Hoke House saved? Veterans group says it will move historic building to new site

The historic Hoke House in Spring Grove will be moved to a new location to house a community center for veterans and their families, as well as the public, according to a news release from Just for Today Recovery and Veterans Support Services (JFT).

The news release said Rutter's has agreed to donate the house to JFT, and the organization will be responsible for moving the house to a site donated by a member of the Hoke family.

According to a comment by JFT on a Retro York Facebook group post, the building will be moved to "Old Hanover Road. About a mile west of the Middle School."

The Hoke House, built in 1750 and used for various purposes over the years, including a tavern and library, has been under a threat of demolition under Rutter's plans to expand its convenience store next door. The company obtained a demolition permit from the borough in February. Rutter’s, which acquired the site in 2006, submitted plans for the site in April that call for construction of a 6,915-square-foot convenience store, adding four gas pumps to its current location by the traffic circle on the east side of the borough and 49 parking spaces to accommodate customers.

More: Demolition permit for historic Hoke House in Spring Grove to be issued

Historians and community members mobilized to save the house, urging Rutter's to reconsider its site plans and searching for a potential site to move the building.

"With the support of several prominent residents in the borough, York County Commissioners, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, the non-profit organization, JFT, has been identified as an ideal candidate for this project," said the news release.

More on the Hoke House: Site to be underground fuel storage tanks for Rutter's, plan shows

JFT is a community organization that offers support services and resources to veterans and their families.

The news release said the organization hopes to preserve as much of the original structure as possible in the relocation.

The Georgian-style stone house is known as the “eastern gateway to the Borough of Spring Grove,” according to the website for the Friends of the Hoke House. The house, named for the family that farmed the surrounding fields, predates the borough by 132 years. George Washington, according to a history compiled by the Friends of Hoke House, might have stopped there for a drink while traveling from Taneytown, Maryland, to York.

JFT said it plans to use the center as "a gathering place for events, a resting place to pass time, and a source for information sharing and community building." The group also said it plans to use the relocated house as part of an agricultural program for veterans.

Representatives from Rutter's and JFT could not be immediately reached for comment.

Reaction to the news release on JFT's Facebook page was overwhelmingly positive, and Anne M. Hoke wrote, "Thank you! ... Please take good care of my ancestor's homestead."

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Hoke House saved? JFT says it will move historic building