Hunter House At Fort Augusta, Through The Decades

Today, the Hunter House at Fort Augusta houses a museum, with a variety of pieces from archeological digs, and nice displays telling the history of the fort.    The original home was the Commandants quarters at Fort Augusta, and here's an idea of how it has looked, and changed, over the decades:

This postcard shows a sketch of  the Headquarters of the Commandant of Fort Augusta, erected in 1757, Sunbury PA  .  It was the  residence of Colonel Samuel Hunter, the commanding officer.  Here he and his wife, their children and grandchildren, lived successively until about 1850. 

In 1758 Commissary Peter Bard wrote to Commandant James Burd, who was away at Raystown, "Our young nursery grows charmingly.  I can't forbear smiling as I am walking in the garden, to observe the great quantity of marigolds you have planted - there is enough to make soup for your whole army".

Since the dwelling was originally built against the west wall, or river side, of the fort, facing in, the original log home would have faced away from the river.

In  1768 Colonel Samuel Hunter arrived at the fort, moving into the Commandant house. He lived there until his death in 1784.

The "Manor Of Pomfret ", 5,000 acres along the Susquehanna, including Fort Augusta, was originally in Berks County, as Northumberland County was not formed until 1772.  On June 16 1772, the town of Sunbury was made the county seat for Northumberland.  The fort was situated right outside of Sunbury, in Augusta Township.  

In 1940, the Sunbury Daily Item published a blurb about the house, which states:

"It seems that Samuel Hunter, a grandson of the Colonel who owned it in 1850, had a negro servant girl, who had been whipped for some misdeed.  For this punishment, she set fire to the house in the back of the cellar, and it burned down that year."

According to that same 1940 article, the present mansion house was built on the side of the original structure.  Between the road and the river, almost opposite the mansion house, stood a small flat roofed house, in 1845.  That small house was the dwelling house of the farmer on the Hunter farm for many years."

Date unknown, but the trees are smaller in these first postcards.  A gable cannot be seen on either side of the house.

Postcard labeled "Fort Augusta Mansion", very similar to the photo above.

This photograph, dated 1891, clearly shows the second story porch railing, although a later newspaper article will state that the porch was not added until after 1907.  The railing does change in design at a later time, closer to the 1920s or 1930s.

 It's difficult to be sure from this blurry newspaper clipping, but it appears that in 1891, there was only one side gable addition to the home, on the right. 

In 1895, Isaac & Amelia Goss purchased the Hunter house.  By all reports, the house was in an extreme state of disrepair, and was inhabited by tramps.  Mrs Goss renovated the home and grounds, opened a small museum on the first floor of the home, and had stone monuments erected on the grounds.  

This postcard is dated 1909, but that only means that is when it was mailed, not the date the photo was taken.  Notice the design of the porch is the same as what is shown in the 1891 photograph.

A View Of Fort Augusta From Across the River [look to the left of the photo]

These "moonlight" series postcards were popular throughout the Susquehanna Valley from around 1909-1912, as near as I can tell.  (I've been searching for more about the "Moonlight Series" - they were not limited to our area, but I'd love to know more about how the trend began.)

 A restoration in 1996 showed that the earliest paint color on the Hunter Mansion was yellow.  I'm uncertain how many colors the house was over the years, and simply do not know if the postcards reflect the true colors, or if there was a good bit of artistic license used.  

In this photo, there is a fence to the left of the house, and a door on the second story porch.  One article theorizes that the door was added by Mrs Isaac Gross, who purchased the home in 1895.  Mrs Gross operated a small museum out of the home.

Postcard dated 1921 - It shows the house as the yellow color, and that may, or may not be, an accurate portrayal of it's color at that time.   A gable can be seen to the right, but if there is one on the left, it is not visible from this angle, behind the trees.  Note there is no fence to the left of the house.

A postcard showing the interior of the Hunter House Museum when owned by Mrs Gross.

