1870's Butchers stove by Wolgemuth and Geyer

Drawing of Wolgemuth and Geyer business in Mount Joy within 1875 Atlas of Lancaster County, PA, by Everts and Stewart

Posted by Stephen H. SmithDecember 15, 2018 All Posts, Buildings, Businesses, Lancaster County, Maps, Pennsylvania, Springettsbury Township, York County

1870’s Butchers stove by Wolgemuth and Geyer

An 1870s Butchers stove manufactured by Wolgemuth and Geyer is in the basement of a historic home in Springettsbury Township at 3790 East Market Street. The following photos of the stove, taken by Greg Koller were forwarded for further research.

Makers plate on butchers stove in basement of the home at 3790 East Market Street, Springettsbury Township, York Co., PA (Photo by Greg Koller)

This house is the former long-time home of antique dealer Paul Ettline and is now the home of Greg and Maria Koller, who will be operating their business in the barn on the property; as American Daydream Antiques and Miscellanea.

Butchers stove in basement of the home at 3790 East Market Street, Springettsbury Township, York Co., PA (Photo by Greg Koller)

Recently the ydr.com site has been dropping photos from YorksPast posts. Click on this LINK for a yorkblog.com Full View of the original photos in this post if details are cut off in the cropping of the photos, or if any have been removed from the ydr.com site.

Per the makers plate, this butchers stove was manufactured by the Mt. Joy firm of Wolgemuth and Geyer. Though a little Lancaster County research, that firm commenced business in 1872.

The 1883 History of Lancaster County, by Franklin Ellis and Samuel Evans, notes in the section on Mt. Joy (page 604): “In 1872 the firm of Wolgemuth & Geyer was formed, and continued the business up to the death of the senior partner in 1876. The present partnership (Geyer & Metzler) was formed in 1881.”

A drawing of Wolgemuth & Geyer’s foundry and machine shop in Mount Joy appears in the 1875 Atlas of Lancaster County, PA, by Everts and Stewart.

Even after Wolgemuth’s death in 1876, it is likely Geyer continued to use the Wolgemuth & Geyer patterns for a few years, or possibly until he formed the partnership with Metzler in 1881. The latest I’ve discovered the firm name Wolgemuth & Geyer mentioned in newspapers is May 7, 1878. Therefore I think it is safe to call this an 1870’s Butchers stove.

A map of Mount Joy in the 1875 Atlas of Lancaster County, PA, by Everts and Stewart, does show the location of the Wolgemuth & Geyer business. It is located within the northeastern part of Mt. Joy, on the west side of Barbara Street; as indicated by the arrow on the following map section.