Sometimes, old places are right off a well traveled path without you even knowing it. This house is one of those cases. Acting on a tip from my neighbor, Jennifer Kerr Turco, we went and visited this old brick house in Stringtown, Pa. I have lived out this road for over 10 years and never knew of its existence less then 100 yards off the road. A quick call to the current property owner granted us admission to go on back.
From what we were told of this house, one of the oldest citizens of Carmichaels, Thomas Crago, had owned this property and was passed down over the years. We have no clear cut date on the houses construction, but we did find out when it was the McMinn property, the house was abandoned in approximately 1964 (according to our online resources). Almost 40 years of abandonment have not been kind to this house, and it's age is showing. The bricks that were made on locally are tumbling in in places, and the roof is falling and letting rain in and damaging the rest of the structure. Sections of hard wood floor are missing, exposing some of the largest floor joists I have ever seen. This place was built to last. Sadly,it has been left neglected and it seems beyond repair at this point.
As always, click on the pictures to enlarge!
This place was super cool to visit but it is in the process of "going back to nature", so to speak.It was somewhat scary walking through this house.As Chip said in the Video accompanying these pictures, "I feel scared in here, not like a monsters gonna get me but like this place just might fall down on us". Oh, that Chip!Yes, the rain was heavy that day and it wasn't the brightest of ideas to explore that day.If you are going to do something like this, take caution and get permission. Danielle and I went back today w/ junior explorer Remy.We got some more good photos.The quality pictures are Danielle's.
Some video from mine and Chips rainy visit into the house...
Another interesting exploration. I really enjoy them. Keep up the good work. If I were to take a guess, the house looks typical of the period from the 1830's to the 1860's, so your comment on "Civil War Era Construction" is probably accurate. The brick Chip holds up near the cut stone fireplace, likewise looks to be hand made (although I couldn't see it too well, but machine made bricks come about more in the later 1800's. Stove looks to date from the period of the 1940's-50's. Wouldn't be surpised if you poked around outside a bit more, that you'd find a nice little family cemetery nearby. Metal detect around that house and I bet you'd find some neat stuff (although you'd have to sort out a lot of junk around the good stuff). Again, good stuff, and I really enjoy seeing your exploration posts.
ReplyDeleteThanks,Doug! The owner told us the bricks were indeed made locally.The barber,Dave Jack, told us they would make a lot of bricks in Rices Landing and horse cart them to Carmichaels.More cool stuff coming soon!
ReplyDeleteI've been in and around this house forever growing up, there was even a huge barn to the back and left of the house where a big white owl use to live. The wrap around porch on that house was amazing with a tin roof and it even had an attached spring house. Looking at the front of it, it was to the right and went down into a long stoned in room with a trough where spring water was constantly running on a downward grade, above the spring room was a storage area, there was rakes, hoes and other odds and ends and herbs hanging from the rafters. The staircase was beautiful and there was a built in book case halfway up. To see that house with that brick work(3 corse thick) those hand hewed beams, and sandstone foundation just falling apart breaks my heart. There was the most amazing roses and flower beds around that house. Across the driveway from the house was all fruit orchards. If you were to follow it up and around you can still see the old fence posts and there are still apple and sour cherry trees in there. Our farm property still ajoins this, I use to ride my horses past it all the time, a short cut for me from my house to stringtown road. Also the only reason that stove is upright is because my nephew Logan and I dug it out of the rubble and set it so this past July. We wanted to get pics of the name to look it up online. BTW, are the mice still living inside that fridge?? they came popping out at use whenever we levered it open.
ReplyDeleteInteresting comments, shugshug. We thought the stove looked out of place. No mice were found in the fridge. It truly once was an amazing house. Shame to see it in this tragic condition.
ReplyDeleteThe owner used to be called "Blind Billy Crago".
ReplyDeleteThey also used to have an orchard that surrounded the house and he took care of it.
