Preserving York - Family. Heritage. History. Community. Memories. Tradition. Life.

Jackson Township Relic from the Days of the Trolley

Posted on May 28, 2013 by Blake

In October 2011, I documented a relic from the former York County trolley line that transported passengers from York to Hanover, and vice versa. The transformer building shown below is located in Heidelberg Township, although few know of its existence due to its isolated location.

Further research lead me to discover a twin transformer building, this one a few miles to the northeast, in Jackson Township.

The long-lost twin…

Like its Hanover-area counterpart, the Jackson Township trolley building is isolated from public view and is easily overlooked. Located a few hundred feet east of Martin Road, I discovered it while examining the former trolley route via aerial imagery on an online map.

Do you see the dot in the center of the map below – that’s right – that tiny blip in the middle of the field? You are looking at the trolley building I visited. If you click the “+” sign on the left side of the map you can zoom up for a closer look.

View Larger Map

There are no places to park nearby, so my journey began from the Hanover Trolley Trail parking lot along Hershey Road. I walked 3/4 mile on a portion of the trail that is less than one year old and pictured below.

If you go back to the map, the Hanover Trolley Trail is incorrectly listed as Constitution Avenue.

At the end of the stone-covered path I crossed Martin Road and proceeded onto the grassy portion of my journey. I walked about 3/8 mile before I reached my destination, but nearly stopped in my tracks when I took my first look.

Unlike its Heidelberg Township twin, this building was almost completely enveloped in vegetation, primarily poison oak and ivy. My first thought was expressed verbally, and I said to myself: “How am I going to get inside of THAT?”

As I circled the building, my hopes of entering continued to wane. Poison plants and me are like oil and water – we don’t mix – and I could see that this was an accident waiting to happen. Lo and behold, as walked to the back of the building, my spirits soared once again.

Human intervention seemed evident, and this was the only side without a mass of vines creeping up the walls. There was evidence that some of them were cut, but I feel that vegetation killer was also used since some were dry and brittle.

I would speculate that this was done to allow easy access for a mystery guest to enter. While the front of the building looked inaccessible, the rear would be much easier to navigate.

There is beauty IN the beast…

After climbing through the small window of this trolley building, it takes a moment to “take in” the scene. It hasn’t only been used as a dumping grounds for trash, but over the years it’s been used as the canvas for numerous pieces of graffiti.

As I looked through the debris littering the floor there were tractor tires, cans of spray paint, deteriorated seats from vehicles, and even a mailbox with the name “HOKE” displayed on the side. It’s difficult to say what else could be found if one would take a closer look.

Despite the rubbish and graffiti, the interior indeed holds its own sense of beauty.

What does the future hold?

The goal of the Hanover Trolley Trail is for it to extend from York to Hanover, which seems like a daunting mission. As the project continues eastward, the next portion that is worked on will directly influence this trolley building.

Will the York County Rail Trail Authority leave the structure intact, or is there a possibility that it will be razed due to safety concerns? This unique piece of trolley history would serve as a fascinating learning experience from the early age of mass transit in the area.

Triplets?

There was in fact a third transformer building located in the town of Spring Grove but it was razed in the past few years, possibly by the Glatfelter paper company. If any readers can offer information about this, I’d love to hear from them.

In other news…

For those involved with the world of social media, Preserving York now has an official Twitter account. This resource will be used for sharing bits and pieces of York County history, news and events, and for live-tweets of explorations, projects, and more. If you are a Twitter user, follow us here: @PreservingYork

The Unsettling Demise of Strinestown’s Mt. Pleasant Cemetery

Posted on May 26, 2013 by Blake

Sometimes, it takes quite awhile for a puzzle to be solved.

In January 2012, Nelson Hollerbush asked “Only In York County” author Joan Concilio to help track down the deceptive Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Conewago Township. Prior to that, December 2010 to be exact, Nelson’s wife Gloria made the same request to “York Town Square” author Jim McClure.

An answer to this mystery was never found, until now.

Memories of the past…

Growing up along Cemetery Road in Strinestown, Darlene Prowell attended a two-room schoolhouse on the southwest corner of the Old Susquehanna Trail and Conewago Creek Road. The Conewago School District purchased the property on July 16, 1928 for $800. A photograph of the school is shown below.

Prior to the purchase, that land was the home of Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.

Strinestown Schoolhouse

In a newspaper article dated August 20 (no year shown), ”The township schools will open on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and it is hoped the new building will be ready for occupancy early this fall.” It appears likely that this article was from the same year of the property purchase.

The circa. 1938 aerial image below shows the location of the schoolhouse, or should I say, the former cemetery.

Class photos from the 1940s and early 1950s are shown below. Mr. Sipe’s class (top photo) was on the right side of the school, while Mrs. Zepp’s class (bottom photo) was on the left.

Darlene and her classmate, Vera White Miller, were the students of Mrs. Zepp. I’ll share more about Vera at a later portion of this writing.

“There was a cemetery there…”

Mt. Pleasant Cemetery was affiliated with a chapel of the same name, located a few properties north along the Old Susquehanna Trail. According to Prowell’s History of York County, Mt. Pleasant Chapel was built in 1872 and was dedicated as a union chapel. An undated photograph of the chapel is shown below.

Mt. Pleasant Chapel in Strinestown

The book “Newberry Township, The Beginnings, 1700-1900″, gives us details about the demise of this cemetery. In an interview given by Mr. Dale Hayes for the book:

Additional details are given by Clair Boeckel from a November 29, 2006 note. The note states that in the late 1920s, the Mt. Pleasant tombstones were placed in two horse carts and transported to Hykes Mill along the Conewago Creek. Upon their arrival, they were discarded in the tailrace of the mill.

