The "Martha - The Last Of The Passengers" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Going back through my stories I had written that dealt with pigeons.  Yep, pigeons.  I wrote a story about pigeons that a fellow in line behind me at the post office was mailing to Dubai.  Seems the pigeons had big plumes on their heads which people buy to show.  Then there was another story I posted about the pigeon my grandpap bought for me at a country auction that had a broken wing.  I nursed it back to health and when it took flight for the first time I was so distraught that I followed it, climbed on a gate to try and lasso it, and fell from the gate, breaking my arm.  Naturally, I was young at the time and the pigeon never returned.  

The Passenger Pigeon

Well, my story today is another pigeon story that I heard from a friend about a month ago.  Takes place in nearby Lititz, Pennsyl- vania and happened close to 170 years ago.  Story was about two young boys who had the chance to witness one of the last flights of the now extinct passenger pigeon, also known as the wild pigeon.  

An etching showing a flock of the passenger pigeons.

It was named after the French word passager for "passing by" and was once the most abundant bird in North America with close to 40% of the total bird population in the U.S.  The two boys, on the morning of March 26, 1780, at the Sunrise Easter Service at the Moravian Church in Lititz, saw the sky darken with the passing overhead of a multitude of wild pigeons.  By the 1800's there were allegedly billions of the birds which eventually were shot and harvested until they became extinct.  Then in the Spring of 1846 another vast migration of wild pigeons passed over Lititz which was seen by two other young boys named Abraham Beck and Dick Tshudy.  Part of the flock landed in a nearby apple orchard, breaking the limbs of the trees due to the weight of the birds.  

A stuffed Martha.

The rest of the flock landed in an area known as Furnace Hills.  But then in the early 1900's the birds habitat was lost due to population growth and clearing of the forests as well as hunters traveling to these areas to harvest the birds by the millions for their meat.  The last known passenger pigeon, Martha, finally died in September of 1914.  Immediately after her death at the Cincinnati Zoo, the bird was frozen in a 300 pound block of ice and shipped to the Smithsonian Institute where she is still on display.  So, it's been a little over 100 years that the passenger pigeon flew over the skies of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  And that, my readers, is my third pigeon story.  Bet you can hardly wait for my next pigeon story!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "One Love - Once Again" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out the online site known as the Caribbean Journal  (www.digest@caribjournal.com).  Neat website for those who enjoy travel and stories about the Caribbean and all they encompass.  One of the stories that was published today was about a young man named Skip Marley.  Recognize the name?  In 2008 Carol and I, along with our traveling friends Jerry and Just Sue, made a visit to the island of Jamaica for vacation.  Arrived just in time to celebrate Skip's grandfather's birthday.  

Bob Marley

Bob Marley was perhaps the most famous musician who was born on the island of Jamaica.  Seems that everywhere we traveled we saw memorabilia being offered for sale that bore the face of Bob Marley.  One of his most famous songs written in 1965, One Love, is one of my favorite Caribbean songs.  The rhythm and words are infectious and there is no way you can listen to the song and not sing along with Bob and The Wailers.  We stayed at the Sandals in Ocho Rios and in the resort's gift shop was offered a "One Love, One Heart" package which featured 10 5x7 photos, 1 5x7 frame and 5 images on a CD all for the price of $138.00.  

Display at the entrance to
the resort advertising the
birthday celebration of Bob.

I'm sorry to say I passed on that terrific deal.  We did get to celebrate Bob's birthday at the resort with an afternoon  Reggae Dance Class and a Bob Marley Trivia quiz.  In the evening we got to watch a documentary on Bob's life as well as watch the staff at the resort perform some of Bob's songs.  Well, today's story deals with Bob's 19-year-old grandson Skip Marley.  Skip is the daughter of Bob's first born daughter Cedella Marley.  He is a reggae artist who was born in Jamaica.  It's been 35 years since Bob died and the Marley family seems to have found a way in Skip to carry on the legacy of their iconic patriarch.  The dreadlocks look much the same and Skip has a slight resemblance to his grandfather, but to me he doesn't have the rhythm that Bob exhibited in his music.  Seems that Skip is embracing his surname and will bring the Marley name back into the forefront in the field of reggae music.  I find Skip's voice to sound similar to his grandfather's, but the moves just aren't there .... yet!  I can't imagine the pressure this young talent must feel as he begins his journey to the top.  Take a second and listen to perhaps the next great musical star from the island of Jamaica.  "Cry To Me" was written and arranged by Skip Marley.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Skip Marley

   

