Timeless Charm of Historic Stone Houses

While stone farmhouses are not uncommon, they are as unique as the people that built them and say much about how they lived. These homes were most commonly built in the 18th and 19th centuries by German and English settlers from stone removed from the fields they farmed. The stone was often irregularly shaped, with rounded edges, the timber harvested and hand-hewn, and the mortar hand-mixed from local limestone. Every aspect of these homes are reflections of the landscape they were built in.  

The earliest examples were primitive - simple one or two-room dwellings modeled after the homes in the Old World.  Later came the hall-and-parlor plan in which a large central room was divided in half, creating a kitchen and dining space and a more private sleeping area. There would be a large fireplace shared between the two rooms or one on either side of the home.  This design was followed up by a two-story centre hall design, often with a winding staircase.  Throughout the centuries, grand fireplaces were common, and necessary, and used for both cooking and warmth. Stone houses were also frequently built over a spring or into a hillside (known as Swiss style) for cold storage and for the overall comfort of the home.

William Penn himself was believed to have written Information and Direction to Such Persons as are Inclined to America, More Especially Those Related to the Province of Pennsylvania, an informational pamphlet for those considering moving to the Colonies and beginning a new life.  He discusses the cost of passage, how to make a living, clear land and keep livestock, as well as how to get settled and build a "first house.” The first house is meant for immediate lodging to get through the first winter, "which will very well serve for the present occasion, and afterwards be a good out House, till plenty will allow me to build better.” He goes on to describe the typical dimensions of a first house ("thirty foot long and eighteen foot broad, with a partition neer the middle"). Stone houses were not typically the first house as they required a bit more time and craftsmanship, but many were built on the same footprint.  

Pennsylvania Dutch homes evolved into a "four over four" configuration that combined their own traditional style with the symmetry of the new Georgian style. These homes have two side-by-side front doors in the center of the house with windows on either side and four second-story windows. One door opens to a formal parlor or sitting room and the other to an informal family space. Interestingly, this type of home is not seen in Europe and is believed to be distinctly American.  

Homes that are still surviving from the earliest days of America are made of stone. They are steeped in history and many believe the walls themselves hold the energy of those who lived in them. One thing everyone can agree with is that they are as charming as ever.

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