The announced shuttering of the Old Stone House for the summer by Slippery Rock University is a loss for Butler County.

The historic tavern, rebuilt by the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 1963, has been an all-season draw for county residents and visitors. It should remain so.

The university announced this week that it will not open the Brady Township site for the summer. Citing limited resources, the university decided to “focus on preserving the building rather than offering programming.” Plans are made to replace the roof later in the summer, SRU’s president William Behre said in a statement.

In 1999, the university stepped in to take over operation and maintenance of the building from the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Beloved professor David Dixon, who died in 2008, served as curator of the Old Stone House and shared his enthusiasm for history with students and the public.

Others championed the project through the decades and supported SRU’s connection. Edmund Dlutowski, an archaeology enthusiast from Butler who founded the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology, excavated around the site from 2010 to 2014. He also supported SRU's program by donating his library, tools and artifact collection in 2014 and later his collection of arrowheads, clay pipes and other artifacts. The archaeology lab in Spotts World Culture Building is named after him.

The group Friends of the Old Stone House, which has hosted pioneer craft days and storyteller, cooking and holiday events at the site, noted in a Facebook post that programming was also halted in the 2021 season. Members were hoping to return for the May to October schedule this year.

Budgets are tight and, like other institutions, SRU is struggling with financial hits from the COVID-19 pandemic and other concerns. Perhaps it is time for another group or more than one to step forward to help provide programming for this historical county gem.

It can still be a haven for residents of and travelers to Butler County — a place to see, stop and learn.

There are more than 18 historical groups listed in the latest edition of the Butler Eagle’s Answer Book. The Old Stone House, which is believed to have been a safe house on the Underground Rail Road, is situated near two state parks — Jennings and Moraine. Major events this summer in the county — such as the Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival in June or the Moraine State Park Regatta in August — will bring visitors driving by the Stone House.

Is it possible for a coalition to step up in for a time to assist the university with this project? Could the grounds be used to host historical demonstrations, letting visitors walk the grounds and examine the building?

Whatever happens, we hope the Old Stone House doesn't become a footnote in history.

— DJS