"Little of the old fortification remains.  The magazine, the well, and the commandants mansion are still intact.  For a long time the place was neglected.  The mansion, familiarly known as the 'spook house', was the abode of tramps for years, and the inside casing of the magazine was partially torn out to make a foundation for a stable.  A few years ago the property was bought by Mrs. Amelia Gross, an English woman.  It now serves her as one of the most handsome residences in Sunbury.  She has picked up a number of curious relics of the place and arranged them in conspicuous places about her apartments.  The interested visitor is cordially received and entertained at length by splendid descriptions of the fortress and the collection of relics." - a 1925 Mt Caramel Newspaper Article.

The relic room at Fort Augusta, while owned by Mrs Gross.

According to this description, this is a photo of the Hunter Mansion in 1907, "before the second floor porch and columns were added".    I simply do not have an answer for this, but my best guess is that there was a second story porch, as shown in the 1891 photo, it was removed sometime prior to 1907, and added in the new style at a later date.  Or the photo is labeled incorrectly.  

 Again, it is hard to tell, but I do not see a gable on the north side of the house, only on the south side.  

A  postcard dated 1908.  Notice that the second story porch appears to have been removed.   There appears to be a fence to the left.

The trees are fuller in this photo, but not necessarily larger than in the photo above.  Again, the second story porch is missing, with only a railing.  There is no fence to the left, and the rose bush is visible to the right of the sidewalk.

A tearoom briefly operated in the old mansion, while it was for sale. 

Inquires were made by prospective purchasers.  Possibilities included the site becoming a service station, or roadside refreshment stand.

There was, for a time, a flower bed made from stone, in the shape of the fort.

"After peace had come, and the Indians moved westward to the wilderness of Ohio, the fort was not needed.  its ramparts were torn down and the site passed into private hands, eventually being purchased by the late Mrs. Amelia Gross, mother of Mrs Rossiter."

It had been the desire of Mrs. Gross for the fort to become a public shrine., according to articles in the Daily Item.

An unidentified group poses in front of Hunter House - Year Unknown

In 1931, the Hunter House was finally purchased by the Commonwealthy of Pennsylvania, from Ella Rossiter, the daughter of Mrs Amelia Gross.

Site of Old Fort Augusta Showing The Sullivan Expedition Marker

"Adjoining the building is the home of Mrs. Helen W. Rockwell [stone house to the right] also within the original site and to the south is the lot on which were located the well and magazine of the fort.  This was purchased by the commonwealth around 1912, and was cared for by the Fort Augusta Chapter Daughters Of the American Revolution."

The replica of the fort has been  built in the front yard in this postcard, but there does not appear to be a house on either side of the Hunter Mansion.  However, that could be the angle.  This is the first view I have found , that clearly shows the  gables on both sides of the home.  It is possible the northern gable was hidden behind trees, or not visible based on the angle of the photo, but it appears to me that it may have  been added later.  The second story porch has been replaced, with new railing at both rooflines, and columns added in front.  

The original fort replica was dedicated in a ceremony in May of 1940.

In 1932, Mrs Ella Rossiter sold the Fort Augusta property to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Formal transfer of the historic property was taken after the state legislature in its 1931 session appropriated $15,000 for its purchase.

A campaign was made to have the state purchase the property, and in 1932 Governor Pinchot signed the bill for the purchase, with the state paying $15,000 for the property. In making the purchase, the commonwealth went against a precedent it had established of refusing to purchase any more locations of historic interest as state property. At the time of the sale, the fort had been in private hands for more than a century.

1935 Postcard of Hunter House, while it was the headquarters for WKOK

WKOK broadcast from the upstairs of this building  from 1933 into  the early 1950s.  At Christmas time, WKOK would broadcast "talk to Santa" from here.

The first replica was dedicated in a Memorial Day Ceremony in May of 1940.  That first replica was demolished in 1983.

I don't believe the rood was ever red, but I could be mistaken.  This is the last view I have found that shows the Sullivan Expedition Marker (pole shown between the house and the flagpole).

