Hoke House receives $10,000 in pledges to save it, borough official in touch with Rutter's

A Spring Grove borough official has been in contact with Rutter's about the future of the historic Hoke House that sits along Route 116 on the roundabout.

"We are setting up a meeting in the near future to discuss their plans," borough manager Zach Gulden said in an email.

No date has been set at this time.

Meanwhile, the Friends of the Hoke House say the community has pledged more than $10,000 to save the 1750s-era, Georgian-style house. The first priority is to reach the $50,000 mark, but additional funding might be needed, Paul Nevin said.

In January, Rutter's applied for a demolition permit for the Hoke House. The borough granted it last month, despite public outcry that it should be saved. The borough explained that all of the requirements for the permit had been met and the local government had no lawful basis to deny it.

The mayor and borough council, however, voted unanimously last month to pledge $50,000 towards preserving or restoring the Hoke House, according to the borough's Facebook page. The preference is that the structure will remain on site. If not, officials would support its full relocation.

Other organizations would have to raise an additional $250,000 to help in applying for federal, state or local grants, and Rutter's agreement and cooperation will be needed, the post states.

Rutter's could not be reached for comment.

Related:Historic Hoke House in Spring Grove facing possible demolition after efforts to save it

Related:Spring Grove sets special meeting on the fate of the Hoke House; options to explore

The company's special council, Christopher Reed, spoke during a special borough meeting last month on the fate of the house. Rutter's bought the property in 2006, and it was not subject to any deed or historical restrictions.

The company obtained a demolition permit in 2014 after the borough notified the business that the building needed to be brought up to code or torn down, Reed said. Rutter's halted its plans and entered into a three-year agreement with preservationists to correct code violations and to find someone to occupy the structure.

The agreement expired without finding a tenant.

"In total, Rutter's has allowed eight years for a tenant to be found or an alternate plan for the building to be proposed," he said.

Community pledges $10,000 so far to save Hoke House

Friends of the Hoke House has asked the community for pledges to save the structure. It has provided more information at www.hokehouse.com/give.html.

"People have been incredibly generous," Nevin said.

Most of the pledges have come from people in York County, he said. The pledges typically are $100 or more.

"It just shows how much people value the Hoke House," he said.

Preservationists and residents spoke out in favor of saving the house during the special borough meeting last month. Shawn Carbaugh of York County told the council that the Hoke House is its oldest asset other than Native American artifacts. In about 24 years, it will be 300 years old.

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Nevin had outlined some alternatives that would prevent the house from ending up in a landfill. One of the options would be to incorporate the house into a new convenience store, he said. Another would be to relocate the structure.

The structure existed long before the borough of Spring Grove was founded, and in 2019, it was deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, Nevin has said.

It made Preservation Pennsylvania's 2017 list of most endangered historic resources.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Spring Grove's historic Hoke House gets $10,000 in pledges to save it