Winner of the 2011 Historic Preservation Trust C. Emlen Urban Preservation Award, The Historic Stoner House is located at 601 Granite Drive in the heart of the Overlook Community Park in Manheim Township. The house faces the new Manheim Township Library and sits beside the renovated Stoner Barn which houses The Stoner Grille and The Barn at Stoner Commons, a private and public event facility. It is perfectly positioned as the central location of community activities on the main street of the Overlook Community Campus.
The purpose of the project is to provide an accessible, restored historical farmhouse on the Overlook Community Campus main street with an educational history museum and home for the Historical Society for the beneļ¬t of the Manheim Township community, especially our children.
History of the Historic Stoner House
| 1734 | Jacob Slough (1708-1750), innkeeper, receives a warrant for 300 acres in Manheim Township Sometime while Jacob has the property he builds the arched cellar and a log cabin. Roseville Rd to current north edge of Overlook Park, Fruitville Pike to over Rt. 501. (Included the property of Armstrong Manor) |
| 1747 | Slough receives the patent (first title) for the 300 acres from Thomas and Richard Penn. (Sons of William Penn) |
| 1748 | Jacob Slough deeds the 300 acres to Jacob Wilhelm (1700-1773) |
| 1750 | Jacob Wilhelm constructs a 1-1/2 story Germanic stone farmhouse adjoining the original log cabin. |
| 1771 | Jacob Wilhelm wills 150 acres “one half of my said plantation where the old stone house stands” to his son Adam Wilhelm (1742-1824) (North half) |
| 1777 | Adam Wilhelm serves as a private in the 2nd Pennsylvania Battalion during the American Revolution. His brother and next door neighbor Jacob Wilhelm serves as a captain of the Pennsylvania Militia |
| 1793 | Adam and Barbara Wilhelm deed 149 acres do David Stoner (c.1750-1806) and his wife Anna. |
| 1795 | David and Anna Stoner build a 1-1/2 story kitchen wing on the east side of the house. (Where the original log cabin was) |
| 1806 | David Stoner dies and the farm passes to his son David Stoner Jr. (1777-1856) |
| 1848 | The house is modernized for David Stoner (c1810-1869) and his wife Magadalena Buck-walter. The roof is removed and the second floor is extended to a full two stories in height as we see it today. |
| 1864 | David Stoner (c. 1810-1869) sells the farm to David P. Locher. |
| 1865 | David Locher sells the farm to Gabriel Hirsh. |
| 1870 | Gabriel Hirsh sells the farm to Daniel L. Stoner (1842-1901) |
| 1882 | Daniel Stoner sells the farm to Adam Shaeffer. |
| 1890 | Adam Shaeffer constructs a two story brick wing, which is the last major addition to the house. |
| 1901 | Adam Shaeffer died 1901. The property (now 58 acres) was sold at auction to Daniel W. Miller for $10,308.88. Daniel Miller died March 21, 1927. |
| 1927 | The heirs of Daniel Miller sold the property to William F Fry. |
| 1929 | William F. Fry sold the property to William Swartz Sr. |
| 1999 | Bill Swartz (son of William Swartz) sold property to Manheim Twp. Overlook Foundation. |
The Historic Stoner House Tour
The Historic Stoner House Restoration
The restoration of the Historic Stoner House was a challenging but very rewarding process. From getting approvals to raising significant funds, to preservation construction, it took 10 years to complete the restoration. Saving the Historic Stoner House is a great example of how a small group of citizens can make a difference and create a historical legacy for the community.
Before
After
1991 Historical Sites Survey
In order to prevent more historical sites from disappearing, it is crucial to understand the current state of buildings in the Township and to advocate for improved protection of historical sites. A preliminary review in 2013 concluded that of the 750 sites on the original 1991 survey, 64 (8.5%) of the sites no longer remain:
Level 1 (highest rated): 5 of 35 (14.3% demolished)
Level 2: 14 of 96 (14.6% demolished)
Level 3: 28 of 263 (10.6% demolished)
Level 4: 10 of 100 (10% demolished)
Level 0 (unrated): 7 of 256 (2.7% demolished)
