An industrial real estate company wants to build warehouses near the Wrightsville interchange of Route 30, and concern is growing about the fate of a more than 150-year-old farmhouse on the property.
The two warehouses — one measuring 312,480 square feet and the other 301,000 square feet — would be built on a roughly 46-acre property that borders both the Lincoln Highway, also known as Route 462, and Cool Springs Road in Hellam Township. The land is zoned for commercial and industrial use.
Core 5 Industrial Partners has been working through the land development process for the planned warehouses, according to township records. The proposal would require some improvements, such as installing a traffic signal at the westbound ramp of the Wrightsville interchange and putting in sidewalks on the property.
Looking from Cool Springs Road, near at a farm in Hellam Township on July 20, 2026 that is a proposed 45-acre warehouse site. The property also borders Route 462.
Earlier this year, the board of supervisors approved the preliminary development plans with conditions, including that the company work with the Kreutz Creek Valley Preservation Society on preserving structures or repurposing materials from them before demolition, according to the March 19 meeting minutes.
A stone farmhouse on the property was built in the 1870s by John Strickler, a member of a prominent township family, and descendants still live in the area, said Katina Snyder, director of the preservation society. The home is in good condition, and the rooms remain much the same as when it was constructed. It also features an unusual, multi-level basement.
The Susquehanna National Heritage Area, which owns the neighboring Mifflin Farm that will be the future home of the Susquehanna Discovery Center & Heritage Park, and the preservation society have been in discussions with the company about the historical structures on the property.
A main barn on the property is being dismantled and shipped to Texas for reassembly. Mark Platts, president and CEO of the Susquehanna National Heritage Area, said his organization last week marked beams and floor joists from a tobacco barn and stones from the main barn that will be salvaged and moved to the Mifflin Farm for future use. Core 5 is covering the cost.
Options for saving the house have been rejected
Efforts to save the house from being torn down have been unsuccessful so far. Platts and Snyder said they have offered the company multiple ideas for saving it.
One concept would be to revise the layout of the development to keep the farmhouse in place along Route 462. Under the current proposal, the house sits where a storm water management area and parking spaces would be created, Platts said.
Another option is to relocate the house to another spot on the property closer to the Rutter’s convenience store. It could be rented as office space, for instance, at either site, Platts said.
The third idea would be to relocate the home to the Mifflin Farm for renovation and reuse by the Susquehanna National Heritage Area. The cost to move the house is estimated to be $352,000, Platts said.
The company has told them it isn’t interested in the options, citing the time required to move the house as one of its concerns. Platts said he has countered with arrangements for the move to be expedited to no avail.
‘It’s breaking my heart’
“It’s breaking my heart to see it destroyed,” Snyder said.
Core 5 Industrial Partners could not be reached for comment. Phone messages were left at its Hershey office and Atlanta headquarters.
Hellam Township recently granted a demolition permit for structures on the property with the exception of the farmhouse, municipal manager Corina Mann said. The farmhouse received an extension until Sept. 5 to allow time for the structure to be moved.
A contractor has begun dismantling some of the buildings. A recent social media post about the house slated for demolition has sparked concern among residents.
While it’s been good to work with the company to salvage some of the materials from the barns, “I think we felt they could do more,” Platts said. “It doesn’t have to be demolished to develop the plan.”
Core 5 Industrial Partners’ final land development plan is expected to come before the supervisors for approval in late August or September, Mann said.
Township officials are reviewing historic properties in the municipality in hopes of starting conversations with owners about preserving buildings if the land is sold for development in the future, Mann said.
Teresa Boeckel is a reporter for the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK. Contact her at tboeckel@ydr.com.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Historic Hellam Township house faces demolition for warehouse project
