The Harnish farmstead was originally built in 1774 and included 150 acres of Lancaster farmland.The property was owned by the Harnish family from 1774 until the early 1950's, when it was bought by Richard Witmer.Richard Witmer had four children, and they needed more space.He hired a well-known architectural firm, Muhlenberg Brothers, to add on to the existing house, keeping the addition in the traditional German Farmhouse style. The addition included the current kitchen, family room, and two additional bedrooms. He used pine wood flooring upstairs, consistent with the rest of the house, and added beautiful brick flooring for the kitchen and family room.Close attention to historic details is evident throughout the house, with antique door latches and hardware, deep window sills, custom woodwork, and many other features.The house is on the National Register of Historic Homes.Over the years, Mr. Witmer sold off parcels of land to create the Winding Way neighborhood. He also donated 100 acres of land to become a conservancy, never to be built on.One of the best things about the house today is the level of privacy; owners have a beautiful view of farmland, within a few miles of downtown Lancaster. The recent owners installed a geothermal HVAC system, which is quiet and energy efficient. They updated the kitchen with granite countertops and Viking appliances. The bathroom that is part of the original master suite was completely gutted and remodeled in 2014.There is a small brick guesthouse on the property. It has 3 bedrooms upstairs, and 3 rooms downstairs. This makes a great caretaker cottage, guest house, or can be used for rental income. The barn has undergone major renovations in the last 10 years. A 1,000 square foot rec room was built in the original haymow of the barn. This is a wonderful space for entertaining and recreation.Below, the stalls were completely gutted and rebuilt for horses. There is an outdoor arena for riding across the driveway.The acreage surrounding the house is a combination of pasture and woods. The house has been enrolled in the clean and green program, which keeps the real estate taxes relatively low. It is surrounded by mature trees, but the owners have also planned for the future by replacing and replanting over 100 trees over the last ten years.
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