Reminiscences of Stanton

The Old Stone, or Rising Son, Hotel, c.1970

I'm proud to present here the next in what I hope to be a continuing series of Mill Creek Hundred History Blog Guest Posts. Slightly different than the last one, this post is a collection of a few of one man's memories of Stanton. I was contacted a while back by Raymond Albanese, who currently resides in Conowingo, MD. But from 1962 to 1977, Raymond lived in Stanton, in Mannette Heights (between Stanton Middle School and the railroad tracks). He had some additional information about several earlier posts, and after some thought, we decided to roll them up together into one post. It's not meant to be a single narrative, but rather a collection of several separate thoughts on various topics relating to the Stanton area. I've added a few links to the original posts for reference.

Below is what Raymond sent me, with just some very minor editing to convert an email into a blog post. All the memories and stories are his, and we hope they'll spark a few of your own. As always here, please feel free to add your own thoughts and recollections. Odds are if you remember it after all these years, either someone else does too, or else they've been trying to remember it. Thanks again to Raymond for taking the time to write these up. Enjoy!



On one of your comments in reference to the Stone hotel in Stanton [post is here], where it was razed to build the Alert gas station, the question was asked if it was a doctors office at one time. Indeed it was. As I knew it in the early sixties it was a Dr. Carrol who practiced medicine there and lived there also with his wife and daughter. The daughter attended school with me at Stanton Jr. High. The house stood on the east side of Mill lane. It was razed in the late sixties or early seventies after the construction of Mitch Rd in 1969. Another part of little Delaware's history erased in the name of the inevitable thing called progress.

Across the street from Dr. Carrol's, on the northwest corner of Limestone and Main St., was a stone farmhouse next to St. Marks. As far as I know that house was occupied by the Naylor family, then the Poultneys, then the Goulds. They farmed that area where Stanton school is now. In 1962 I watched from the second floor of Stanton Jr. High as the house was demolished using an actual wrecking ball. I was scolded by my social studies teacher, Mr. George Glynn, for looking out the window. It's not everyday you see a wrecking ball in action. Across the street from there was the "famous" Stanton Arms. The only remnants of that establishment now, as I can see from the street, is a steel pole about three feet high bent into an L, still embedded in the sidewalk. That pole was the neon light sign bearing the name Schaefer beer.

The now-infamous bent pole from the former
Stanton Arms. I never noticed it before. Did you?

Another question in your comments was about the Bennett family on Telegraph Rd. and where it was located. [There are several related comments here.] The home was a white structure, still there, and is the third house on the east side of Telegraph Rd. after you go under the B&O under pass heading south. Now I am speaking about these locations in the sixties: first was Timkos, then Hartmans, then Bennetts. However, there was a dwelling between Hartmans and Bennetts that sat back about 100 yards occupied by the Irwin family -- an R. Stuart Irwin, his wife Vida and their son Maurice. So, Bennetts was technically the fourth house but the third visible even today. The Irwin's residence was actually an ice cream parlor that was moved from Stanton to the 1.25 acre on Telegraph Rd. in the rear of Manette Heights. Back to the Bennetts. It was a little candy, soda store in the basement of their residence that was frequented by Stanton Jr. High students. It was an after school, after games spot where we would buy candy, chips, sodas and cigarettes which we would smoke across the road in the woods called Bennetts woods, which is actually owned by Delaware Park. My how times have changed.

The owner of Bennetts was Ed and Ruth, they had three children Dick, Donald, and Betty. Donald lived on the same property and had three children, Donnie, Ronnie and Donna, whom all were a few years younger than me. They had a small horse farm there and a riding coral.

Area around the Bennett's Store. Telegraph Road
at the bottom, dotted line is the railroad tracks.
Mannette Heights partially visible at top.

Back to the Hartmans, the second house past the underpass. These were three bachelor brothers, Raymond, Hugh, and Harry Hartman all tradesmen. In February of 1970 there was a murder-suicide there, a cold heavy rainy day, I remember it well, I was 20 yrs. old. Apparently, Hugh shot Raymond as he sat in the front room, set the house on fire and shot himself. I was coming to visit there and then saw smoke. I went to Mrs. Bennett's and we called the F.D. The Millcreek fire co saved most of the house. Hope this helps. I have many more stories of My beloved Stanton and the surrounding area.

-- by Raymond Albanese.