The stone house to the right of the Hunter House the house of George W. Rockwell, later known as the Toccket House.

With The WKOK cars lines up outside  The truck is a Charles Chips truck.

The three story tower was thought to have been added to the house in the "Victorian Period", and the porches may have been build tin the early 20th century.

In 1980, Representative Merle Philips introduced a bill seeking $25,000 appropriation for improvement of the Fort Augusta Museum. The plans called for the three story Victorian-era tower, and the porch, in an effort to restore the original Georgeian styling. $10,000 was earmarked for the display area of the museum, and the replica of Fort Augusta on the front lawn.

In 1983, the Replica in front of the house, which was rotting and full of termites, was demolished.

On June 4 1987, Maj. Jack Hetrick, president of the historical society, and Mark O Hagenbuch, a teacher, unveiled the new historical marker in front of the Hunter House.  A 5th grade class was in attendance.

The Hunter House Mansion at Fort Augusta after being repainted in 1996

In 1996, the Hunter House - Fort Augusta was awarded $25,000 for restoration, repair and repainting.

The repairs included: replacement of a rotted lintel on the attic window on the north side, addition of shutters on the north and south sides, repair of the damage to wood columns, and repainting the house and garage.

Ad the house was under the management of the PHMC, they were consulted regarding color choices.  The PHMC senior curator referred the matter to a well known historical paint finishes consultant from Baltimore, who made the following suggestion:

"I am suggesting after much consideration that you use a yellow ochre color for the brick boy of the house.  This type of yellow was used quite often on frame and brick structures because it was inexpensive.  It would be perfect with a white, or slightly yellowish white woodwork.  The shutters and doors should be a dark green, which is a good chrome-green type color."

While cleaning and scraping the surface for the house in preparation for painting, the contractor uncovered the earliest paint coat on the house - yellow ochre.

The original replica deteriorated and was removed, leaving the front yard bare for a time.

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For more Stories & History Of Sunbury:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/07/sunbury-pennsylvania.html

And for more stories and history from nearby towns:
https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/p/history.html

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READ MORE
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1. Bells History Of Northumberland County 

After the treaty at Fort Stanwix in 1768, a warrant was issued in Philadelphia, ordering the Manor Of Pomfret to be laid out.  The Manor Of Pomfret was described as "... a quantity of five thousand acres of Land at Shamokin on the River Susquehanna to include the Old Fort and the lands about it" 

On July 4 1776, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania assumed control of all the proprietary lands, except on manors at which no land had been sold.  Since the Penns had not sold any land at Pomfret Manor, they retained ownership throughout the war.  In 1785, after hostilities ceased, the Penns began to sell the land in Pomfret, as private owners.

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This is an incomplete, and not completely verified timeline.

The Daily Item over the years has contradicted itself numerous times in articles reporting on the home and it's ownership, it will take more research to determine the facts - but this is a starting point.

