Hello Robert:
I too have seen the article and have been to see the house in recent months.
It is in very poor condition. The most difficult problem with the house, is
that it is stone, covered by stucco, and the land it sits on is owned my a
brick company, and the quarry waste is just about on top of the house. The
J. E. Baker Company is giving the house away, but want it moved. However,
there is limited land available in the immediate area. I was also told by
the property former of the company, long before the article in "This Old
House," that it was closer to $500,000 to move it because of the stone
construction and age. I agree that it would be great to save it, but that is
quite an undertaking for someone to spearhead. Who knows?
I'm fortunate enough that I don't live more than about 7 miles from the
house. I also lived in it for a short time in the early 1960 's, right after
I was born, so I course don't remember anything about it. My parents and
brother's lived there from the mid-late 1950's until 1962. My parents were
dairy farmers. The ironic thing is that not until I started digging into my
family history did my parents know that they were living in Johann Philip's
house.
If you ever get in this way, you should try to see it before it is gone.
Good luck in your search for those Ziegler roots.
Todd Zeigler
Seven Valleys
York County, PA