...continuing with our fall 2024 road trip through several states. Leaving Mansfield Pennsylvania after our spending our second night in the town, Laurie and I headed south on US Hwy 15. The highway follows the Susquehanna River for many miles on its way to Chesapeake Bay. At Harrisburg Pennsylvania, we merged onto Interstate Highway I-81 south. Tired of traffic and the boredom of most Interstate Highways, we exited at Shippensburg Pennsylvania. Our alternative route was US Hwy 11 south, (known in the South as Lee Highway). It runs parallel to I-81 for many miles.
This is the Redott-Stewart House at 52 King Street/US Hwy 11 in Shippensburg. This large stone home, also known as the Shippen House, was built ca. 1784 by the Redott family...or was it? Other sources state that the oldest section of the house was built ca. 1750 by Edward Shippen III. In the early 1800s, it was purchased by Dr. Alexander Stewart. Today, it is the home of the Shippensburg Historical Society and Museum.
In addition to the early history of Shippensburg and the surrounding area, the Society possesses one of the largest collections of memorabilia from the Depression Era's Works Progress Administration. The collection dates from 1935 to 1941. To learn more about the Historical Society, go to https://www.shippensburghistoricalsociety.org/about.
In July of 1730, twelve Scotch-Irish families arrived in the area and built cabins along nearby Burd Run (creek). The settlement received its name from from Edward Shippen, who had obtained the patent to the land from William Penn's heirs. In 1750, Shippensburg was named as the first county seat for Cumberland County. Of interest is the fact that one of Shippen's daughters married Benedict Arnold...a traitor to the American Revolution.
Our next stop along the way was at the campus of Wilson College in Chambersburg Pennsylvania. The small and attractive building at the right of this photo is called "Harmony Cottage". It was built in 1897 to serve as a professor's home. The college's organist lived here during that time period and into the early 1900s. It was briefly converted into a dormitory in 1926. In 1929, the cottage was 'pivoted' to face the road in order to make room for that larger structure. It's Warfield Hall and it was completed in 1930. As regards the cottage, it now serves as the college's Office of Marketing and Communications.
Wilson College itself, with it's 300-acre campus, is a Historic District that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Wilson College was established by the Presbyterian Church back in 1869. It was a women's college, one of the first to accept only female students, until it became fully coeducational in 2014. It was originally named Wilson Female College. In 1870, the college's promotional material stated that it was a place for women "to be leaders, not followers, in society".
This is the Joshua W. Sharpe House. This handsome Queen Anne style home was built in 1887 and it was purchased by Wilson College in 1942. As part of the College, is has served as faculty and student apartments, a faculty club, classroom, meeting space as well as for WWII relief work and related studies. From 1998 - 2000 it served the Wilson College's Women with Children Program. Subsequently, it was remodeled and it now serves as the home of the college's President.
In 1982, Wilson began offering a continuing studies program (now known as the Adult Degree Program) to meet the needs of adults seeking post-secondary education. In 1996, the college was one of the first in the nation to offer on-campus residential housing for single mothers living with children. Co-educational - men as of 2014. Wilson College currently has about 1,620 students. You can learn more at https//:www.wilson.edu/.
This large home with the covered auto/carriage portico and that amazing porch is located close to the Sharpe House as described above. I suspect that this home is used by the College, faculty or alumnus but I wasn't able to find anything about it. I just liked it!
Moving further south on US Hwy 11, as we neared the Maryland State Line, we stopped at Greencastle Pennsylvania. The "Greencastle High Line" railway depot was built by the Cumberland Valley Railroad in 1909. It served passenger trains running between Hagerstown Maryland and Harrisburg Pennsylvania, but declining usage with advent of increased travel via automobiles after WWII, passenger service was halted. The postcard shown above is from 1952. To learn more about the Cumberland Valley Railroad, go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumberland_Valley_Railroad.
The High Line Train Station was named for it's elevated rails. Many decades after the end of passenger service, the old depot still serves the community by promoting youth leadership. As a matter of fact, the depot is now managed by the Greencastle Area Youth Foundation. The Youth Foundation is a non-profit whose goals are to maintain the historical integrity of the Station, preserving its and the railroad's heritage, while providing a meeting place for area youth organizations...and at the same time, promoting local arts.
The Greencastle Area Youth Foundation has made significant repairs to the building while establishing several displays designed to preserve the area's railroad history. Web cams have been installed over the tracks so railfans can watch passing trains online and displays have been mounted for visiting railfans to safely monitor ongoing rail traffic. Learn more at https://www.mightycause.com/organization/Greencastle-Area-Youth-Foundation.
One last stop in Pennsylvania before lunch... The B-Street Restaurant and Pub is located in the old McLaughlin Hotel in downtown Greencastle Pennsylvania. The hotel was completed and opened for business in 1905. The site has had a continuously operating restaurant since the late 1700s. I was unable to determine what the upper floors of the old hotel are being used for now. To learn more about the B-Street Restaurant and Pub, you can go to https//:bstreet104.com/.
No...we didn't have lunch at the B-Street Restaurant and Pub. We'd determined that a local 'diner-style' restaurant was close by so we stopped for our lunch time repast at Home Style Family Restaurant which is located at 26 North Antrim Way in Greencastle Pennsylvania. it was after the lunch hour so it wasn't busy when we arrived.
We kept lunch simple... Laurie ordered a Patty Melt (burger, cheese and sauteed onion on grilled rye bread), accompanied by some potato chips. She was happy with her choice.
I wasn't very adventuresome either but my sandwich was a little different than I expected. I ordered the pork tenderloin sandwich...and where we come from that means a hunk of pork, breaded and fried on a bun. My sandwich was indeed pork tenderloin but it was either grilled or fried...no breading. Despite the surprise version of a pork tenderloin sandwich, it was very nice, not overcooked and still juicy. Without those potato chips, it might have been a healthy meal.
The Home Style Family Restaurant in Greencastle Pennsylvania is open from 6 AM until 8 PM 6 days a week and from 7 AM until 2 PM on Sunday. Note: 787 Google reviews give this restaurant a rating of 4.6 out of 5.0 possible points. Check it out at https://www.facebook.com/homestylefamilyrestaurant/.
Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them... Next, non-stop through a bit of Maryland and on into Virginia!
Thanks for stopping by for a visit!
Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
