Final Report Historical Structures Assessment Report for the Muddy ...

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Historic Structures Assessment Report for the Muddy Run Pumped Storage Facility Project Relicensing Application Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania Tourism has also grown in the area, helping to revitalize ailing economies. After World War II, increasing numbers of visitors flocked to the Susquehanna River to enjoy boating, fishing, hunting, and other waterrelated sports and activities. Because much of the area was unspoiled by development, it presented a haven for nature enthusiasts. The rise of the automobile contributed greatly to this tourism boom, allowing city dwellers to more easily reach the scenic waters of Maryland. The tourism industry has continued to grow to the present day as evidenced by the establishment of summer cottages along the Susquehanna River shorelines or on the rivers islands. The cottages were primarily built from the 1940s to the 1980s. The seasonal residences can be seen along the shoreline on maps from the Pennsylvania Department of Highways, indicated by the black triangles illustrating seasonal or summer colony dwellings. The islands were not surveyed for these maps. The 1962 map of Lancaster County shows that no waterfront cottages were within the area and the land about to be flooded by the Muddy Run reservoir was occupied by farms (Pennsylvania Department of Highways 1962). The 1941 map of York County shows a scattering of cottages at the north end of the location of the transmission line (Pennsylvania Department of Highways 1941). The construction of the transmission line resulted in the demolition of these cottages (Pennsylvania Department of Highways 1965). On September 21, 1964, FERC granted PECO a license to construct the Project, a pumped storage hydroelectric facility located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Construction commenced that year and commercial operation began in 1967. When completed in 1968, the Muddy Run Project was the largest pumped-storage facility in the world. The Muddy Run Project electrical machinery was designed by the noted engineer Eugene C. Whitney of Westinghouse Electric Company. (Exelon 2009). The Muddy Run facility encompasses many components which will be further described in the following chapter. 16
Historic Structures Assessment Report for the Muddy Run Pumped Storage Facility Project Relicensing Application Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania IV. SURVEY RESULTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED RESOURCE IN THE PROJECT APE Ritchie-Robinson House (PHMC ID #118594) The Ritchie-Robinson House is located at 1321 Lay Road in Peach Bottom Township, York County (Figure 4-1), with the far southern end of the Project transmission line passing through the property (Figures 4-2 and 4-3).Constructed ca. 1846, the 2.5-story, 4-bay main dwelling is set on a stuccoed stone foundation and the exterior walls are clad with replacement asbestos shingles. The heavy timber frame main block has been impacted by alterations and additions, although a central stone hearth remains. The original chimneys have been removed and an off-peak concrete block chimney is present on the north elevation. The front elevation retains some early, although not original, 2/2 sash windows. The remaining windows have 1/1 sash, including the paired window at the south gable end. The 1-story, full-width replacement front porch features a concrete-block foundation, shed roof supported by wood posts and balustrade, and is enclosed on the ends. Also on the property are a ca. 1930 dairy barn with ca. 1960 milk house, a ca. 1930 chicken coop, a ca. 1930 wagon shed with corn crib addition, two ca. 1960 concrete stave silos, a ca. 1940 extended frame pig pen with multiple additions, and modern shed and trailer. All of the agricultural buildings are still in use and portions of the land are still used for crop production as well as dairy farming. NRHP Evaluation: The Ritchie-Robinson House was evaluated by the PHMC in 2001 and determined ineligible for NRHP listing. In a letter dated January 6, 2011, the PHMC requested re-evaluating its NRHP eligibility based on its current conditions and integrity and utilizing the recently completed York- Adams County Diversified Field Crops, Cannery Crops, And Livestock, C. 1750-1960 Multiple Property Documentation (MPD) Form (McMurry 2011) to assess its eligibility as part of a possible historic agricultural district. According to the MPD documentation form, York County developed a farming system focused on small farms with greater emphasis than elsewhere on field crops and truck or cannery crops. Four historical systems characterized farming in the region. After settlement, came a period of diversified small-scale production that lasted from the mid-eighteenth century until about 1830. Between about 1830 and 1885, during which the Ritchie-Robinson farm was settled, highly mechanized small farms combined livestock and crop production for new, mainly local and regional markets. Between about 1885 and 1940, the system reoriented to emphasize cannery crops, orchard products, and poultry farming. Between 1940 and 1960, more specialized, capital intensive and larger scale farming was accompanied by rapid loss of farms and greater reliance on off-farm income (McMurry 2011: 6). William Ritchie was born in Lancaster County in 1844 and moved with his family to Peach Bottom in 1846 where they located on a farm of 46 acres. Ritchie bought the homestead in 1866 upon his father’s death and added about 45 acres where he was known to be a successful farmer and also worked in fruit canning (Gibson 1886: 168). According to the 1880 US Agricultural Census, William Ritchie owned 98 acres of land mostly dedicated to raising pigs and poultry and a small number of cattle as well. The main crops harvested were corn and wheat, although a small amount of other grains were grown as well. Two acres of land were dedicated to an apple orchard and one acre to tobacco production (US Agricultural Census 1880: York County, Peach Bottom Township, Page 3, Line 1). While renting the farm in 1927, Michael Robinson worked 130 acres and focused primarily on hog raising, although there were some chickens and an apple orchard (US Agricultural Census 1927: York County, Peach Bottom Township, Page 6, Line 12). The historic aerial images show that this orchard was 17
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