True or false: The Johannes and Cristina Schultz House along Locust Grove Road in Springettsbury Township is the oldest in York County?
Most people who have studied York County history will probably answer “True.” After all, the datestone, translated, states: “In the year, 1734, John Schultz and his wife Christina, built this house.”
If the house was constructed in 1734, then it is probably the oldest in York County because there are no records of any other extant structure being built earlier.
Local historians (including me) have reported this “fact” again and again over the years. Recently, however, there has been some question as to the authenticity of that “fact.”
In fairness, local architectural historians have always dealt with a dichotomy in classifying the building as the county’s “oldest.” How can the oldest surviving building be a large, two-story building? Early buildings are known to have been simple, one-story log structures. Other surviving stone buildings from the general period (e.g., Martin Schultz House in Hallam) are one-story. In some ways it defied logic that such a large house was also the oldest.
Still, there is that datestone: 1734.
As a researcher of local history and architecture, I have also been a bit troubled by the apparent contradiction. Over the past few months I’ve conducted my own research, with input from Karen Arnold of Historic York and suggestions from others.
My conclusion? Well, there is no conclusion. We simply can’t know for sure because of the lack of records from the period. However, there is some notable evidence to cast doubt on the claim.
The earliest history of York County was written by W. C. Carter and A. J. Glossbrenner. Carter did much of the research, but died before the book was completed. Glossbrenner acquired Carter’s notes, and finished the work, publishing it in 1834. The book covered York County’s history from 1729 to 1834, and does single out both the Johannes and Martin Schultz houses as being constructed “about” 1735. In the mid-19th century, historian Daniel Rupp published a county history with the same information.
Then in 1886, historian John Gibson published the “History of York County,” with the following information:
AN HISTORIC OLD HOUSE
The following cut represents the first large stone house, so far as is known, that was erected within the limits of York County. It was built by John Shultz and his wife Christina in the year 1734, at a time when there were doubtless no other two-story houses west of the Susquehanna. It was originally in Hellam Township. Since the formation of Spring Garden, it is situated in that township and belongs to the Glatz estate. Hon. A. Hiestand Glatz, who takes great interest in the relics of the past, some years ago procured a cut of this landmark, and upon request kindly allowed its insertion in this work. This house, still in use, is in an excellent state of preservation, even though it is now (1885) one hundred and fifty-one years old.
In its early history it was one of the old time public inns, and if it could speak might tell many an interesting story of our colonial days as well as of Revolutionary times. A well authenticated tradition asserts that on the 30th of September, 1777, the members of the Continental Congress, while on their way from Philadelphia to York to make the last-named place the seat of government during the British invasion of Pennsylvania and occupancy of Philadelphia, stopped at this house for rest and refreshment. They were traveling on horseback, and the saddles used by those distinguished patriots greatly excited the curiosity of the surrounding populace, who were then unaccustomed to seeing such expensive luxuries.
The house is quaint and antique in design, though yet a convenient and comfortable residence. One of the walls contains the following words, carefully carved on a sandstone tablet:
“17ano34 Hab ich, Johann Schvltz, vnd Cristina Seine frav dises havs-bavt.”
Twenty-one years later, historian George Prowell, who had contributed to Gibson’s history, published an expanded “History of York County,” with a similar account:
The pioneer home of nearly all the early settlers of York County was a log cabin. It was built by the hands of the immigrant himself, and by the assistance of his associates, who accompanied him to the frontier of western civilization. They cut down trees, hewed logs made from the trunks of these trees into beams and rafters, for the first log houses. A few of the early settlers, however, built their pioneer dwellings of stone right in the midst of the virgin forest. This was the case with John Shultz and his wife, who settled in Hellam Township, a short distance east of York, in 1737. During that year they built a two-story dwelling, which stands in the eastern part of Springettsbury Township. It is the oldest house in York County. This house is in an excellent state of preservation, even though at the present writing, in 1907, it is one hundred and seventy years old.
