Jo,
I've only been at this place 11 years. It is now only 11 acres, but judging by the size of the barn the farm was much larger. The house was built over 160 years ago. The barn not as old, I understand that there was a fire and replaced.
The Barn is peg and beam all the stone was harvested on site and more than likely all the beams too. Its very big inside in the front with 3 bays and a feed room on the right as you walk in. There is a hatch and a chute to run feed to the center stall around back below. The smaller building to the left is a chicken coop. When you walk in the coop on the left is a room the depth of the coop and about 5 foot wide, we think maybe it was for corn,, its lined on the inside with welded type wire.
The road I live on is Gunpowder rd, and over 200 years ago the was a foundry on the gunpowder falls and a paper mill just a mile from the house, That is long gone.There is another house just across the street from this historic marker that was built the same time ours was, He has a smaller barn that's similar.
Here is the old paper mill Historic marker
There is also a old cemetery behind the marker where the Hoffman's are buried along with civil war solders.
We are just 2 miles from the Pennsylvania border and we are very close to Lancaster PA. We do have Amish around here.
The area is called Gunpowder acres and Our place was one of the first here,, of course we have neighbors around us now but the Weaver farm directly across the road is Family owned, over 200 acres and the grows corn, soybeans and hay.
Jeanne, That hand pump is whats left of a underground fuel tank and its not operational.
Bill
