York Town Square

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Colonial Valley sale offers chance to get into 1780s house and own stone mill

Linked in/Neat stuff: Anthony D. Frederick’s ‘Historical Trails of Eastern Pennsylvania’
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Heidelberg Township’s Colonial Valley is best known as the home of the Haunted Mill Scream Park. But history enthusiasts see the western York County, Pa.,  property, up for sale on June 14, as the home for a 1780s mill and house. The mill has a rare vertical saw, and its works as a mill are intact. It is the former home to Tennessee Walking Horses. It’s also proximate to another former home – property occupied for years by Richard Nixon’s parents. Nixon visited his parents in their Heidelberg Township home, and people in Menges Mills still remember the Nixons. There’s a lot of history in Menges Mills, and let’s hope an buyer comes forward who loves artifacts of the past on Colonial Valley’s 170-acres. ‘I think we hope that somebody comes in with the same kind of creative energy and makes it their own,’ a member of the owner’s family said. Also of interest: This Hoke one-room school stands in Menges Mills area.
Picture from a brochure from the 1970's when the Colonial Valley Property was a destination to explore early history.   Paul Kuehnel - Daily Record/Sunday News
Colonial Valley in the 1970s. For a gallery of 26 photos of Colonial Valley, check out Menges Mills.
Neat stuff from all over … .

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Anthony D. Fredericks, York College education professor, has written 150 books. Now add another one, “Historical Trails of Eastern Pennsylvania,” to this impressive list. York County is counted in Eastern Pa. in this work. Dr. Fredericks noticed my recent York Sunday News column calling for researchers enter the local historical community and passed on some thoughts in an email:  “This book was written to provide both residents and visitors alike with compelling stories about the region along with “must-see” sights for day trips or extended family excursions. Amazon.com gives this perspective: “Part guidebook and part odyssey, it is a panoply of you-are-there history, richly textured landscapes, and old tales made new for adventurous travelers. As well as offering deep explorations of eastern Pennsylvania for residents and visitors, this book will delight armchair travelers who enjoy compelling narration in concert with fascinating history.”

On the square:

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Cliff Satterthwaite captures the North York Jaycees selling hot dogs on Continental Square, circa 1070. The now-Virginia resident believed the bank in the background was still there. Actually, it closed a couple of years ago, and efforts are underway in York to revive the square with ‘Second Saturday’ activities and a massive makeover project.

History mystery: Love this photo, and so did readers.So click on links to put in the name of the church shown here.