The Stehman-Wertz Mansion

09/03/2024

I’ve been reluctant to post anything about this because the preservationist in me is still struggling with it. I’ve actually been in a state of shock for a few days now. Hoping the news wasn’t true. This one hits home for me. But…. At what point does the question of being a good steward of the artifact come into play?

She’s sat for decades. She’s stripped of her interiors and very little remains except her shell. Still, she’s America’s flagship. The last remaining ocean liner of her day. Once the pride of the nation and so high-tech that some of her designs remained classified by the Navy, even into her retirement.

This is also is a prime example of why the National Historic Landmark designation is sooooo misunderstood. She’s been on that list since 1999. And it allots her little-to-no protection against the odds. We, as a country, saved a British ocean liner (the Queen Mary) but have let our own, American-built pride slip away. And that’s unforgivable.

I’ve spent my life (since about 13 years old) assisting with the protection and preservation of more buildings and artifacts than I can begin to list. The big U is one that I only had a very small part in… about a week worth of work back in college. I’m truly blessed to have been able to feel her metal and walk her decks. I’d give anything to see her… even a chunk of her superstructure at this point… preserved.

I’m going to cry over this one. It’s coming.

https://maritime-executive.com/article/contingent-contract-signed-for-reefing-ss-united-states-off-florida?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2m0cKdupxwCbamMUhQfH4_FA-EvHGPmBkv9fkOQYnpP2uLGRjoRCEpg-g_aem_Jab4r9m_V0hCueFkYEJuVw

Florida’s Okaloosa Country in the far western reaches of the state in the area known as the panhandle has signed a contingent contract to acquire and...

04/26/2024

Happy !

Traditionally the last Friday in April, this day is dedicated to the rememberande of past events and the upkeep of the monuments that remind us of the historical people, places and events which made us the nation we are today!

Here we see the Chartier monument, which pays homage to the early fur trader who was granted land on the East banks of the Susquehanna river where the Steman-Wertz mansion was erected exactly 100 years later.

Today we ask you to do your part by visiting a local marker. It could be as simple as an forgotten gravestone or as lavish as a national monument. Make sure it’s free of trash, visible, and clean. And report any serious issues to your states Historical Marker Commission.

Together, we can make sure future generations will enjoy our history as much as we do!

05/14/2023

From our happy home to yours, wishing you a very Happy Mother’s day!

03/29/2022

Perhaps we have an answer to the hauntings!

12/16/2020

And just like that, the roadway starts to disappear! 10-20 inches by noon tomorrow?? Bring it on!!! 🥳

Of course, I made sure the generator and snow blower both were running.... AND bought gas. So we’ll probably only get a dusting.....

11/23/2020

Came across this photo at our local post office yesterday. The year is 1977, and ice on the Susquehanna has created an ice dam where the river narrows at Turkey Point. Before long, the mile-wide section of the river directly in front of the Stehman-Wertz mansion has become an increasingly large lake! If you aren’t familiar with the area, see the last photo for reference. The circle of red is the large fan window on the third story of the mansion. The yellow line is the railroad which sits atop the river bank.

When the photo was snapped, the water had completely covered the railroad and encased it in a sheet of ice. Water Street (between the tracks and the houses) is completely hidden under ice as well. Just a quarter-mile down the road, the water had grown to nearly 10 feet deep.

Water is one thing. The Stehman-Wertz mansion and its neighboring homes have survived more than 200 years of river floods to date. Ice, however, can act like nature’s bulldozers. Earlier ice floods succeeded in wiping entire downriver towns off the map, crushing anything in its path.

07/19/2020

When the heat index starts climbing into the triple-digits, it’s time to move the projects inside... or at least partly!

Two years ago, the door that hung on the front of the house was so badly rotted that snow was beginning to blow through the voids. But finding a door of that size to replace it isn’t easy. Luckily, this is Amish Country, where old-world trades are still easy to find!

The custom made-replacement was locally crafted and fitted to the frame last year, but needed to dry and season properly before being painted. Now that it’s been sufficiently sun-baked and weathered, it’s time to give it a good cleaning and repair any damage. Then, this will be the first exterior door to receive the house’s new color scheme! (Sorry folks, I’ve had enough post-colonial Lancaster White and green to last a lifetime!!)

06/09/2020

When the Joseph Stehman first built the Stehman-Wertz Mansion, it was nothing more than a federal style house with deep architectural ties to colonial-era buildings of the past. In fact, his modest 1814 ‘house’ was nothing more that you seen in the first picture. It consisted of an entry foyer, parlor/main room, kitchen, and three bedrooms, one of which we believe acted as a dressing room to him and his wife because of the two mirroring closets, a luxury of the day. Another luxury they enjoyed were the fireplaces in each room. This was still a relatively new concept in the early 1800’s.