In its early history it was one of the old time public inns, and if it could speak might tell many an interesting story of our colonial days as well as of Revolutionary times. A well authenticated tradition asserts that on the 30th of September, 1777, the members of Continental Congress, while on their way from Philadelphia to make York the seat of government during the British invasion of Pennsylvania and occupancy of Philadelphia, stopped at this house for rest and refreshment. They were traveling on horseback, and the saddles used by those distinguished patriots excited the curiosity of the German people to whom they were a novelty.
The house is antique in design, but a convenient and comfortable residence. It is the property of Mrs. Margaret (Glatz) Matthews. One of the walls contains the following words, carefully carved on a sandstone tablet:
“17ano37 hab ich, Johann Schultz, und Cristina, seine frau dieses haus baut.”
Translation: In the year, 1737, John Schultz and his wife Christina, built this house. The date is often taken for 1734, though when closely examined was found to be 1737.
There are two things to note here. First, Prowell believes the date to be 1737, not 1734 (as is widely accepted). Second, Prowell actually states that the Schultz house is “the oldest house in York County.” Gibson’s history claimed it to be “the first large stone house, so far as is known, that was erected within the limits of York County.”
In 1916, historian Dr. I. H. Betz, in an article about York County buildings, stated the following:
Beyond the town some old buildings which are still standing were erected in very early days. The Hiestand or Valley hotel, which was enlarged at various times and seems now the largest rural building in the county, was on the road to the river. Some distance to the southeast may still be found the Schultz house, now the oldest in the county, which was built as early as 1737. It is in an excellent state of preservation. The Monocacy road once passed its front, but was later vacated, leaving it isolated. To the southwest, up toward the brow of the hill, on the Kaufman farm, may be seen the sites of the Hessian stockades, which was once a noted place, but of which the faintest tradition prevails among the residents of the vicinity.
“Hessian stockades” is a reference to nearby Camp Security, which was actually a British prisoner-of-war camp during the American Revolution.
Note that Betz has adopted the wording of the building being “the oldest in the county.”
One of the legends associated with the house is that it was originally a “fort” of sorts, with cannons pointed out of holes in the attic. This is nothing more than a legend, probably created by an area on the eastern gable that was clearly filled at some point, as the stone does not match the original stone. My personal belief was that the datestone, now located on the north-facing front façade, was probably once located in the gabled end. This feature was found on other local buildings of the period. Recently, I stumbled upon the “History of the Kreutz Creek Charge of the Reformed Church,” which was published in 1924. The book states that the datestone, or tablet, “is in the gable end of the house,” which seems to confirm that it was relocated at some point during the history of the house. Because the book was published in the 1920s, it is safe to assume that this relocation occurred in the 20th century.
These local histories are informative, but don’t provide any evidence to conclude whether or not the house is the oldest in York County – other than a statement to that effect 170 years after its reputed construction.
There is, however, another source, one that sheds doubt on the claim.
Local tradition has held that brothers Martin, Johannes and Valentine Schultz all arrived in America together in 1731, voyaging across the Atlantic Ocean on the Pennsylvania Merchant.
The passenger manifest does list the following:
Hans Martin Schultz, 35
Anna Catharina (Krämer), 21
Valentine Schultz, 16
Elizabeth Schultz
Jacob Schultz, 16
Hans Martin was married to Anna Catharina. His siblings included Valentine, Elizabeth, and Jacob.
Missing in the passenger manifest is brother Johannes and his wife, Cristina.
In 1742, however, the following names appear on the passenger manifest for the Loyal Judith, which sailed from Rotterdam:
Johannes Schultz, 35
Anna Christina (Horn)
This is the appropriate age for Johannes, assuming that this is the brother of Hans Martin, Valentine, Elizabeth, and Jacob. And the “Cristina” who lived in the house off Locust Grove Road was Anna Cristina Horn.
While researching family genealogy, I also came across information about Anna Maria Schultz, a daughter of Johannes and Cristina. It states that she was born in January 1735 in Germany – one year after the reported construction of the home in York County.
Between the passenger manifest of 1742 and the birth record of 1735, there is strong evidence to support the argument against the Schultz House being the oldest in the county.
As for the datestone – well, that is still a mystery waiting to be solved.
Regardless of whether or not it is technically the oldest house in York County, it is definitely one of the oldest and most likely the oldest surviving two-story house in the county.