The Old Stone House Museum

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!

Come see us this weekend! 

Ever pass a historical marker while driving  and think, “That looks interesting – wish I had time to stop and read it.”

Now, through the efforts of historically-minded volunteers, you can view a ever-growing number of Pennsylvania historical markers on the web.  Through the Waymarking.com site, each marker is photographed and linked to a location on a map.  Not every marker is up yet (the Old Stone House will be added soon!) but the list is extensive.

This is a nice use of web & GPS technology, giving Pennsylvanians a chance to read these (unfortunately) often bypassed markers of the Keystone State’s past.  Of course, there’s no substitute for visiting an actual historic place, so use the site’s map, locate a few sites near you, and go exploring!

Please note: The Old Stone House will be closed for the upcoming Independence Day holiday weekend so that our docents may spend time with friends and family.  Please take advantage of the numerous festivities & events at other local sites this weekend, and visit us again soon!

The Old Stone House is now open for the season, and we’ve been pleased to see lots of visitors in our first few weeks!  We’ve hired two new student docents,  done a little spring cleaning, and are now in the midst of totally revising all our exhibits in the display room.

This week’s Find isn’t really all that old, but is a neat look into “what might have been.”  As you may know, the Stone House was reconstructed in the 1960s, under the direction of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (and later turned over to Slippery Rock university).  What you may not know is that the Stone House was originally to serve as the anchor for a much larger “historic village” site that was to include a schoolhouse, church, small working farm, and living history demonstrations of blacksmithing, carpentry, and agriculture.

We recently discovered in our file cabinets the blueprints for a building labeled the “Old Stone House Gift Shop, Crafts, and Display Center – Bldg. #3″; a small detail for your enjoyment (click on picture for larger version):

As the plans show, this building was supposed to have a candlemaker shop, blacksmith shop with working forge, a carpenter shop, as well as a number of displays and two windmills (not shown in this detail).

So, why didn’t it happen?  It likely had something to do with the economic climate of the 1970s, during which high interest rates, rising unemployment, and runaway inflation canceled lots of plans made during the booming economy of the 1960s. (Hmm…museums getting pinched during a recession.  Gee, that sounds so familiar…)

Some of the planned elements from this display did make it into the Stone House – for instance, we still have a display devoted to artifacts uncovered during the reconstruction of the house, and we do have the “walking wheel” and smaller “flax wheel” shown at the top of this picture, and a number of tools likely intended for the carpenter’s shop.

While it’s a bit sad to compare the grand plans to the much smaller reality, it’s a good reminder that public history sites need lots of public support to carry out their missions.  Maybe someday we can pull out these plans again and start a new building project…anyone have a hundred thousand dollars they wouldn’t miss?

Have a great weekend – should be nice weather; come out for a picnic and tour the Old Stone House!