History

LOCUST GROVE ESTATE HISTORY

Locust Grove Estate is located on a river terrace overlooking the shallow mile-wide Susquehanna River at its confluence with the Conoy Creek in Northwest Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Its importance to Pennsylvania’s Heritage has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission by the placement of markers recognizing the Conoy Indian Town Settlement overlapping the Estate and Samuel Steman Haldeman (1812-1880) an internationally known scientist and philologist born in the Haldeman Mansion.

The Haldeman Mansion was placed on the National Register in 1967 and in 2020, NPS recognized the Locust Grove Archaeological District which includes the Estate and three neighboring properties. Together, they contain six know Native American sites and evidence of four Native American cultures' presence over the past 800-900 years. The National Park Service (NPS) has assigned broad preservation significance to the Estate, spanning eight categories: “Archaeology; Prehistoric; History-Aboriginal; Exploration/Settlement; Science; Social History; and Architecture.”

Native American & Colonial Heritages

Archaeologists agree Locust Grove was a nexus of Native American activity. Activity which spans prehistoric hunting parties, the early development of agriculture in the Lower Susquehanna River Valley, fur trading activities and the refugee period. The mansion straddles a double stockade Shenks Ferry Culture village (circa AD 1500-1550) that contains burials; 200 yards to the northeast of the mansion is a Conoy Indian Village (1718-1743); and the Conoy Indian Village's Cemetery is to the immediate south of the mansion. Two Indian paths passed thru the Locust Grove property. Artifacts discovered at Locust Grove can be found in museums in Harrisburg, Hershey, Lancaster and Philadelphia, as well as in many, local private collections.

The first four owners of the original 440 acre Locust Grove property were early Scot-Irish immigrants: the first a fur trader; the second a Lieutenant Colonel during the French & Indian War, was engaged in protecting the northern frontier; the third, serving as second in command of one of Pennsylvania’s three Brigades saw action on the western frontier. The fourth was a very wealthy Lancaster County tavern, grist mill and land owner.

Early American & Scientific Heritages

The Haldeman Family owned the Locust Grove property for about three generations, more than any other family. They turned what had been mostly an agricultural and wooded property into an industrial complex with a four-story Grist & Commercial Mill, Distillery, Sawmill and Livestock Operations by 1800.

They were close friends with the 15th President of the United States, James Buchanan, Jr. (1791-1868) and Abraham Lincoln's Secretary of War, Simon Cameroon (1799-1889). They, as well as other politicians, undoubtedly passed thru the mansion, it's ballroom and guest room, along with merchants from Baltimore, Lancaster, Philadelphia and York with which the Haldemans carried on business.

The Haldeman Mansion is known as the birthplace and childhood home of Professor Samuel Steman Haldeman (1812-1880). He epitomized the generation of 19th Century scholars, who advanced American science and letters to a position of cultural independence from Europe. He was a famous man among his peers in the United States and Abroad. He was a polymath, his interests spanned a vast array of subjects, as did his expertise and writings. He was a businessman (iron manufacturer), an educator (held positions at several institutes & universities), a scientist (early evolutionist writer, acknowledged by Darwin) and linguist. He was a leader in the development of phonetics as a science.