The "Showing off My Home Town" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Watching a rerun of "House Hunters International" during lunch.  If you're not familiar with the show on Home and Garden Network, a person, couple or family visits a series of homes or properties with a realtor to find their perfect home.  We love the international version, since you get to visit cities and locales other than your home country.  Today's show features the island of St. John in the Caribbean.  Three fantastic homes are shown to a family and they decide to buy one of them at the end of the show.  Would love to follow the couple for a year or two and see what they think of their choice at that time.  Our favorite island destination, St. Maarten/St. Martin, has been featured several times and we actually got to meet one of the show's participants while visiting the jewelry store where we knew she worked.  Well, just found out that an episode of "House Hunters" has been filmed in our home town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania and now the whole world will be able to see the housing market in Lancaster as well as clips of Lancaster's Central Market, one of the oldest farmer's markets in the country, a view inside a craft beer and pizza cafe called The Fridge, a trip to Penny's Ice Cream Truck in the Prince Street pop-up park and a stop at Square One Coffee and Spring House Brewing Taproom in downtown Lancaster.  The Miville family, Michael, Victoria and daughter Alexa used to watch the show and make a game out of it, seeing who could guess which house was chosen by the end of the show.  The family was planning a move from an apartment to a home and Michael decided to go online and apply to be on the show while looking for the home.  A week later he was contacted and answered questions about the style of homes they like, why they wanted to move and about his family.  Wasn't long before a film crew showed up to film the family in Lancaster County.  Now, at this point, I should tell you that they actually had made a move into a home before the filming began.  Seems that isn't unusual for the TV show.  A realtor is picked, houses are chosen to view and the filming began.  Victoria was worried that she would be shown a home that she liked better than the one they had already chosen, but I guess that didn't happen.  Wasn't long before the family was being filmed at Annie Bailey's Irish Pub and Restaurant in downtown Lancaster to chose the house for them.  22 minutes of filming are shown during the half-hour show.  Only problem in filming the show was the reluctance of the family cat, Steve, to appear on camera.  Found out he will be seen on the show, sitting on the bed of daughter Alexa.  Show won't be broadcast until next March or April and I'm anxious for everyone who reads my stories to get a chance to see my hometown of Lancaster.  I hope your community or country has access to the Home and Garden Network.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Remembering S&H Green Stamps" Story

It was an ordinary day.  On my way out of the "Family Style Restaurant" in Lititz, Pennsylvania after having breakfast with the retired teachers and staff from the high school where I used to teach.  As I walked toward the entrance, I noticed to my left a wooden rack that held small magazines and newspapers.  There was one of my favorite local publications, "The Fishwrapper", which is published by Little Mountain Printing and whose mission is to uphold the principles taught in scripture.  The 8 1/2" x 11", 16 page monthly publication has all kinds of neat short stories as well as puzzles and plenty of advertisements.  

A sample of an S&H Green Stamp

After getting home I leafed through it and there on page 13 was a story about S&H Green Stamps.  Boy, did that bring back memories from long ago.  I can remember pasting Green Stamps in the "Saver Book" for my mom after she would get home from the grocery store or pasting them in the book when my dad would come home from the gas station.  S&H Green Stamps were trading stamps that were popular in the United States from the 1930s until the late 1980s.  They were distributed as part of a rewards program operated by the Sperry & Hutchinson company that was founded in 1896 by Thomas Sperry and Shelley Byron Hutchinson.  In the 1960s the company claimed they issued three times as many stamps as the U.S. Postal Service.  

A booklet for keeping your stamps.

You would get the stamps at gas stations, department stores and supermarkets and could redeem the stamps for products in their catalog or at the local S&H Green Stamp Store.  There were other companies that distributed stamps, but S&H was the biggest by far.  The stamps were green in color and came in sheets that had an adhesive on the rear and perforations to tear them apart if needed.  The free collection booklets had 24 pages to them and needed 50 stamps to fill each page.  Every year the company would produce a book with hundreds of products in it that you could use your stamps to purchase.  I guess my biggest memory of the stamps though would have to be handing them out when I worked at the Acme Supermarket from 1960 to 1965 while a student in high school and college.  

This letter I found online really brought back
memories from the past.  It was the letter that
the Acme Supermarket chain would send to
property owners telling them about collecting
and redeeming S&H Green Stamps.

