NEW KINGSTOWN, Pa. — A historic Cumberland County landmark will begin the first phase of its renovation project next week, the group tasked with leading the project said Wednesday.
The Joseph Junkin House project will begin March 15 with the demolition of a non-historic wooden structure located behind the house, the Cumberland Valley Preservation Society said. The structure is not original to the home, and is believed to have been built around 1950, the society said.
The CVPS said it has a deadline of March 24 to move the historic home to its final destination as part of the ownership agreement it struck with Crete Carrier Corporation/Shaffer Trucking Inc.
The Crete Carrier Corporation and Shaffer Trucking Inc. donated the house and 1-acre tract of land, the CVPS said.
The two groups are working toward an extension of that deadline, since much of the work on the project was delayed by unfavorable weather conditions, the CVPS said.
Meanwhile, the CVPS said it is continuing efforts to raise $50,000 by April 1 to complete the Junkin House moving project.
Future phases of the project include the restoration of the house itself and the establishent of the Junkin House museum.
The Junkin House was built by Joseph Junkin, who initially landed at New Castle, Delaware where uncles and cousins had previously settled, when he emigrated to the United States.
After spending some time in Oxford, PA, Junkin headed to the Pennsylvania frontier, where land was available for "taking up" with small fees for records and surveying.
Junkin and his wife, Elizabeth, settled in what is now New Kingstown in about 1738, the CVPS said.
The Junkin House is the original home built by Junkin for his family in 1747.
The home received an official historic marker recognizing its historical significance in Pennsylvania on August 21, 2010.
