The Old Stone House Museum

I’ve always been skeptical about those places that throw around the phrase “world famous” in their advertising – you know, “LuAnn’s World Famous Fried Chicken” or “The World Famous Shoe Emporium.”    But now, perhaps we can start calling ourselves the “World Famous Old Stone House”….hmmm, maybe not.  Still, it’s fun to look at the breakdown of our recent visitors by country and state.

Hello out there to our visitors in Hungary, Taiwan, Nigeria, and the far reaches of the globe!

2010 Cherry Pie Hike T-Shirt

Thanks to the Butler Outdoor Club, the North Country Trail Association, and North Country Brewing Co. for a fantastic Cherry Pie Hike this past Saturday!  More than 60 participants braved the cold and snowy conditions to come out to the Old Stone House and celebrate Washington’s birthday while enjoying delicious cherry pie and coffee from North Country Brewing, and then trekking through the woods of Western Pennsylvania.  The event was a lot of fun and a great way to kick off the 2010 events calendar for us.  Check out the photo album on the NCTA’s Facebook page to see all the fun!

In an effort to contribute to history education in our region, the Old Stone House has created The Old Stone House Educator’s Series. Designed specifically for history educators in local school districts, Series One features two exciting and informative lesson plans highlighting the rich history of our area.  These resources are tailored to meet both Pennsylvania State and NCSS Standards, and help students connect with local history.  They also act as a great companion to a field visit to the Old Stone House.   For more information click the “Educators” tab above.

Civil War reenactors from the 63rd Pennsylvania Reserves reenactment group will be braving the cold for an encampment at the Old Stone House this weekend!  While this is a weekend of drilling and training new “recruits” for the unit, the public is welcome to stop by, observe, and talk with the reenactors on Saturday and Sunday.  Check out the 63rd’s website (including some great photos of previous Old Stone House events) at http://www.63rdpvi.com/index1.html

Thanks to the 10th PA Reserves “Mercer Rifles” for a great Civil War Christmas program this past weekend!  It was great to see so many people visiting the Stone House and enjoying the music, refreshments, and conversations with the Civil War reenactors.  Photos to follow in the next day or so on our Facebook page!

The Old Stone House, in conjunction with Historic Harmony museum, has recently reprinted an edition of The Journals of George Washington & Christopher Gist: Mission to Fort Le Boeuf, written during their historic journey through western Pennsylvania in the winter of 1753-1754.

The young Washington’s mission was to deliver a message demanding French withdrawal from territory claimed by the British; Gist was his guide.  This rivalry between France and Britain soon erupted into the conflict we know as the French and Indian War.  The journals shows a different side of George Washington; compared to the resolute commander of the American Revolution, this younger Washington is often unsure, overeager, and sometimes foolish – this makes for fascinating reading!

The journals were first published by Slippery Rock University in 2003 to mark the 250^th anniversary of Washington’s mission.  They are edited and annotated by former Slippery Rock University graduate student Kevin Kopper (Ph.D., Kent State University, 2005). The book includes a full bibliography of additional sources, as well as a foreword by the late Dr. David Dixon, a SRU history professor and scholar of the French and Indian War.

These journals are a record of a time when Western Pennsylvania was a major imperial battleground. Washington and Gist took care to describe the landscape and native peoples in great detail, making it an invaluable historical record.  Local history enthusiasts may also enjoy descriptions of  communities like Ambridge, Connoquenessing, West Liberty, Harrisville, and many others, long before their settlement by white Americans.

This historic journal is available for $7.95, with all proceeds from the sale going to support the Old Stone House museum.  Journals can be purchased by mailing check or money order to:

Please make checks payable to “SRU Foundation,” and indicate “Friends of the Old Stone House” in the item line.

We’re glad to announce that visitors can now reach our site by the URL oldstonehousePA.org, rather than the longer wordpress address.  Don’t worry, the oldstonehousepa.wordpress.com address will still work, too – but this shorter address will make our site easier to remember for those trying to find us on the web.  Spread the word!

Despite the best efforts of the weather, we’re happy to say that the annual Civil War Weekend was a big success!  Rain and wind hit the encampment on Sunday, but as one members of the 10th PA Reserve reenactors said “The Civil War didn’t stop just because it rained.”

Still, we estimate this was one of our biggest turnouts ever.  The 10th PA Reserve soldiers and their Confederate counterparts battled it out in several impressive skirmishes, while the ladies served refreshments and taught visitors about food, clothing, home life and the “lady spies” of the Civil War.  A Wild Bill Hickok impersonator even showed up!  Thanks to the reenactors for a fantastic weekend – we’ve posted a few pictures to the Stone House Facebook page; more will be added later this week.  Hope you were able to make it out – don’t miss the next one!