I operated a cash register to check out customers and had to dispense S&H Green Stamps to every person who made a purchase.  Boy, was that a big pain in the butt.  One of the worst parts of the job.  I believe you got one stamp for every dollar spent.  You spent $50.00 you got 50 stamps or enough to fill one page in the collection booklet.  You must remember that in the early 1960s that if you spent $50.00 for groceries, you walked out of the store with quite a few bags of groceries.  I can remember most customers spending $25 to $30 for their weekly groceries.  Well, the stamps and the redemption stores eventually disappeared, but we still get rewards at the grocery store in the form of a voucher for a free turkey at Thanksgiving or a voucher to get money off gasoline at the gas station or a certain % off the bill for a certain amount spent.  Easier for the supermarket clerks not to have to count out stamps to hand out and easier for the children of the shoppers who required they paste the stamps into the booklets if they wanted to eat supper. And …. the taste of that glue was terrible!  Oh, the memories!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Historical This & That Of Lancaster, PA: Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Finishing my story about some of the "this & that" in the history of Lancaster County, PA.  Many of the vignettes I have written about in the past, but I have added a few new facts about many of the events and also added a few fun facts that will give you a better understanding of the city in which I was born, grew up and still live.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Raising silkworms had a big influence in Lancaster in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.  Thousands of Mulberry trees were planted in Lancaster County to help feed the silkworms.  Heavens, we even named one of the city streets Mulberry St.

This post card from the early 1900's is of Stehli Silk Mill located in Manheim Township.  It was the largest in the nation and the second largest in the world.  During its best years it employed over 2,000 Lancastrians.  NOw you see why all those silkworms were important to the county of Lancaster.

The brick building on the left is now Lancaster's Visitor Center, but back in the late 1700s and into the 1800s it was Lancaster's City Hall.  From 1799 to 1812 Lancaster served as the capital of Pennsylvania, using this building as the capital building.  The brick building in the center is Lancaster's Central Market.

This building is known as Wheatland and was the home of James Buchanan, Lancaster's President of the United States.  Before he was President of the United States, he served as President of Franklin and Marshall College Board of Trustees.  He was responsible for selecting the current site of the College.

This is a postcard showing 533 South Prince Street in Lancaster City.  It was built in 1873 in 10 hours on a wager.  It was known as the Benjamin Mishler house and is still standing.  It recently was sold and looks much like it does on this post card.

This hand-tinted post card shows Lancaster's Prison located on East King Street.  It still stands and looks exactly as it does in this photo.  It was designed to look like the old Lancaster Castle in Lancaster, England.  We also have a red rose as our town symbol just as it was in Lancaster, England.

This photograph shows Penn Square in downtown Lancaster.  As you can see, a trolly is navigating through the square. These streetcars were pulled by horses until 1890 when they were electrified.  The building on the top right was known as Watt & Shand and was Lancaster's grandest department stores in center city.  I don't remember trollies, but I do remember the tracks in the street until they were finally removed.

I took this photo a few years ago of what was at one time the Follmer Clogg Umbrella factory on West King St. in downtown Lancaster.  It was the largest in the world.  Today it is an apartment complex.

This old photo shows workers at Armstrong Cork Company.  My grandfather worked there for years and I have the watch that he was presented when he reached 35 years of service.  Armstrong Cork was Lancaster's largest employer for years.  Today there are still a few Armstrong buildings, but not like it used to be.  

The Fulton Opera House on North Prince Street is now the oldest "living" theatre in the United States.  I have a few stores about the building that can be found under "Lancaster County".

In 1903 the Safety Buggy Works was the first company in America to build an automobile.  It was located on North Plum Street in downtown Lancaster.

There are many tobacco warehouses in Lancaster city.  Tobacco was the leading cash crop in the county from 1840 until 2000.  Lancaster's Amish community still plants hundreds of acres of tobacco in the rich soil of Lancaster County.  Most of the old tobacco warehouses have been converted for other uses such as this one which is now housing units.

One of Lancaster's most famous athletes, Barney Ewell, who won one gold and two silver medals in the 1948 Olympics.  According to my dad, Barney still owed my dad money when he died.

An old postcard of the Woolworth building in downtown Lancaster.  It opened in 1900 and was the tallest building in Lancaster at the time.

This is the Greist building in downtown Lancaster.  It was designed by C. Emlen Urban and became the tallest building in Lancaster when it was built.  

This is a postcard of the Hamilton Watch Company in Lancaster.  Hamilton Watch was established in 1892.  They were famous for the railroad watches they produced.  In 1957 they created the world's first electric watch.  My dad, who was a watchmaker in Lancaster, bought me an electric watch when I graduated from high school.  I still have it today, though it doesn't work.  

