MCCORMICK MANSION
John Buchanan McCormick's (1834-1924) Home
Architect - John B. McCormick
"I am here to assist in interring the old, and prepare for the welcoming of the new—the twentieth century.
I will grind a parchment from the trees of the forest, that Truths may be recorded thereon.
I will create electrical forces to carry them to the uttermost ends of the earth, that the veil of ignorance may be lifted, never again to be let down.
I will cause the busy wheels of industry to revolve more rapidly, that the burdens may be lifted from the poor and oppressed, and thus assist in fulfilling the prophecies of the great Victor Hugo."
About the McCormick Mansion
Architect Biography
John B. McCormick purchased a large farmhouse, The McCormick Mansion, in Pennsylvania in 1902 to live with his wife, 40 years his junior, and raise his 2 children. A modest farmhouse, he would expand it from 1902 to 1905, adding a large stone parapet.
John (November 4, 1834 – August 21, 1924) was a music teacher, and later was an American mechanical engineer who invented the first modern mixed flow water turbine, the "Hercules", as well variants including the Holyoke-McCormick, and Achilles turbines.
The Mansion
The original section was built between 1817 and 1829, and is a 2+1⁄2-story, three-bay, stone building with a gable roof and massive gable chimney. It was expanded between 1905 and 1905 by John B. McCormick. At that time, a large, two-story hip and gable roofed addition was built on the rear. Attached to that is a one-story, shed roofed addition with a parapet. The original house was modified with the addition of a three-story stone tower, porch with Doric ordersupporting columns, and dormers.
The McCormick Mansion near Smicksburg, Indiana County, Pa., was the inspiration for the setting, where Linda went to housesit. John Buchanan McCormick was the Inventor of turbines used in hydro-electric plants, inc. Niagara and St. Petersburg, Russia & is featured in an exhibit in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. This house was built by Judge Lewis in 1817, was a stop on the Underground Railroad, & once occupied by the family of actor Jimmy Stewart.
No Tours Currently
Currently there are no tours being given of the interior of the home and it is being used as a private residence. You can though drive by the home, viewing its magnificence.
Location: Crossroads of McCormick Rd and Stephenson Rd, in Smicksburg, PA.
You can learn more about the mansion by visiting Smicksburg's Historical Society.