Springettsbury history night traces 10 township barns, from 18th-century farmhouses to modern restorations

Stephen H. Smith, chairman of the Springettsbury Township Historic Preservation Committee, presented a History Night lecture that surveyed 10 historic barns across Springettsbury Township, outlining their construction, loss and reuse.

Smith said he would "be exploring the history, variation, and interesting stories of barns at 10 sites in the township," and used archival photos, county records and artwork to illustrate his talk. He told attendees the committee was established at the township centennial to identify historically significant structures and to document the township’s history.

The presentation opened with the Strickler Farmhouse barn (the Strickler Barn), which Smith located behind the York County Jail and tied to the Strickler family. Smith said the farmhouse’s original section dates to about 1740 and that a first part of the barn likely dates to the 1830s, with a Civil War–era addition. He said about 150 burials remain in the Strickler Miller Cemetery on the property.

Smith next described a county-owned barn built…