Lancaster's Central Market is the oldest operating farmer's market in the United States.  In this 1890 photo you can see a few of the 79 butchers who operated at the central market.

And finally, these recognizable Easter treats were created and sold at Lancaster's Rodda Candy Company.  Back then they were hand-squeezed through pastry tubes.  Lancaster County was also the home of Milton Hershey, the chocolate candy king.  What you may not know is that he became famous making caramels.

The "I Just Has To Do It" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Trying to stay awake until 11:00 PM so I can hear the results of the Powerball Lottery drawing which is the world's largest lottery in history.  I have NEVER bought a lottery ticket although I did participate years ago as part of a group of teachers who collected $5 a month and purchased lottery tickets for everyone who gave money.  Only one time did I not have to pay the $5, since our winnings were enough to play that month without collecting the usual fee.  To me it was like throwing away my hard-earned money, but since all the other teachers in my wing of the building payed the $5, I felt obligated to do it also.  This went on for a few years until the teacher who organized it retired and it ended.  Well, I have been reading the newspaper and watching TV for the past few weeks and have followed the growth of the Powerball Lottery amount until a few days ago when it's worth became $1.5 BILLION dollars.  That got my attention.  Carol and I talked about what we would do if we won that amount and it just seemed surreal.  I still wasn't convinced that I should buy a ticket and waste my money.  I was reading that my chances of winning the $1.5 BILLION are about 1 in 175,223,510.  On TV they show big lines of people standing in line, waiting to buy the lottery tickets.  And, that is in one medium sized town in the United States.   The Powerball Lottery is held in all states in the United States but six.  Even Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands participate in this money frenzy.  No way am I going to win.  But, just in case .......  Yep, I went to buy gas yesterday and saw the flashing sign in the window and thought .... I have $10 in my pocket .... why not give it a try.  I had no idea what to do, but while standing in line, I saw what everyone one else was doing.  I could buy 5 tickets for my $10 or I could buy 3 for $9.  The difference is that I would have a chance to multiply my winnings if I paid the larger amount.  And, that's what I did.  Bought three chances with the multiplier chance.  I think what convinced me to give it a try was talking with my boss at the gallery where I had just finished working a few hours before my trip to the gas station.  His wife's birthday was last week and his dad bought her a few lottery tickets.  She had a few matching numbers and her multiplier on one of her chances matched so she won $39.  Simple as that.  Hey, if she can win that easy, so can I!  Well, did I win?  Read in the paper that you should never tell anyone if you win but your lawyer, accountant and financial advisor.  Have I made any calls to them yet?  Not gonna tell you.  Only thing I can tell you is that if you pass my house and see a brand new bright yellow Corvette in the driveway, you might have an idea.  Of course, a few of my friends from the Corvette Club which I used to be a member of also have the same idea and they probably would stop to show me their new bright yellow Corvette if they won.  Someone eventually has to win.  Why not me?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Historical This & That Of Lancaster, PA: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just loaded some photos of 247 East Orange Street into my iPhoto program.  Neat house that at one time was the home of the Mayor of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  In front of the home, along the the edge of the sidewalk, is a marble stone with a cast iron post.  The post was used to tie a horse in place and the stone was used to step from the carriage or the saddle of the horse to the ground.  Now, you're talking about the late 1700's and the early 1800's when horse and carriage travel was the means of transportation for the citizens of Lancaster.  The photos of 247 are just a few that I took in order to write my two-day story about some of the fun facts that made Lancaster one of the best towns in the United States.  My facts and illustrations or photos will give you a brief historical glimpse into life in the United States of America.  I may miss some historical dates and events that are important in Lancaster's history, but my story deals more with the "this & that" of the city rather than the historical events of the time.  Some of the glimpses into the past I have already detailed in other stories you may have read, but needed to add them again for continuity in today's story.  So, follow along as I take you on an interesting journey of our city ...…

Back in 1728 the residents of Chester County, to the east of Lancaster County, complained that "Theives, vagabons and ill people" had infested the area to the west of their county, so Lancaster was created from Chester County in 1730

When the British infiltrated Philadelphia, the Continental Congress fled town and headed West.  On September 27, 1777 Lancaster was the capital of the United States for one day.  They met in the county Courthouse pictured here.

A resident of East Orange Street in Lancaster, Timothy Matlack was the Clerk of the Continental Congress and was one of the designers of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

Betsy Ross, creator of our nation's first flag, was the niece of Lancastrian George Ross who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence.  He also was a member and Vestryman at St. James Episcopal Church where I am a member and was also a Vestryman.

