Included in the Shoemaker Collection are:
"We have here two very old houses, although modernized, I presume, in former times, as they have, as long as I can remember, say 25 years, been roughcast. There is no particular historic interest attached to either.
"By the old deeds, which Henry Freas the present owner loaned me, I see Gerret Hendricks de [?]ees makes about the first transfer. The old Engle family were owners for a long period. One of the deeds reads..."27 Jan 1752...Between Paul Engle of Germantown, cordwainer, of the one part and Benj. Engle of the same place, tanner...his son...a certain stone messuage or tenement and piece of land. It then describes the house as having 21 ft. front. This is the lower house next to the frame shop.
"In 1832 Henry Freas started business in the little one story building opposite Nice's Livery stable. Shortly after the upper of these two houses was sold at auction for $300 & bought by Geo. Stuckert. Freas wanting to get married went at once to Stuckert to see what he would take for his bargain...Dan'l Pastorius who advised him to buy and loaned him $200...Freas bought the house and returned the amount borrowed in 40 payments of $5 each. As he prospered and his family increased he bought the lower house to line in, using the other for the store. From here he moved to Main & Washington Lane...
"House torn down 1913 to make way for a moving picture show & stores."
Back to the page for this location
|| Home || Germantown || Addresses || Texts || Maps || Key ||