The Boyer House

History … where would we be without it? Today many people take our rich history for granted, but that is not true for Central Pennsylvania College President Todd A. Milano. Milano is a lover of history and believes in giving back to the community. A man of vision, Milano wanted to purchase and restore the Boyer farmhouse. The 200 year-old stone farmhouse sits on Valley Road in Summerdale, and seven generations of Boyers called it “home.” Special care and research went into the Boyer House project – a project designed to restore the home so that it would look as it did in the 1800s.

That vision realized, today the Boyer House serves as the Office of the President of Central Pennsylvania College. But more than that, the Boyer House is headquarters for the Historical Society of East Pennsboro Township. Beautiful display rooms are maintained by the Historical Society, and the Boyer House is open to visitors. Herb Kruger, President of the Historical Society of East Pennsboro Township and Judy Jacobs, Curator, conduct Boyer House tours all through the year. More than a thousand visitors have toured the Boyer House. That number includes area residents and guests from all over the United States and from faraway places like Paris, France, England, and Austrailia. To schedule a tour, call Herb or Judy at 717-732-5801.

The Boyer House project was followed closely by Milano’s efforts to save, move, and restore Henszey’s Bridge. Just like the renovations to the Boyer House, extreme care and much research went into the bridge renovation process. In May 2002, Henszey’s Bridge and Central Pennsylvania College made history as the bridge traveled from Greiner Industries in Mount Joy to its new home on the campus of Central Pennsylvania College. That old bridge now serves as a beautiful pedestrian walkway on the College campus. Milano was featured in an article “Wanna Buy a Bridge?” written by Patricia Davis that appeared on the front page of the prestigious Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, March 27, 2002. He also received an Historic Preservation Award in 2003 for his efforts to save Henszey’s Bridge.

To learn more about the Boyer House, click here.

To learn more about Henszey’s Bridge, click here (coming soon, site under construction).

To learn more about the East Pennsboro Historical Society, click here.