Submitted by Leona Baker, Historical Society of Salisbury Township

For the next several months, "From the Attic" will explore the properties that Gen. Marquis de Lafayette would have passed on his journey through Salisbury Township in 1825. As part of the Lafayette 200 Bicentennial celebration, a re-enactor portraying "Lafayette" will visit the area again on Friday and Saturday, July 25 and 26, and will visit historic White Chimneys in Gap.

The Kennedy-Ellmaker Mansion is located in what is now the Village at Gap shopping center. In the late 1700s and throughout the 1800s, the Kennedy name dominated deed records for Salisbury Township. Family connections drew James Kennedy to the Gap area in 1788 when he built the Rising Sun Tavern, which has since been demolished.

Per his father's will in 1799, James Jr. inherited 270 acres of what has become the heart of Gap, including the Bellevue Presbyterian Church eastward to what became known as the Kennedy-Ellmaker farm.

Tax records indicate that James Jr. built a 35-by-30-foot house of two stories. When James Jr. died in 1839, his son William inherited one-half of the property and then purchased the other half inherited by sister Anna Maria. It appears that it is William who raised the beautiful mansion that can still be seen. The original small structure that sits behind the mansion is considered the original building.

Apparently, debts seemed to follow the property from then on. When William died, his wife could not afford the upkeep of the farm, and it was sold to Nathaniel Ellmaker Jr. in 1852. Nathaniel served as a Pennsylvania legislator and entertained lavishly at the mansion before enlisting in the Union Army. Upon returning home, he rented out the farm, preferring to reside in Lancaster until his death in 1894. Debt followed debt, and by 1909 the Ellmaker property came into William and Samuel M. Slaymaker's ownership.

Through rather convoluted circumstances, from 1942 the property was in and out of ownership for the next 50 years until Lowe Associates purchased the entire farm and built the Village at Gap shopping center. The barn was demolished, but included in the permits was the stipulation that the new owners "try to seek an adaptive use" for the old mansion. However, it stood vacant for several years, suffering severe damage from vandalism and fire until the Salisbury Township called upon the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster in hopes of saving the treasure before it had to be razed due its hazardous condition.

Fortunately, the Auntie Anne's corporation, led by Salisbury Township citizens Omar and Anne Beiler, stepped in and, with the help of the Historic Preservation Trust, the building eventually resumed its grand appearance, with its stone exterior exposed to view and the white Tuscan columns gracing the front portico.

The Beilers applied for National Registry recognition, but they were told that to achieve this aim, the home would need to be restored largely to its original appearance, including covering the exterior stone walls with white painted stucco - historically a sign of the owners' wealth. Not wanting to cover up the stone, the Beilers did not further pursue the Registry designation.

The restored mansion served as a bed and breakfast for a while. Today it is known as the Ellmaker Center, home to Cornerstone Reproductive Health. Employees and visitors are able to enjoy the tall, elegant windows, the beautiful chandelier in the entrance hall, the grand staircase and the warm charm of a fireplace in each room.