Rode horses there a lot. The house had a picket fence around it with two arbors, one in front and one on the barn side. The L of the house had a second story porch.The wood work was unbelievable,unlike most of today s. I found a old school report card on the second floor, I don't remember whose.The barn WOW. The kind of barn I dream of. I remember the barn owl too. Scared the crap out of me the first time. It was meadow around house and barn back then. I don't remember the orchard.It is a crime what was allowed to happen to that house. It was beautiful riding back there. No more.Dawn, Beth Ann and Susie... Fab times.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I enjoy your website tremendously! You explore what I only wish I could! I would have loved to see this old house in it's early glory. Such a shame it has to go to decay....
ReplyDeleteI too grew up in stringtown and cant place where along the road this is? But, a good exploration would be that creepy old cematary on top of the hill going toward the boat club on the right hand side before you get to the sharp turns!
ReplyDeleteDoes the cemetery have a name? My mother was a Crago. I had no idea that this existed. Found it doing it genealogy.
Deletei think they mean the one on the kerr farm. A small family cemetery.
DeleteDo you know if anyone has done a transcription of the cemetery? Looking for the parents of Nathan Crago b. 1783. Thanks for the info.
DeleteI found on line that it is the old Armstrong Cemetery. The listing they have does not include any Crago's but some of the graves no longer have stones. All the graves are very old.
Deletehttp://swpare.blogspot.com/2011/09/shephards-cemetery.html
DeleteCheck here. Some Crago's there
The house is in really bad shape from when I was in it that was about 14 years ago and that shoe is still sitting in the same place but I did go in the upstairs which was probably stupid since it could have fell in it use to have a rug in it with big roses on it I didnt see that anymore in the pics and a old wagon wheel or part of a wagon was grown into a tree outside with some sort or well outside but it had steps that led down into it..Also when I opened the refrigerator door there was somthing big round and black inside I dont know what that was it freaked me out so I shut it and left..
ReplyDeleteThomas Crago was my great great great grandfather. Thank you so much for sharing this bit of history. Sad the house didn't get passed down our way as we'd be having you over for a barbeque instead of you have to poke through the ruins.
ReplyDeleteI just saw your comment from a couple of years ago about the Abandoned Crago House in Carmichaels, PA on the SWPARE Blogspot. You mentioned that Thomas Crago was your third great grandfather. I also have two Thomas Cragos in my ancestry. . .. one is a 4th great grandfather and the other is a 5th great grandfather!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you took the advice of my sister (Jennifer) to explore this house...even though it was 3 years ago and I am just getting around to reading your blog... We knew about this house our whole childhood as our Great Grandmother lived in the house that my sister and her family now occupy. I am loving reading your blogs and watching your videos of Green County....it brings me back home if only for a few minutes at a time. Thanks Evan, keep up the great work.
ReplyDeleteGREENE county.....my finger missed that last "e"..... =)
DeleteI believe I am a descendant of this Thomas Crago...my grandmother's father was Andrew Crago and I know her family migrated from Greene Co PA to West Virginia.
ReplyDeleteCan anyone tell me about "blind Billy" Crago? I am doing genealogy and would love to know the "stories."
ReplyDeleteHi: I publish a blog called Kidnapping, Murder and Mayhem. My latest story is about a murder in Spook Hollow, PA. I'm looking for a nice spooky photo to use in this blog. Could I get permission to use the first photo on your wonderful page to use in my story? You can contact me at robmarwat@gmail.com . Thanks for considering this request.
ReplyDeleteDid you guys come from SW PA? I love this blog! My grandparents lived there. My dad grew up there. So many memories! ( I'm 71 as of now..so many memories..from 50's)
ReplyDeleteThank you. Yes, we still live here! thanks for reading!
DeleteIm a Crago and would love to see if the owner had any records of ownership, if not let me know the property plot number so i could research. I found a warranty map that i think is of this land, but would like to know. Love your site. There is also a crago cemetery im looking for.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I am about an HR from Carmichael, Pa and I am a direct decedent of the very first Thomas Crago who was married to Priscilla Crago. So I'm figuring this house was probably his son or grandson's home? I used to have my Crago family book, with our coat of arms, but I think it was misplaced in a move. I would really like to get some information on this house and if anyone can help me find a copy of the family book or have one that I can possibly get copies of. I would so appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteThis place is so cool my family actually owns the property now. Go there very often just to explore the house and property
ReplyDelete