Mifflin House was built in 1800 and has not been significantly changed in 200+ years.
Activists are hoping Penn National Gaming’s mini-casino will help them save an old Underground Railroad site: Mifflin House. Local resident groups hope the construction of a satellite casino in their community will give Mifflin House a new lifeline, both from more tax revenues and more tourists coming to the city.
The problem is Penn National Gaming has 3 potential development spots it might choose for its mini-casino project, while advocates want the casino to incorporate Mifflin House into the design of the casino grounds. Mifflin House advocates thus are trying to gain public support for their city.
Penn National Gaming Inc. said it was aware of the importance of building a mini-casino off the Wrightsville exit of Route 30, though the company remains noncommittal.
The company has said they would consider preserving the historic Mifflin House, which served as a stop on the Underground Railroad to help escaped slaves relocate in the north or Canada during the Antebellum period.
Development Instead of Destruction
Jeff Morris, a spokesman for Penn National, said of the Mifflin House issue, “We understand the importance to the community.”
In a Hellam Township meeting last week, representatives discussed the fact that the company has been looking at three spots in a commercial/industrial zone, which are located just off the Wrightville exit. The vote to allow for a mini-casino to be built in the municipality resulted in a 4-0 victory for the opt in.
Galen Weibley, chairman of the Hellam board of supervisors said, “Some residents and myself expressed support that, if the (Mifflin House) parcel is selected, the house structure be incorporated into the development of the casino. I even used the example of the Lancaster Convention Center incorporating the brick structure of the Watt & Shand department store.”
Historical House Worth Saving?
The Mifflin House holds importance, but is one of a collection of historic resources that once existed in the Lower Susquehanna River Valley. Advocates for the preservation of Mifflin House say it holds the spirit of what the Underground Railroad was.
During the time when slavery was legal in the United States, an underground network of citizens allowed escaped slaves to take sanctuary in their homes and barns. Local laws were against the harboring of slaves, because they were seen as property. Mifflin House was one of a series of underground railroad safehouses in the Pennsylvania area.
Dr. Leroy Hopkins on the Underground Railroad
A native of Lancaster, PA, Dr. Leroy Hopkins said, “We have to cherish the artifacts of our history and now merely set up plaques saying what used to stand here. The partnership alluded to…is typical of our area, that is why the Underground Railroad was an important part of our history.”
Hopkins, a retired German professor from Millersville University, said now is an important time to maintain such historical relics, because it is a reminder of the country’s past.
Hopkins said, “Religious faith and a sense of community that embraces persons of all backgrounds and origins used to be an ideal ascribed to by America. It must be held up against the current atmosphere of fear and self-indulgence that expresses itself in xenophobia, racism, and sexism.”
History of Mifflin House
Preservation advocate Randolph Harris said he does tours at the classic department store and the home that sits adjacent frequently. The home was once occupied by Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith, who felt a moral obligation to help slaves escape bondage.
Harris says that he sees the opportunity to save it and appreciates the support and care of the local citizens. Harris said, “I’m pleased to hear citizens…expressing an opinion they’d like to see the Mifflin House saved.”
Kinsley Properties
The Mifflin House property sits in a growing business park, though, and has been under threat of destruction by local government. Preservationists have been working hard to fight to keep the historic house standing.
Kinsley Equities II, a partner of Kinsley Properties, applied for a demolition permit early last year. Though the attempt was denied by the township, the issue is now in the hands of the York County Court of Common Pleas. Many believe it is a matter of time before Mifflin House is destroyed, if Penn National does not save the building.
Preservation Pennsylvania
Mindy Crawford of Preservation Pennsylvania said, “As the advocacy voice for preservation, we felt the Mifflin House and resulting legal case could have statewide implications for both the way municipalities identify and protect their historic properties and the creation of a legal precedent for preservation based on the Pennsylvania History Code and Environmental Rights Amendment.”
Tim Kinsley mentioned that Kinsley Properties and the Kinsley family are committed to preservation. The family spokesman said their preservation efforts have been ongoing for over 50 years and the Kinsleys will continue those efforts.
Decision Coming by July
Morris mentioned that Penn National has numerous locations in York County in mind to put a mini-casino. The list of sites include Shrewsbury, a site in the York Galleria in Springettsbury Township, and the current off-track betting site in Manchester Township. The Hellam Township site is at the top of the list for locations, because it offers easy access to Route 30 as well as it being centrally located between Lancaster and York.
Casino laws require only a small percentage of a site to be the casino gaming area, so Penn National could accommodate the Mifflin House as a historical site on the property. According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Resort, casinos can accommodate up to 600 tables and up to 50 gaming tables where as a mini-casino operates between 300 and 750 slot machines and can grow to hold up to 40 tables.
The decision on a casino site is not far off. Penn National must submit the permit application to the state by July so they are working to narrow the field of candidates and will make a final decision on a site soon.
