Burtner House marks 200th anniversary with free community celebration

Philip Burtner laid the cornerstone for his family homestead in 1818. James Monroe was president. It would be at least two decades before indoor plumbing was invented, and decades more would pass before homes had electricity.

The three-story Burtner House in Harrison was completed in 1821 and life continued there for four generations. The stone house was last inhabited in 1960.

“This is one of the five oldest homes in Allegheny County, and here it is in our backyard,” said Lucy Mahdik, vice president of the Burtner House Restoration Society.

“It’s a big, old farmhouse. But it has a nice feeling to it when you walk in. It’s welcoming.”

The community can get a peek into 19th-century life during a celebration on Saturday, Sept. 18 to mark the 200th anniversary of the site, which was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The free event runs from noon to 6 p.m., rain or shine.

A dedication at 12:30 p.m. will be followed by spinning demonstrations, a bluegrass band, birthday cupcakes, raffles and food trucks. Special guest “Abe Lincoln” will mingle with guests.

Donations are welcome. Masks are optional, but there will be a limited number of people allowed into the house at one time, said Mahdik, a volunteer more than 40 years.

“I just want everyone to come out and celebrate,” society President Jeff Jones said. “We put a lot of effort into keeping it nice for the community.”

Mahdik and others, like society Secretary Sandy Jack, will be dressed in long skirts and bonnet hats, just like the home’s early women wore.

The pair looks forward to showing off the home’s highlights: the heavy, cast iron skillets that sit by the fireplace, the yokes used to carry water from the stream and the pie safe that kept the baked goods fresh.

“This house is a special keepsake,” Jack said. “I would really like it to continue to serve the community. There are lessons to be learned here.”

Jones said local history is abundant during a visit to the Burtner House.

The large farm was a polling place for Andrew Jackson’s election and town meetings were held there to plan the Pennsylvania Canal.

All around, there are glimpses into the difficult way of life during the 1800s.

“I always talk about the hard work that every family member had to do,” Mahdik said. “Look at the house — someone had to carry all the stones to build it and cut the trees to make the beams. There were no tractors, just a horse and buggy.”

Inside, there would have been a cradle in the kitchen to keep the baby warm by the fireplace.

And, of course, there is no TV.

“Kids worked on the farm and maybe played a game and did their homework,” Mahdik said. “This was a very different life, and we should know about it.”

Jack said she hopes to draw up to 700 visitors. That’s about the same size crowd that usually attends the Burtner House Strawberry Festival, which was canceled this year because of covid-19 concerns.

Participants are encouraged to park at the Citizens Hose Firehall, 965 Burtner Road, and use a shuttle to get to and from the event.

For more information, visit the home’s Facebook page.