Are the tombstones still there, waiting to be found? At least one is reportedly the stone of a Civil War veteran.

What about the human remains?

The former Strinestown Schoolhouse, or should I say the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, is now the property of ADESA auto auction. PADE auto auction was the former owner, and one of those two business razed the old school. During the demolition, it is rumored that human bones were found, and the work promptly stopped.

Today, the lot is empty and overgrown with vegetation.

Earlier in this writing I mentioned Vera White Miller, who lived and grew up across from the Strinestown Schoolhouse. She had contacted the Conewago Township Board of Supervisors in January 2008 about the property, and mentioned the possibility of human remains that could still be present.

I have not spoke to Vera, yet, but will share any new information that she offers.

This isn’t the end of the story, and I’m already planning on a visit to the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery site as well as Hykes Mill, to search for the discarded tombstones.

Many thanks to Darlene Prowell for contacting me about this mystery, and for sharing the images for this story. I have great respect for those willing to share their knowledge and passion for local history.

In other news…

This year’s Preserving York fundraiser will include a Civil War encampment by the 87th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. These dedicated reenactors are also planning live demonstrations, displays, and answer questions that guests may have.

Also, I’d like to thank York’s Central Family Restaurant for becoming the latest sponsor for this annual fundraiser. I truly appreciate their support, and invite other local businesses to join our sponsorship drive.

Monthly Events Bring Preserving York Community Together

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Blake

Before you jump to conclusions, the photo below isn’t the “Preserving York Spring Formal”. It’s actually Spring Grove High School students prior to their recent prom at the Valencia Ballroom. Historic Shady Lane owners Steve and Sue Kohr allowed my daughter and over 40 friends to use the beautiful estate for pre-prom photographs. They are shown below in front of an old ground cellar on the property.

While it was the perfect setting for photographs, it also allowed me to expose a group of young people to a piece of local history that could have eluded them. Perhaps that visit will interest a few of them and light a spark that will encourage them to learn more about the area where they live.

This year marked the beginning a new Preserving York tradition: monthly tours of York County’s historic sites. To date, each event was attended by around 40 people and included members of our Facebook group and their guests.

Let’s take a look at our past and future events.

Rex/Laurel Fire House Tour

In January, PY hosted its maiden tour at the Rex/Laurel Fire House in York. Guided by Greg Halpin, Deputy Chief of the York City Fire Department, two different groups got a firsthand look at the many intricate details of this fascinating piece of history. Following the tour, those interested walked across South Duke Street to the former Zion Lutheran Church where I gave a brief lesson about its history.

The Police Heritage Museum Tour

There were no tours in February and March, but we were back at it in April with a tour of the Police Heritage Museum in York. John Stine, one of the museum’s founders, guided those in attendance on an informative look at thousands of pieces of police memorabilia from across the country. They were then able to look around on their own for a closer look at badges, firearms, photographs, and much more.

The Haines Shoe House Tour

In May, Preserving York took its members away from the city and to Hellam Township for a tour of the famous Haines Shoe House. Owners Carleen and Ronald Farabaugh opened their home – or should I say shoe – for a look into the creative mind of Mahlon Haines. While Carleen led small groups through the cozy rooms, Ronald dished Rutter’s ice cream out to those who were in the mood for a treat.

Upcoming events…

Photo credit: “Outta The Way” website

In the coming months there are some fantastic PY events taking place. I’m really looking forward to the May event which is a tour of Indian Steps Museum. Included is a potluck picnic being planned at the pavilion on the grounds. I’ll be celebrating my 40th birthday a few days after this gathering, so why not have my Preserving York family join in the celebration.

Photo credit: Spring Grove Area Historical Preservation Society

Next, Preserving York will be headed to the Spring Grove Historical Preservation Society Museum in June for a tour of their facility. Many have never heard of the facility, but i can assure you that it is loaded with thousands of historic items and a wonderful photograph collection.

Included in the tour will be a presentation about Spring Grove’s Hoke house, which has been in the news recently based on the threat to its future existence.

A few months down the road in September will be the Preserving York Fundraising Picnic at Historic Shady Lane. Last’s years event drew a crowd of over 200 people and we’re planning on another fantastic gathering in 2013. Guests will enjoy presentations by Civil War historian Scott Mingus Sr., a representative from Steam Into History, as well as a third speaker, yet to be announced.

In addition to the speakers, guests will gave the ability to join a guided tour of the property, view displays by local historic groups, have the ability to win door prizes, and much more.

Bringing the community together…

The monthly events I schedule not only allow attendees to visit local historic sites, it also gives them the opportunity to interact with others they may only know through Preserving York’s Facebook group. When guests recognize another group member, the looks on their faces tell me that this is a worthy cause that needs to continue.

I’ll personally see that these events continue.

If you would like to participate in any Preserving York events or discussions, please consider joining out Facebook group. If you are not a social media user, please contact me and I’ll be sure to send you updates about upcoming events.

In other news…

On Thursday, May 23 at 7:00 pm, the “Saving Historic Areas and Architecture” seminar will be held in Room 1 at the Pleasant Acres Annex, 118 Pleasant Acres Road in York. Jane Heller from the York County Conservation Alliance asked me to share the following:

Come join us to learn how to develop preservation ordinances and organizations, such as those developed and in use, in Lancaster.- Joe Patterson from The Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster will make a presentation, and likely will be bringing along folks from the Trust to participate. Mr. Patterson has been instrumental in developing a county-wide program in Lancaster that helps local municipalities prepare historic reviews of properties in their individual areas, the developing Historic Preservation Ordinances to protect these valuable properties. For additional info our contact number is 717-845-3797.