Fulton County Historical
Society House Tour
for 2001 Fulton Fall Folk Festival
Ten historic structures
were featured in a historic house tour in McConnellsburg, planned by the Fulton
County Historical Society for the 28th Fulton Fall Folk Festival.
The tour took place Saturday, October 20,
from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m, and again on Sunday, October 21, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
The tour was intended to promote an
appreciation of Fulton County’s architectural heritage and increase community
pride. It included a variety of building styles found locally.
Five of the participating properties are
private residences. They include the Colonial Revival home of Dan Waltz and the
Italianate town house of Mary Campbell, both located in McConnellsburg; and, in
the surrounding area, a Pennsylvania limestone farmhouse belonging to Glenn
Cordell; the contemporary home of Jim and Bernice Stewart; and Pearl’s Place, a
farmhouse owned by Andy and Joyce Washabaugh.
Three other properties, all located in
McConnellsburg, are former private residences that have been adapted for
commercial use. They include a Queen Anne influenced building belonging to
Wayne and Barb MacDonald that now houses the investment firm of Edward Jones;
Kathryn Beckman’s McConnellsburg Inn, an American Foursquare structure; and the
Greek Revival law offices of Kerlin and Harvey owned by Stanley and Carolyn
Kerlin.
The venerable Fulton House and the White
Church at Union Cemetery rounded out the tour. The Fulton House was the only
18th century structure included in this year’s tour. The interior of the White
Church, which was built in 1879, remains much as it was when regular services
were discontinued in 1922. Today the church is rarely open to the public.
All of the McConnellsburg properties that
took part in the tour are listed in the United States Department of the
Interior’s National Register of Historic Places.
Light refreshments were served at the Fulton
House to ticket holders.
Proceeds from the sale of tickets benefited
the historical society’s reference library, which was recently relocated to the
Fulton County Library, 227 North First Street, McConnellsburg.
For more information: fchs@fultonhistory.org
1. Fulton House
Society Headquarters
Formerly a busy Inn on the Chambersburg-Bedford Turnpike and later the Lincoln Highway, the Fulton House was acquired by the Borough of McConnellsburg in 1973 and restored for the 1976 Bicentennial.
The original 5-bay west section was built of limestone in 1793, with a 3-bay eastern section added in 1820. The town stream passes under an archway on the east side. The log kitchen predates either section. A history of the building by John Nelson is available for purchase.
Four museum rooms could be visited, and a new display on "Running the Line." Historical Society publications were available, including limited edition prints by Brian Tucker.
Ticket holders were invited to free cider, gingerbread, and hot coffee in the log kitchen.
National Register of Historic Places
2. The Wible House
Wayne and Barb MacDonald
This folk-Victorian style house with Queen Anne influence was built in 1892 on lot #1 of Daniel McConnell's General Plan. It was the residence of M.R. Shaffner, local attorney and insurance agent, who built the adjacent law office at the same time. Later owner L.H. Wible also practiced law.
A four-year restoration kept the original chestnut staircase, picture moldings, tin ceiling, pocket doors, 5 exterior doors, and 32 windows. The new Pennsylvania soft-vein slate roof with grape cluster pattern is identical to the original.
The separate summer kitchen has an attached ice house, one of the few remaining in the town.
Local investment representative Todd Alexander operates his financial EdwardJones office out of the downstairs of this historic location.
National Register of Historic Places
3. The Jacob Reed House
Stanley and Carolyn Kerlin
An excellent example of Greek Revival architectural style, this house on town lot #2 opposite the county courthouse was built 1852-55. Exterior features include a pedimented gable, wide wooden lintels with corner blocks, and a recessed entrance with broad transom and sidelights.
A period summer kitchen with walk-in fireplace and original tin ceiling also has a smoke house in the east end. The new Bangor slate roof has the grape cluster pattern.
Jacob Reed won five offices in the first courthouse election. The house was later owned by several prominent attorneys, a county judge, a newspaper editor, and a county superintendent of schools. It was restored in 1998 as law offices of Kerlin and Harvey.
National Register of Historic Places
4. The McConnellsburg Inn
Kathryn Beckman
Bill Clevenger built this American Four-Square style home in 1903 for Civil War Captain George W. Skinner. However, Captain Skinner received an appointment about the same time to be Superintendent of Scotland School for Veterans Children and moved there instead. Ahimaaz Clevenger sold the property to Frederick Reichley in 1927, one of the Reichley Brothers of logging railroad fame.
