Universal York

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Old Witmer School in Springettsbury Township Sold

Witmer School Photo Taken March 1941 by Scott W. Knaub
For over a year, ever since I finally got around to joining the YMCA, I have been taking a short cut from my house to the gym. At least a couple of time a week I have been passing this picturesque old brick school, abandoned in the woods.
A few weeks ago a sign appeared advertising the auctioning of the property. Last week a sold sticker was on the sign. Today when I went by there was a disturbingly large dumpster on the property. As an advocate of reusing old buildings, not tearing them down, I hope the dumpster means the school is going to be cleaned out, not torn down.

The school sits in Springettsbury Township, on Stonewood Road near Old Orchard Road. It was known as Witmer School, probably named after Witmer families in the immediate area. The Throne family also had connections to the school. The York County Heritage Trust Library/Archives has a notebook with the 1913-15 proceedings of the Stephen A. Douglas Literary Society, Witmer School, Springettsbury Township.

There is a large sign on the side of the school building indicating that it was a copy shop at one time. Anyone know anything else about Witmer School?
Click here for more on Witmer’s School.
Click here for another old York County School.