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

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
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