The Englehart Melchinger House in the borough of
Dover
Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...
,
York County, Pennsylvania, is the restored home of a prominent 19th Century businessman, Englehart Melchinger. It was built about 1852, and is a rectangular brick building with
Greek Revival and
Italianate design details. It features an entrance
portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...
with
Doric order columns, heavy scroll brackets, and a paneled
frieze; and
cast iron lintel
A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...
s.
[ ''Note:'' This includes ]
Melchinger was the son of Israel Melchinger, an
American Revolutionary War Hessian soldier
Hessians ( or ) were German soldiers who served as auxiliaries to the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. The term is an American synecdoche for all Germans who fought on the British side, since 65% came from the German states ...
who settled in Dover after the war rather than returning to
Germany. Upon his father's death in 1834; Englehart assumed the role of the town's postmaster. He amassed personal wealth through several business ventures, including a lumber company.
Melchinger was among the large group of Dover residents who suffered losses when
Confederate
Confederacy or confederate may refer to:
States or communities
* Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities
* Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between ...
cavalry
Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...
under
J.E.B. Stuart occupied the town on the morning of July 1, 1863, during the
Gettysburg Campaign. However, the loss of horses and personal property did not have a significant financial effect, and Melchinger prospered.
The home, at 5 North Main Street (Pennsylvania State Route 74), was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places on August 12, 1992.
See also
*
References
External links
Greater Dover Historical Society
{{DEFAULTSORT:Melchinger, Englehart, House
Houses completed in 1852
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Italianate architecture in Pennsylvania
Greek Revival houses in Pennsylvania
Houses in York County, Pennsylvania
National Register of Historic Places in York County, Pennsylvania
1852 establishments in Pennsylvania