I was asked to speak today to a group of ladies of the Daughters of Union Veterans in Snyder County. We took a short side trip to see Fort Pomfret which is one of the oldest historic sites in the county.
Pomfert
Castle or Fort Pomfret was one of several forts that were planned during the
winter of 1755-56 as part of the defensive plan west of the Susquehanna
River. It was ordered to be built along
the Mahantango Creek and it is assumed that it was named in honor of Thomas
Penn’s wife, Lady Juliana Penn, daughter of the Earl of Pomfret. Although it is not documented that this was the site of the fort, an archeological study in 1975 showed that the stone house was built on the foundation of an earlier building.
What can be proven is that Johannes Kroebil (John Graybill, 1735-1806) was the first settler in this valley. In 1774, he bought the land on which this old house stands. He was the first settler in this valley. The house is approximately 20 x 28 feet and consists of two rooms on the first floor with a loft above and a basement that has a solid ceiling of 28-foot hand-hewn logs and an enclosed never-failing spring.
There is no well on this farm as the spring provides all the water that is needed for the farm and family. It runs out from under the basement and flows away in a long stream.
The slits in the basement wall may simply have been for ventilation but are often supposed to have been for defense against Indians. John Graybill was a Mennonite and not likely to shoot at Indians. Building a house over a spring was certainly a common practice and a precaution for Indian attacks. The family did not have to leave the house for water if there was danger outside. The basement spring also provided refrigeration for perishable foods and helped cool the house in hot summers.
Amos Winey, who married John Graybill's granddaughter, Barbara, acquired the property in 1829. In 1851, he built the present farmhouse next to the small stone house. The homestead was in the Winey family about 170 years. In 1999, the Winey heirs sold the farm to an unrelated Burkholder family. John Graybill and his descendants had owned the property for more than two centuries, from 1774 to 1999.
The old stone house was falling apart when the Burkholders bought the farm. It needed to either be torn down or repaired. Fortunately, the Burkholders recognized the value of the old building and did not demolish it. The Juniata Mennonite Historical Center financed the restoration of the exterior of the building. The stones were repointed and windows repaired. The interior was not restored but with solid walls and a tight roof, it should stand a long time.
The old stone house was falling apart when the Burkholders bought the farm. It needed to either be torn down or repaired. Fortunately, the Burkholders recognized the value of the old building and did not demolish it. The Juniata Mennonite Historical Center financed the restoration of the exterior of the building. The stones were repointed and windows repaired. The interior was not restored but with solid walls and a tight roof, it should stand a long time.
4 comments:
From Robert A. Lamlein, Toledo, OH Thank you for your story on Pomfret Castle. My great great grandfather Amos Winey once owned the Graybill-Winey homestead. I first visited it in 1975 when they were doing the archaeological work and then again in 2010. I am currently researching Amos's father, Jacob Winey Sr., who was a Philadelphia merchant and major Germanic actor behinds the scenes during the Revolution.
I am also a descendant of the Winey family. Philip S. Winey was my great-grandfather, Guy S Winey my grandfather, Dolores Winey Guyer, my mother. I currently reside in PA, approx. 15 miles from the homestead. As a child, I played in the pomfret Castle spring house and enjoyed the refreshing cold water of the spring.There is a Winey book that was published years ago that may assist in your research. As Richfield’s Dutch Days susquecentenial celebration approaches , I look for connections to the past. I’d love to hear about your findings about our great...grandfather, Jacob. You can reach me via email at ttvlgirl@yahoo.com.
I am a Winey decendent. The owners of the homestead and much of the surrounding land, ended up being solely owned by the Wineys and Winey decendents - far removed from the Graybill family. The properties and formerly farmed land, were owned and gradually sold off by my grandparents, Ruby and Guy Winey. My parents, Herb and Martha Winey owned one property. My sister, Daphne Winey Weimer, bought another and still lives on it. When the homestead in which my grandparents lived, and my grandfather was born, was sold in 1999, other land my grandparents owned, but which had no homes on it, was finally sold. A parcel of that land was actually on the east side of my parent's home, which was east of the homestead (I state this to emphasize the extent of the land that was still owned by the Wineys). Like Karen Stutts, my first cousin (her mother and my father were siblings), I too played in and drank out of the spring (probably with her). A book was indeed written about the Winey family and its legacy. My father donated a copy of it to the Juniata Historical Society and can be found there today. George Losch, a local artist, painted an extraordinary picture of the Fort. It became the motiff for everything related to Richfield Dutch Days. The original painting belongs(ed) to my aunt, Eunice Winey Hackenburger (now deceased), and continues to hang in her formal dining room of the home she owned with her husband. Prints were made of it and, although scarce, I think you can still get one. You're commentary about the Fort being owned by John Graybill and his decendents, while technically correct, really doesn't lead the reader to understand that at this point in time, the Fort is considered to be part of the Winey's legacy, not the Graybill's.
Mary, the address is 1829 Winey Rd., Richfield PA. It is on a farm. The fort is the small building beside the farm house. On Google Maps:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/1829+Winey+Rd,+Richfield,+PA+17086/@40.6953234,-77.1072886,182m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89cf28ca69fbf35d:0xc84085a6f10b88de!8m2!3d40.6953481!4d-77.1064185?hl=en
Post a Comment