After all, the datestone, translated, states: “In the year, 1734, John Schultz and his wife Christina, built this house.”

If the house was constructed in 1734, then it is probably the oldest in York County because there are no records of any other extant structure being built earlier.

Local historians (including me) have reported this “fact” again and again over the years. Recently, however, there has been some question as to the authenticity of that “fact.”

In fairness, local architectural historians have always dealt with a dichotomy in classifying the building as the county’s “oldest.” How can the oldest surviving building be a large, two-story building? Early buildings are known to have been simple, one-story log structures. Other surviving stone buildings from the general period (e.g., Martin Schultz House in Hallam) are one-story. In some ways it defied logic that such a large house was also the oldest.

Still, there is that datestone: 1734.

As a researcher of local history and architecture, I have also been a bit troubled by the apparent contradiction. Over the past few months I’ve conducted my own research, with input from Karen Arnold of Historic York and suggestions from others.

My conclusion? Well, there is no conclusion. We simply can’t know for sure because of the lack of records from the period. However, there is some notable evidence to cast doubt on the claim.

Posted in 18th Century German Architecture

Bookmark Permalink using

Comments (0)

Do you love historic architecture? If so, this Saturday offers a rare glimpse to take a trip back in time to the days when York County was still part of Lancaster County.

Historic York, Inc., a local non-profit dedicated to architectural preservation, will be holding an open house at the historic Johanes & Cristina Schultz House in East York. Located at 508 Locust Grove Road, the Schultz House is believed to be the oldest in York County. The Schultz family was among the earliest settlers west of the Susquehanna River, before York County was even established. While the interior has been updated over the years, the original building is intact.

The event runs from 12 Noon to 5 p.m., with a cost of $15 per person, which includes lunch from Merica’s Smokehouse and a tour of the buildings and grounds. The 5-acre property includes the 1734 Schultz House, 1870 barn, summer kitchen, and smokehouse. Karen Arnold, executive director of Historic York, will be giving a presentation on German Colonial architecture at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

In addition to covering the costs associated with the event, monies raised will be used for maintenance of the property, listing on the National Register of Historic Places, and required utility upgrades.

The open house is sponsored by PeoplesBank and additional information can be obtained by visiting www.historicyork.org or calling 717-843-0320.

Posted in County Buildings Events German Architecture

Bookmark Permalink using

Comments (0)

The Schultz House off Locust Grove Road in Springettsbury Township has been making news lately. Beatrice Rowe, who has owned the house since the 1940s, gave the historic home and outbuildings to Historic York, Inc. for long-term preservation. The house is important because it is the oldest surviving building in York County. But it is not the only Schultz House.

Approximately two years after Johannes and Christina Schultz constructed their home, brother Martin Schultz built a blue limestone house not far away in what is now Hallam Borough. Brothers Martin and Johannes left a legacy in the area, founding the Kreutz Creek Lutheran Church and creating a milling operation today known as Macklay’s Mill.

The Martin Schultz House was built in 1736 and is located on Emig Street. It is smaller than the other Schultz House, and has received several upgrades over the years. The most notable of the upgrades was a 1956 project that removed the central shed dormer and added new roof dormers. Still, the house maintains many of its original German Colonial features, including central chimneys and steeply pitched roof. Both the Martin Schultz House and Johannes Schultz House were built atop vaulted cellars.

Posted in 18th Century County Buildings German Architecture

Bookmark Permalink using

Comments (0)

When three Schultz brothers traveled from Friedelsheim to Pennsylvania in 1732, they could never have imagined the legacy they would leave York County. Before there even was a York County, and before there was a York Town, there were the Schultz Houses. Two of the three Schultz brothers settled in the area known as Kreutz Creek and constructed sturdy stone homes.

The oldest of these homes is the Johannes and Christina Schultz House located off of Locust Grove Road in Springettsbury Township. The unassuming German Colonial building has witnessed its share of history first-hand. When members of the Second Continental Congress journeyed to York Town in 1777, some are believed to have stopped at the Schultz House for a break and a meal. And when Camp Security was built nearby to house British and Canadian soldiers captured during the American Revolution, the Schultz House is believed to have been used as an administration building.

In 1944, Clair and Beatrice Rowe purchased the property and over 130 acres around it. The home would stay in their family for the next six decades – and they wanted to make sure that any future owner would care for the house the way they did. Clair passed away in 1984, and Beatrice, who is now 95, recently gave the historic home and outbuildings to Historic York, Inc., a local non-profit dedicated to historic preservation.

Posted in 18th Century County Buildings German Architecture

Bookmark Permalink using

Comments (0)