Vintage

The annual Memorial Day observance program will honor a distinguished local veteran, John Thomas Smith (27Jan1924 – 11Mar1984). “Johnny” served as a rifleman with the US Army during World War II. Between his enlistment on April 30, 1943 and his discharge on October 15, 1945, he saw action in Normandy, the Rhineland, Northern France and Central Europe. After his service, he came home to work the family farm. The program will be followed by the popular Ice Cream Social.

Memorial Day is a time to remember the valor and sacrifices of our armed forces and to enjoy time with family and friends. This special program will give your family a poignant reminder of the purpose of the holiday and, at the same time, provide enjoyment for the whole family.

If you stand at the crossroads of Pennsylvania Route 191 and Pine Mill Road in Equinunk and then turn to face an old white house with a green roof, you will be looking at the headquarters of the Equinunk Historical Society. This same house was once the farmhouse of H.N. Farley’s Equinunk Manor Dairy Farm and later the Earl and Ethel Lord boarding house. When the Lords purchased the house in 1915, they knew it to be over 100 years old but no documents existed to absolutely prove it. A very early parchment map owned by Ann Preston Vail shows two structures, one of which may well be this house. This map, known to be authentic, was handed down in the papers of Samuel Preston (land agent, manager for Henry Drinker of Philadelphia, and great-great-great-grandfather of Ms. Vail). Henry Drinker was a large land holder in northeastern Pennsylvania. The land, amounting to 2222 acres, was originally surveyed as of December 8th, 1773, for the Proprietors (or William Penn family) as Equinunk Manor. Preston acquired the land from Penn’s heirs in 1812. It then passed to his sons, Paul and Warner, in 1831. They then sold it in 1833 (recorded in 1834) to Alexander Calder and Israel Chapman. This was the last sale of the entire tract. These two divided it the same year, Calder retaining land on both sides of the creek in Equinunk, and Chapman taking the land up-creek.

H.N. Farley bought the Calder lands and buildings from the estate of Joseph Calder in 1879. The next sale was to the Lords in 1915. They sold it to Martin Perrone in 1949, when it was converted into a barbershop and beauty parlor. Scott and Donna Eldred bought the house in 1969 and this was followed by the Christine and Ross Hessberger purchase in 1971. The Equinunk Historical Society bought the house in 1983.

The original part of the house exhibits the Greek Classic Revival style of architecture. The asbestos shingles, put on by Martin Perrone, were removed and the hidden old clapboard siding was newly painted in July 2003. Following a generous bequest from the estate of Thomas Seccia in early 2008, the Board of Directors decided to build an addition to the Calder House. This had come up for discussion years before, but no one could agree on the plans nor was there enough money to build at the time. Michael Chojnicki from Calicoon, New York, was selected as the architect and in collaboration with architect Elizabeth Davidson from Hancock, New York, a design was finalized.

The Hill Sawmill was built by William Holbert and J.D. Branning just after the Civil War, one of many they owned in the area. Joel Hill purchased the Mill from the Holbert heirs in 1898, along with 1500 acres of timberlands and the 205 acre body of water known as Duck Harbor. The Mill remained in operation until 1974.

The sawmill was entirely powered by water. In the winter, loggers gathered timber and piled it on the hill across the road from the pond. In the spring, employees would pull the stop blocks out and the logs would roll down the hill into the pond. They were cleaned off and dragged into the mill with grabs attached to a huge rope.

Employees would raise the wooden gate in the sawmill dam and let water into the 28 inch pipe, or penstock, leading into the turbine. The turbine rotates the power take off shaft, which runs the entire mill. Originally, a water wheel was used, but it was washed away in the Pumpkin Flood of 1903. Through a series of belts and pulleys, the 54 inch saw blade is turned at 850 RPM’s.

The Mill is open five times a year and there is much more to learn and see. Next year, check this site for our programs and times of operation.