YorksPast

Twenty-five years ago Historic York evaluated this property at 2901 Whiteford Road in Springettsbury Township.  The findings were recorded (Survey Code 133-55-1K-KJ) prior to conversion of the building into a bank.  The building was classified as a brick Pennsylvania German farmhouse built circa 1755.

Since the historical resource survey was done, at least 3 banks have occupied this building: Meridian Bank, Mercantile Safe Deposit & Trust Company and PNC Bank.  Evidently this is not a good bank location; the building is now for sale as an office property.

The tree in the front yard is the Sycamore Witness Tree that I wrote about yesterday.  This tree has “witnessed” a lot of local history in its lifetime.  Wider ranging history occurred during the Confederate Invasion of 1863.  This area was a campsite for the rebels.  At the time of the invasion, the family of William S. Dietz lived in this farmhouse as tenant farmers to property owner Peter Lint.  The Peter Lint residence was across the road in the oldest part of what would eventually become Meadowbrook Mansion after Edwin Myers acquired the property in 1901.

William Dietz took most of their livestock into hiding but left the best riding horse in the event his pregnant wife Sarah should go into labor and needed to reach a doctor.  As told in Civil War Voices from York County, Pa. by Scott L. Mingus, Sr. & James McClure on page 70:

Confederates visited the farm, and some of them were going to take the horse.  Seeing the Dietz lady’s condition, the officer commanded his troops to leave the horse.

When first settled in 1736, the property upon which the farmhouse and Meadowbrook Mansion now sit, encompassed 250-acres.  The research for the historical resource survey indicated the farmhouse was likely the original permanent structure on the property, with the building that would eventually become Meadowbrook Mansion built later, across the road, on the same property.  I’m doing research now; searching if there is any documentation pinpointing exactly when these buildings were built.

This is a view looking east along Whiteford Road towards Mt. Zion Road.  The sycamore tree has been pruned back over the years, however it still makes a nice Witness Tree; especially when coupled with one of the oldest buildings in Springettsbury Township sitting to its left.  I know that thought is probably wishful thinking, since the next road widening is bound to make the tree history; pun intended.

Related posts include:

• Earliest builders in the Meadowbrook area
• Avalong Dairy drawn by Cliff Satterthwaite
• About the Witness Tree along Whiteford Road