4905 MARIETTA AVE
Columbia, PA 17512

Absolutely idyllic Colonial Stone home with 3+ fenced acres . . . This historic property is known locally as “Stonehouse” or “The Christian Hershey Homestead.” The first story of this stone farmhouse was built in 1786 for Christian Hershey, Jr. (1765-1824) by his father, Christian Hershey Sr. (1734-1806) of Manor Township. A second story was added to the structure about 1810. The home was next occupied by Christian Hershey III (1789-1827), a prosperous farmer who also owned three mills at the mouth of the Chiques Creek. Unfortunately, Christian Hershey III and his young wife died unexpectedly leaving two small children. The farm was left in limbo until their orphaned offspring could inherit the farm in 1847. By 1850, the original 430-acre Hershey farmstead had been reduced to only 38 acres. It was then purchased by thee ironmasters – Peter Schoenberger, Henry Musslemen, and Henry M. Watts – and incorporated into their extensive land holdings in the area. The remnants of the Hershey farm were annexed to a larger farm to the north, and for the next 100 years, Stonehouse was rented to the laborers who worked on the main farm. In 1949, owner Fitzgerald Hiestand (1899-1982) of Marietta renovated the old farmhouse and added modern amenities such as electricity, in-door plumbing, and closets. In the fall of 1958, Captain William B. Landis, M.D. and his wife, Margaret, were returning to their native Lancaster County from Foster Air Force Base in Victoria, TX. They found this beautiful old stone farmhouse, fell in love with it, and moved in the day before Thanksgiving 1958. Stonehouse has remained in Landis ownership for the past 63 years, during which the family has enjoyed the home’s spacious rooms, explored its extensive connections to local history, and treasured the unparalleled beauty of its rural scenery,amily Room/1st floor laundry/Nice fenced property great for animals.