YorksPast

Farmhouse at Central York High School

At the top of this illustration, I’ve pointed out, and marked, ten 1860 buildings in the northwest region within what is now Springettsbury Township. At the bottom of the above illustration is a 1937 aerial photo of the same region. I’ve zoomed in on the 1937 aerial photo to provide better detail in locating the 1860 properties (w21) through (w30).

I’m working my way around Springettsbury Township, ten buildings at a time, until all buildings from 1860 are visited. See the post: Springettsbury Township building tally during 1860, for my specification of the four regions.

Other posts in this series include:

• 1860 Buildings 1-10 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 11-20 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 21-30 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 31-35 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 36-41 in South Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 1-10 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 11-20 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 21-30 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 31-40 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 41-50 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 51-58 in East Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 1-10 in West Region of Springettsbury Township  As a side note, when properties (w1) through (w10) were first visited, the precise 1860 owners of only two of the properties could be identified. Initial deed searches have now increased that number to seven. The 1860 owners of properties (w1) through (w10) will be posted upon the discovery of the final three.
• 1860 Buildings 11-20 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 41-50 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 51-60 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 61-70 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 71-80 in West Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 1-10 in North Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 11 to 20 in North Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 21-24 in North Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 25-31 in North Region of Springettsbury Township
• 1860 Buildings 32-35 in North Region of Springettsbury Township

Shearer’s 1860 Map of York County contains the owner/occupant of most buildings; for example (w24) is H. Smyser. Additional information on H. Smyser can be found by consulting the 1860 Census of the United States; where one discovers this is Henry Smyser, a 45-year-old, farmer, with extensive real estate holdings.

The results after consulting 1860 Spring Garden Township census records are shown below. Spring Garden Township 1860 Census records must be used because Springettsbury Township was formed from the northeast part of that township on April 20, 1891. The order of visitation, of the census taker, often provides assistance on who are neighbors and the tabulation of “value of real estate” separates the landowners from the renters or tenants:

Six of these 1860 buildings still stand at these addresses:

• [w21] – 3055 Glen Hollow Road
• [w22] – 2909 N. Sherman Street
• [w23] – 760 Mundis Mill Road
• [w26] – 601 Mundis Mill Road
• [w28] – 411 Mundis Mill Road
• [w29] – 470 Mundis Mill Road

Farmhouse at Central York High School

The [w26] farmhouse still sits amid the Shenberger Farm upon which the new Central York High School opened in September, 2005. The following photo of this Georgian Farmhouse is from a Central York Web Site.

Utilizing U.S. Census Records, in conjunction with 1860 and 1876 maps of York County, the owner of this farmhouse was pinpointed as John Emig, a 29-year old farmer in 1860. Deed research leading to the discovery that [w28] B. Meyers is 54-year old Benjamin Meyers; yielded the additional clue that his neighbor is “John Emig of Valentine.” This is stating John Emig is the son of Valentine Emig; i.e. to distinguish this John Emig from several individuals named John Emig in the area.

The Biographical Section of John Gibson’s 1886 History of York County, PA states the following about John Emig on page 188:

John Emig was born in 1831, in York County, Penn., and is a son of Valentine and Rebecca (Loucks) Emig, both natives of York County, and descendants of old families. His father was a farmer and our subject was reared a farmer and has devoted his entire time and energy to farming. Mr. Emig came to Spring Garden Township in 1854, and purchased the farm upon which he has ever since resided. It consists of 126 acres of land situated in the Codorus Valley.  This tract of land he has greatly improved, raising all the cereals, and a large crop of fine tobacco each year.

He was married, in 1853, to Miss Sarah Eyster, a native of West Manchester Township, and a descendant of an old family of the county. She died in 1857. Two children were born to them: Horace E., a farmer in York County; and Frank, deceased. In 1858 Mr. Emig married Miss Susan Roth. They have had nine children: Margaret R., Emma R., Edward R., Augustus R., Henry R., Valentine R., William R., George R., and Amanda (deceased). Mr. and Mrs. Emig are members of Mt. Zion German Reformed Church.

In a 1989 interview, the owner Howard Shenberger believed the farmhouse was built about 1840. The 2-1/2 story stone house is three-bays wide and 80-feet in length. The house has three brick chimneys with five fireplaces. The walls of this house are 26-inches thick up to the second floor and 24-inches thick the rest of the way.

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