YORK COUNTY, Pa. — The historic Hoke House in York County is officially being relocated.
Just for Today Recovery and Veterans Support Services (JFT) announced the decision on Friday, July 28 after consulting with community members and county officials.
In February, FOX43 reported that Rutter's, who now owns the land the Hoke House sits on, had applied for a demolition permit.
The popular convenience store and gas station has reportedly agreed to donate the Hoke House to JFT. Executive Director Steve Barndt says residents in the area were thrilled by the news, which comes months after a demolition permit was approved for the building.
"People from the community are very attached to this," Barndt said. "When they saw that was gonna become a reality, they started to tear up a little bit."
JFT will relocate the structure, with plans to establish a Veterans agricultural program and open the building up to the public.
“We just saw the perfect opportunity working with our veterans, and then keeping the community involved," Barndt said. "The community can do events at the house, it just was the perfect fit."
The building, built in 1750, will be situated on land made available by a member of the Hoke family. It will still be in York County; however, some say the structure should remain as an iconic gateway to Spring Grove.
In a statement, the Friends of Hoke House said in part:
“We commend Just for Today for taking on the task of saving the Hoke House and for successfully negotiating with Rutter’s to allow it to be moved off of their property… It’s unfortunate that Rutter’s chose not to step out of the box and provide a creative solution that would have preserved the Hoke House in its rightful location.”
Brandt says work and collaboration with the project will be worth its positive impacts for both veterans and York County.
"This is going to be a big undertaking," Barndt said. "Well worth it, but I mean a big undertaking."
Talks have already begun with movers, and the nonprofit hopes to have the house relocated before the end of the year.
The organization plans to initiate the project in the coming weeks with intentions of preserving as much of the original structure as possible during the relocation.
After the house is moved, JFT and contracted partners plan to salvage the historic architecture and original features.
After restorations are complete next year, the Hoke House will be opened as a community center for veterans and their families as well as the public.
The Hoke House existed as a tavern for over 50 years, serving as a gathering place for the community and for postings of public information. It was purposed as a post office, meeting place for business people and resting place for travelers.
JFT plans to recreate the same use in the present day, constructing an open space to be a gathering place for events, a resting place to pass the time, and a source for information sharing and community building.
The Hoke House also operated as a prosperous farm for over 150 years. JFT intends to include this aspect of the historical Hoke House by establishing a veterans agricultural program, which has proven to be therapeutic for veterans across the country.