In the 1830’s, the house was conveyed to the Wertz family, who would pass the house to their next of kin until the mid 1960’s. Around the civil war, a massive expansion was undertaken, nearly doubling the square footage of the house, giving it a more wealthy, stately appearance. The rear slanted roof was raised and the south face of the house gained a large, broad side with three additional windows added to both the 2nd and 3rd stories. The first story gains two windows at this time, but also gains a door facing the side street.

The third picture shows the change in brick from the addition. The original portion is built of what is known locally as Lancaster soft brick. It is a compacted, soft earth material that lacked any sort of modern facing, making it extremely susceptible to pitting and deterioration. The newer, more red colored brick in the back was a slightly newer material which had withstood the test of time slightly better.

Make sure to like and follow the Stehman-Wertz Mansion’s page for related history, renovations, quirky facts and paranormal experiences!

04/24/2020

Being in the middle of a COVID-19 hot-spot means quarantine. Quarantine means household projects. Household projects in a 200 year old house means things like requiring and restoring a broken, a c1895 brass chandelier.

When finished, the light will have 8 bulbs and over 90 crystals hanging from the drip plates and arms.

Let’s see everyone’s quarantine projects!!! How over-your-head is everyone right now??

03/18/2020

Thank God for modern medicine!!! Some of these bottles have been unearthed from the Stehman-Wertz property, others have been collected from various flea markets or sales. But just take a look at some of the close-up photos if you REALLY want to be thankful for the cures we have today!!

If you are interested in reading about some of the historic pandemics that the Stehman-Wertz mansion has stood through, keep on reading below:

(1832-1835)
The United States had three serious waves of cholera, an infection of the intestine, between 1832 and 1866. The pandemic began in India, and swiftly spread across the globe through trade routes. New York City was usually the first city to feel the impact. An estimated two to six Americans died per day during the outbreak

(1858)
Scarlet fever is a bacterial infection that can occur after strep throat. Like cholera, scarlet fever epidemics came in waves. During the 1858 epidemic, 95 percent of people who caught the virus were children. To this day, no vaccine exists for scarlet fever.

(1906-1907)
One of the biggest typhoid fever epidemics of all time broke out between 1906 and 1907 in New York. Mary Mallon, often referred to as “Typhoid Mary,” spread the virus to about 122 New Yorkers during her time as a cook on an estate and in a hospital unit. About five of those 122 New Yorkers passed away from the virus. Annually, 10,771 people passed away from typhoid fever. A vaccine was discovered in 1896, but was unfortunately not licensed until 1914.

(1918 and 1957)
This mutating influenza virus actually doesn’t come from Spain. It circulates the globe annually, but seriously affected the United States in 1918. The flu would return later in 1957 as the “Asian flu” and cause nearly 70,000 deaths before a vaccine became available.

(1921)
Diphtheria peaked in 1921, with 206,000 cases. Diphtheria causes swelling of the mucous membranes, including in your throat, that can obstruct breathing and swallowing. Sometimes a bacterial toxin can enter the bloodstream and cause fatal heart and nerve damage.

(1916 and 1952)
Polio is a viral disease that affects the nervous system, causing paralysis. It spreads through direct contact with people who have the infection. The first major polio epidemic in the United States occurred in 1916 and reached its peak in 1952. Of the 57,628 reported cases, there were 3,145 deaths.

***Credit for the above information, in part, is due to Healthline.com

03/18/2020

In this particularly dark and unsettling time, I thought the world needed a little color. Virus or no virus, the later part of winter is always a depressing time for me. The Christmas lights have come down, and all that is left to add color to the landscape are the evergreen trees and the touches of blue juniper.

Yesterday and today, I spent a good portion of the afternoon in the gardens. The spring onion grass needed to be pulled, as did the thistles before they took full-root. As I played in the dirt, my mind lifted a little. With so much threat of sickness and death, it was refreshing to see the early spring blooms.

So, with hopes that it will lift your spirits as well, I share with you some of mother nature’s beauty!

02/23/2020

Photo 1 is the picture of the houses main parlor or living room. When we first looked to buy the house, it was being used as the master bedroom (right off the foyer???). It was very cold, unwelcoming and strange, to say the least.

Photo 2 is about a year after we moved in. Same room, vastly different. Still has the same ugly wallpaper, and random items that have no home yet.... but at least it looks like a home!