• 1786, April 10 - William Wilson purchased 342 acres of "land on where the late Colonel Hunter dwelt". 
• 1790, Oct 20 - - Wilson sold half the tract to Alexander Hunter, brother of the Colonel.  The other half was deeded to Mary [Hunter] Scott, June 17 1811 at a "nominal consideration".  Her husband had drowned, and Captain Wilson was a relative, having married Mary Scott, sister of her husband.  "From this time, the land was known as the Hunter-Scott Farms"
• 1813 - John Cowden sued Alexander Hunter, resulting in a $1,500 judgment against Hunter.  Hunters land was sold at Sheriffs sale to satisfy the judgment.  On April 22, 1814, the 153 acres, 43 perches was purchased by Thomas Grant.
• 1815 - Thomas Grant  died and his executors were directed to sell the land.  
• 1817, October 17 - Nancy ["Ann"] Hunter, widow of Alexander Hunter, purchased back the land from the Grant estate.  She paid exactly what Grant had paid for the land in 1814.
• 1833, July 26 - Nancy Hunter died.  By this time her tract of land had been reduced to 90 acres.  Her will left the land to her son Samuel.  After Nancy's will was probated, Samuel owned a farm of 90 acres.
• 1838- Samuel Hunter expanded the farm to 150 acres.
• 1846 - Augusta township was split in half, with the Hunter land becoming part of Upper Augusta Township
• 1848 - Property tax assessment drops - possibly indicating that this was the year the original home was lost in a fire.
• 1850 - Property tax assessment rises, possibly indicating that the new, finer, house had been constructed that year.
• 1852, July 3 - Samuel Hunter died, leaving the Hunter farm to his sisters,  Mrs Elizabeth [Hunter] Billington, Mary and Nancy Hunter.  Nancy eventually came to hold exclusive possession of the 106 acre tract.
• 1859, Aug 9 - Benjamin Hendricks purchased 100 acres, 45 perches to Benjamin Hendricks.  The deed stipulated that a small piece of ground behind the house was to be preserved as a cemetery for the Grant and Hunter families.  (The cemetery is still there today)
• 1863, June 23 - Hendricks sold the property to Joseph W. Cake.  Cake, "made wealthy in real estate speculation and through interest in the railroads", purchased most of the land in the general area of the Hunter farm.  He laid out the streets and sold lots, naming the area "Caketown".  Cake had also acquired the adjoining Scott farm in 1859, making him the owner of the original Hunter and Scott farms that comprised Fort Augusta.
• 1879, Jan 1 - Cake died intestate (without a will).  The conflict over his estate eventually went to the PA Supreme Court.  J.A. Cake, one of Joseph's 4 children, was given power of attorney for his father to sell lots, and eventually he sold the Hunter House.
• 1895, May 31 - Amelia Goss purchased Hunter House from the Cake estate. [one source states that she purchased the farm at Sheriffs sale?]

The original boundaries of the borough were so extended by act of  the legislature approved on the 19th of April 1858, as to include the  Scott and Hunter farms, the improved portions of which are known as 

Caketown. This territory was re-annexed to Upper Augusta township, April  2, 1860, and again became part of the borough, April 2, 1867, by  legislative enactment in both instances.

Colonel Samuel Hunter was born in the North of Ireland in 1732. His 

military career began in 1760; on the 2d of May in that year he was 

commissioned as lieutenant in Captain Joseph Scott's company of Colonel 

Hugh Mercer's battalion of the Pennsylvania regiment, and on the 10th of 

November, 1763, as captain in Colonel Turbutt Francis's battalion. He 

was at Fort Augusta in June, 1763, when the first intelligence of 

Pontiac's conspiracy was received, and initiated the measures 

subsequently carried into execution by Colonel Burd for the defense of 

that post. In the following year. he joined Colonel Bouquet's 

expedition, but was again at Fort Augusta in 1768 and doubtless earlier. 

On the 24th of March, 1772, he was commissioned as one of the first 

justices for Northumberland county, from which he was elected to the 

Assembly, 1772-75, to the Committee, of Safety, 1775-76, and to the 

Council of Censors in 1783; and when the militia organized at the 

outbreak of the Revolution he was elected colonel of the First 

battalion, February 8, 1776. He was appointed county lieutenant, March 

21, 1777, and re-appointed, April 6, 1780; in this responsible position 

he directed the movements of the local militia during the Revolution, 

and his official correspondence is an invaluable contribution to the 

history of Northumberland county in that eventful period. He died at 

Fort Augusta, April 10, 1784, leaving a widow, Susanna (nee Scott), and 

two daughters, Nancy and Mary. The former married Alexander Hunter; the 

latter, Samuel Scott.

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Notes and Queries Historical and Genealogical /Chiefly Relating to Interior of Pennsylvania Annual Volume 1897

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The American Monthly Magazine, V41, 1912

https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_American_Monthly_Magazine/xOUQAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0

Mrs Gross

October 1923 - 5 squirrels