"The Lancaster Gazette" was published in 1752.  The German and English newspaper was a 4-page weekly newspaper at the time and became the precursor of Lancaster's Daily LNP News which is Lancaster's paper today.

Lancasterian Andrew Ellicott helped map many territories west of the Appalachians, surveyed the boundaries of the District of Columbia, continued and completee Peirre Charles L'Enfant's work on the plan for Washington, D.C. and served as a teacher in survey methods for Meriwether Lewis.

Lancaster's Trinity Lutheran Church was founded in 1730.  A session for an Indian treaty was held in the original church building in 1762.  The 195-foot bell tower and steeple, pictured here, was at the time the tallest building west of Philadelphia.

In 1787 the college of Franklin & Marshall was founded.  Benjamin was a generous contributor to it's opening.

In 1794 the Lancaster-Philadelphia Turnpike was completed.  It stopped at the Conestoga River where wagons and stagecoaches had to ford the river until a privately owned bridge was built.

Lancaster Union Fire Company was formed in 1742, based on an idea by Benjamin Franklin.  It was the first fire company in the United States.  Members of the fire company had to supply their own leather buckets to fight the fires.  This plaque is on the corner of Lancaster's Central Market house in downtown Lancaster.

Well, you have a small idea about the early history of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Follow along tomorrow as the journey continues.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Teacher of Stars" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in the dark, watching the heavens turn ever so slowly above me.  My DSLR Sony Alpha camera is sitting atop a small tripod pointed at the north star.  I have my camera on shutter priority and set to 20 seconds, but my camera will record about an hour and 20 minutes of movement during those 20 second photographs.

The movement of the stars can be seen in this 20 second exposure.  Along the bottom of the exposure is a panoramic photo of the high school entrance which was made using a series of multiple photos laced together in a series of computer programs.  The panoramic photo stretches the entire way around the edge of the 33 foot dome.  I had the greatest time trying my hand at taking this photo.    

And just how is that done, you are certainly asking yourself.  Well, today I am in the Manheim Township High School planetarium located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  It is one of only two schools in Lancaster County who has a planetarium.  It is also the same high school from which I graduated in 1962 and returned five years later to teach Industrial Arts/Tech Education for 33 more years.  In 1957, when I first entered the brand new high school as a freshman, there was no planetarium in the building.  It wasn't until 1970 that a planetarium was opened in the school district, but it wasn't located in the high school.  Across campus there was another school, the original high school for the district, but by now known as the Neff Building and it was there that the planetarium was built.  The school housed the 9th grade at the time.  Students from all grades in the district were bused to the school to see presentations by the new teacher hired for the job.  Jack, who also began his tenure in the district in 1970, taught all grades about the stars and solar system.  Eventually the Neff building underwent a major renovation and the planetarium was relocated in 1977 to the high school.  The planetarium occupied the space of the original library in the new high school which was relocated to the second floor of the high school.  With the relocation, Jack was able to move to the high school and teach more classes in astronomy.  

Astronomy Club President Ross and Vice-President Anya
flank Astronomy teacher David next to the SciDome computer.

Then, in the mid-2000's, another renovation took place and the planetarium in which I am now standing was added.  Jack no longer teaches in the district, having been replaced in the planetarium by David who is my host for my visit today.  Dave holds a Master's Degree in Geosciences from West Chester University and teaches high school science with courses in Geology, Oceanography, Meteorology, Physical Science and Environment, and Ecology.  He is also the planetarium director and advisor to the MTHS Astronomy Club.  

One of the two pieces salvaged from the old plantarium.
This is known as the Star Ball which projected images on the dome.

The new planetarium has been totally refitted with a new 30-foot diameter dome, energy-efficient LDE lighting, new sound system and state-of-the-art digital projection system.  And, it is amazing!  A single fisheye lens works in conjunction with a computer processor known as the SciDome by Spitz.  The unit allows classes and audiences to visualize moving through space and time and to observe the workings of the universe.  

The planetarium can seat 59 students or adults.

The new planetarium can seat 59 people.  I can remember sitting under the last generation dome as a teacher, watching the shows that Jack would present.  The only items that remain today are the large "Star Ball" that projected light through openings onto the dome and the Planet Projector that did much the same, but only of the planets.  Both are on display showing what "used to be".  This is in no way anything like that!!  Amazing is an understatement to describe what can now take place in this small room in the high school and what this teacher can accomplish in his teaching.  

The computer which controls the SciDome program.

