Old Stone House getting new roof before management transfer
The Old Stone House in Brady Township is getting a new roof before it gets a new caretaker.
Slippery Rock University is replacing the roof as the final step in the transfer of management to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Jennings Environmental Education Center, said Justin Zackal, SRU’s associate director of university marketing and communication.
The roof is shingled, and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission reviewed the plan for the roof replacement, Zackal said. A contractor is doing the work, which is expected to be completed around the middle of next week, although bad weather could cause a delay, he said.
After the project is complete, paperwork will be signed to transfer management from SRU to DCNR. They reached an agreement in principle two years ago, which included SRU replacing the roof and other requirements, for the transfer.
The property and building have been operated by SRU on behalf of the state for more than 25 years. DCNR’s management of the property will help ensure future preservation of the historic structure as an attraction and space for programming.
The story of the Old Stone House began in 1822 when it was originally built as a stagecoach stop along a route between Erie and Pittsburgh. During the Civil War, it served as a muster point, according to Experience Butler County.
As railroads became more widely used in the 1860s and 1870s, the Old Stone House fell out of favor, and was subsequently rented as a family farmstead.
However, by 1918, the structure was abandoned and fell into disrepair.
In 1963, the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy began to restore the Old Stone House, hoping to attract visitors to the northern side of Moraine State Park.
After it was rebuilt, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission received ownership of the Old Stone House and operated the site as a museum until the 1980s.
That prompted the late state Sen. Tim Shaffer to work with SRU and the commission to discuss the future of the property and reach a lease agreement. After years of operating under a lease agreement, the university took over the site in 1999.
