The Rocket

Issue date: 5/4/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Amy Kelly The Old Stone House provided a safe haven to people in the 1800s. Currently, students and community members visit the house and view the muesum that is portrayed inside. [Click to enlarge]

The Old Stone House provides Slippery Rock University students and the surrounding community the opportunity to experience history in their everyday lives.

According to the Old Stone House Web site, between 1822 and 1885 the house provided travelers with a meal and a bed while on the road.

"The Old Stone House is a great resource for everyone," said Bill McKinney, dean of the College of Humanities, Fine and Performing Arts.

Currently the Old Stone House holds many Civil War reenactments and is open Saturdays and Sundays for tours.

"The events always bring out a lot of people," he said. "They also help the university branch out to the surrounding communities."

There are many holiday activities held throughout the year, such as a Halloween ghost tour and a Christmas reenactment.

Many SRU students and graduate students help maintain the house by tending to its upkeep.

"The university couldn't do what it does without all the help," McKinney said.

The director of the Old Stone House is David Dixon, professor of history.

"Being able to reach the region and the community is something that the Old Stone House helps the university achieve," McKinney said.

SRU President Robert Smith is excited that the university has the house because it is a real live project for students interested in history.

"The Old Stone House is absolutely awesome," he said. "It helps make history come alive."

There is on-site maintenance at the Old Stone House so that there can be a constant eye on the place.

Vice President of Student Life Constance Foley said that even though she has not been inside the Old Stone House, she finds it fascinating.

"I drive by the house all the time and sometimes see the reenactments," she said. "The Old Stone House is a very valuable thing for the university to have."

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