It was an ordinary day. Sky is blue with a bit of a chill to the air when Carol and I hopped in the car to take a drive thorough the southern end of Lancaster County. If you have been reading the stories on this site for some time, you probably know that Carol lived in the area known as Martic Forge for quite a few years. A few years ago we drove back the stone lane in search of the home where she lived during her Junior and Senior High School years. Sign at the end of her lane said "Do Not Enter," but I figured she must know someone along the Pequea Creek which ran in front of her Martin Forge home. We found her old house, but couldn't find anyone to talk with, so we headed back the stone road once again.
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| What at one time was the Smith-Coleman House and became Kepler Lodge |
Just before we entered the main road, we looked to our left at the beautiful home known as the Smith-Coleman House along Marticville Road. The property where the house sits used to be a 3,400-acre tract first warranted to Abraham, James and Thomas Smith in 1737. The house which stands there today was built in several stages with Thomas probably building the first part of the home between 1737 and 1769. |
An early look at the property
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In 1769 a Sheriff Sale for the property told of a two-story stone house, one room in depth, with two rooms on the first floor. Whom may have purchased the home is unclear, but I am assuming that Ironmaster Robert Coleman eventually purchased the home and added a three-bay section that is still part of the building that stands today. He was said to have lived there from 1793 to 1805. In 1796 the appraised value of the property was $5,785 while in 1805 it increased to $15,200 which was a extremely large amount of money.  |
An addition to the original house can be seen here.
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Between 1805 and 1815 another part of the home was probably added based on the interior design and the difference in woodworking. Then in the 1930s and 1940s, the house was purchased by the YWCA and became known as Kepler Lodge. Today there is also a tenant house, known as he guest house, a barn, spring house and shed on the property. Today the Smith-Coleman House is part of the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County.  |
This is the latest section to be added. To the left you can see an earlier addition
which is what the previous photo showed.
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The Trust was established in 1966 to help "stem the rapid destruction of historic properties in Lancaster County. Many historic properties have been saved since the beginning of the Trust. As Carol and I exited the lane where she once lived, I took the time to pull over and take a few photos of the place at the end of the road where Carol once lived. We both enjoyed our scenic ride today and await our next journey back in time. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
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