The house sits on a double lot and has the original stable along the alley. Red Cross volunteers met in the front room for sewing during World War II. The Morton-Shimer family lived here during the last half of the twentieth century.
The house was extensively renovated into a bed and breakfast by later owners Marge and Tim Taylor. Recently purchased in 2001 by Ms. Beckman, the house is attractively decorated and is the only bed and breakfast welcoming visitors to McConnellsburg.
National Register of Historic Places
5. Victorian-Italianate Town House
Mary E. Campbell
This 6-room home was built ca. 1901 by Aaron Nace on town lot #92. The
cornice trim is typical of Italianate architecture.
An unusual interior feature is an entry-hall fireplace with tiles from
New England. Rolls of original period wallpaper found in the attic during the
1970s have been hung above the fireplace.
All the original woodwork with old shellac finish remains in the house.
Two back porches overlook the old springhouse which formerly supplied water for
all the west-end families.
Mary has been collecting small Victorian era antiques since 1955
including hundreds of cat items. An area in the upstairs hallway contains an
attractive display of small toys and dolls.
National Register of Historic Places
6. Colonial Revival House
Daniel E. Waltz
This brick home was originally owned by Russell Nelson who had it built in the late 1920s for his parents. In 1991, the property was purchased by its present owner who had often admired it as a child.
Architectural features of the Colonial Revival style include classical details and rectilinear forms found in 18th century architecture.
The home is filled with traditional furnishings both antique and reproduction. Many of the antique items are family pieces including the oak table and wall cupboard, as well as the Hoosier cabinet, found in the kitchen. The Homer Laughlin `Dogwood' pattern dinner service on the dining table is another family heirloom. Music from the centrally-located Bang & Olufsen stereo is piped throughout the entire house.
National Register of Historic Places
7. Pennsylvania Limestone Farmhouse
Glenn R. Cordell
Revolutionary War veteran James Nelson bought this property in 1791 and lived in a log house until he was able to build this substantial home in 1820. It remained in the Nelson family until the 1920s, and then in the Hendershot family until 1999.
The house has the open 3-story center stairway and floor design typical of Georgian-style homes. The 5-bay front facade has prominent keystones above each opening. Six rooms have fireplaces, and the east wall holds eight built-in cupboards. A freshwater spring in the basement formerly supplied all the water for the family. Today a geothermal heat pump uses well water for heating and cooling.
Most of the original interior floors, walls, doors, cupboards, chair rail, and mantels remain as placed in 1820. Exterior doors and windows are replacements of the original size.
8. Toorie
James and Bernice Stewart
This contemporary home was built in 1995 with a wonderful country view. Designed by the Stewarts to be comfortable and energy efficient, the house is constructed of stress skin panels. The oriented strand board panels have a styrofoam core 5.5" to 7.5" thick. Large view triple-glazed windows face south to achieve passive solar benefit in the winter. A ground source heat pump, combined with a heat recovery ventilation system, keeps heating and cooling costs to an average of $28 per month.
The stair to the second floor was copied from one at Falling Water, and the 100 year old restored newel posts on the balcony were rescued from a house in Moscow, PA.
Toorie is the Lowland Scots name for a tower house.
9. White Church at Union Cemetery
In 1878, John and Martha Nelson Kendall donated the first two acres for a community cemetery. They were members of the Associate Presbyterian congregation which formerly worshiped in the old stone Seceder Church of Ayr Township. The White Church was constructed in 1879.
Of Scotch-Irish background, their worship services were long and formal. Only psalms were sung and without musical instruments. They were strict observers of the Sabbath. Meal preparation was done on Saturday, and Sunday travel was discouraged because it might cause others to work. Children were not to study school lessons on the Sabbath but might read church literature.
The last regular services were held here in 1922. The church building was later given to Union Cemetery and used infrequently for funeral services.
The interior remains as it was in 1920. A fund has been established for its preservation.
10. Pearl's Place
Andy and Joyce Washabaugh
Built in 1900 for David and Jenny Bishop and named for their daughter Pearl, this typical country farmhouse features a cross-gabled roof, and a full-length front porch with multiple front entries and original screen doors. Andy bought the farm in 1975 for his herd of Black Angus cattle.
With a keen interest in the material culture of Fulton County, the Washabaughs filled the house with items reflecting life in rural Pennsylvania at the beginning of the 20th century. Most of the items have a local history, including perhaps the first radio brought into Fulton County in 1917.
Pearl's Place is about seven miles from McConnellsburg, a pleasant drive along country roads.