Dave is an extremely energetic and knowledge- able teacher who exudes a warmth and personality that makes you want to listen and learn.  I would love to have been a student in his class and have the chance to study under him.   The President and Vice-President of his Astronomy Club, Ross and Anya, were also attempting to explain to me the workings of the SciDome unit and what all it can do.  I was in awe as I watched these students of Dave show me what the unit can project through the single fisheye lens.  I left the planetarium knowing that Manheim Township, my home school district, is under able capable hands for many, many more years.  And ..... thanks Dave for sharing your time and knowledge.  I can see why your students respect and love you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

David standing with a few of the instruments of his trade.

  

The "Susquehanna River Adventures" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I just drove off the property of the Haldeman Mansion which is located at 230 Locust Grove Road in Bainbridge, Pennsylvania.  Neat place along the Susquehanna River that was featured in our local newspaper.  After reading about the place I just had to make a visit to take a few photos and try to learn some of the history about the place that was built on what was known at one time as Native American territory with the Susquehanocks, Catawbas, Lenni Lennape and Iroquois all mentioned with records that show the Conoy and Conestoga indian tribes using the land as a pathway for trading.  As I stood, camera in hand, admiring the beautiful stone mansion with traditional English Manor architecture,

The date stone which I could not locate anywhere
on the building when I was taking photographs.
This photo came from their website.

I was thinking what it must have been like to live on this glorious site, high above the east bank of the Susquehanna River where the Conoy Creek enters in northwestern Lancaster County.  I stood on what must have been the front porch, looking across the river, seeing the sun beginning to drop in the sky and cast reflective highlights across the still waters of the river.  What a spot for a family home!  But, the history of the beginnings of the home are rather vague.  The property is part of what was John Galbraith Jr.'s 440+ acre land warrant from the William Penn family on October 28, 1738; but exactly when the original house was built is hard to track down.  

The south side of the mansion showing the porch or
piazza which it was called at the time.

In 1785 John Haldeman acquired the Locust Grove property where he built a stone mill in 1790 which was eventually destroyed.  Then in the early 1790's John built the original stone house which was said to be completed in 1798.  An addition was added to make it into its mansion size that it is today.  There is a date stone that tells that the mansion part of the house was built by John and Martha Haldeman in 1811.  

The north side of the mansion which features the elaborate
entrance doorway and a multitude of windows.

I could not locate this stone as I walked around the house taking photo- graphs.   John later died in 1832 at another of his homes in nearby Columbia, Pennsylvania.  Henry and his wife Frances lived in the mansion and "supplied the property with books on general literature, a pair of globes, and other evidences of refinement".  Henry died while visiting his brother Jacob in Harrisburg in 1849.  

The oldest part of the south side shows the seams where
an addition was made in 1811

Henry and Frances seemed to live an obscure life since no details of their life exist.  They had a son C. Samuel Stehman Haldeman who was born at the mansion on August 12, 1812.  Samuel was one of the most noted philologists and naturalists in America in the mid-nineteenth century.  He is actually more involved with the Locust Grove property than any other of the Haldeman family, but he too left the mansion in 1826 and later died in 1880 leaving no lines of descendents.  

This is the smoke house which is to the east-rear of the
mansion.  It is considered the oldest building on the property.

Samuel was known as Professor Haldeman and was friends of Charles Darwin and taught at various Universities on the east coast.  I found it interesting that he had a portraiture taken by the famous Civil War photographer Matthew Brady whose glass negative taken of Haldeman is on file at the National Archives in Washington, DC.  The mansion that I am taking photographs of today has 13 rooms with a summer kitchen that is known as a smokehouse.  

Photo of Professor Haldeman taken by noted
Civil War photographer Matthew Brady.

The exterior is built with Germanic as well as Scot-Irish-English influences with local stone.  The interior, which I did not get to visit, has a sweeping staircase.  The many windows were, at the time in history when it was built, considered to be a measure of the wealth of the family who built or lived in the home.  As beautiful and majestic as the  mansion was, I was just as impressed with the view in front of me.  I could just imagine myself sitting on a rocking chair, reading a classic and watching the boat and river traffic.  Must have been the perfect life!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

An early photo showing the porch with a more decorated entrance.

Picture of the interior stairwell which I found online.

Exterior doors have handles such as this on all doors.

This is the south-rear side of the home showing where a porch and balcony once were fastened to the house. 

This old newspaper photo shows the south-rear side with a balcony, stairs and enclosed sunroom.  These are no longer part of the mansion.  I'm not sure when they were removed.