On June 13, 2009, the Historic Elk Landing Foundation (HELF) held a ceremony to dedicate “the first phase” of the restoration of the John Hanson Steelman house. It was a beautiful day in which to unveil what could be considered to be a miracle. There were speeches by Josh Brown, president of HELF, and by Mayor Joseph Fisona of the Town of Elkton. There was a musket volley by four members of the Col Henry Hollingsworth Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution, Cecil County Militia of 1777.

Following the ceremony in front of the newly restored house, the group walked over to the herb garden. The garden had been lovingly restored by the Master Garden Club of Cecil County. During a second ribbon-cutting ceremony, the garden was dedicated to Julie Anne Wilcox, a daughter of Judge and Mrs. Wilcox, who had died of breast cancer.

The house had been in a state of complete shambles. It needed an infusion of $400,000.00 to stabilize it. Miraculously, the small band of sixteen board members had secured grants from the Maryland Historical Trust and from the State of Maryland and had matched the grants.

The house, which is situated on the East bank of the Little Elk River, had been full of snakes. Tall trees grew inside. On the exterior there had been a frightening bulge in the stonework, which, if it had given way, could have brought down the entire structure.

Over the course of a long winter all these problems had been corrected. The stone had been re-pointed. A plywood floor and temporary stairs had been constructed in the interior. As if to celebrate the newly refurbished house, a colony of bees were promptly taking up residence. As part of the day’s celebration, a local bee keeper discussed bee keeping.

A professional photographer had documented the restoration and had a scrapbook there for visitors to enjoy.

In attendance were members of the Hollingsworth family. The Hollingsworth house is on the Elk Landing site and was the first building HELF restored. The descendants of Valentine Hollingsworth convene there for reunions.

The Steelman house is still in need of windows (@3,000.00) and mechanical systems. Contributions may be sent to The Historic Elk Landing Foundation, Inc., The End of Landing Lane, P.O.Box 277, Elkton, MD 21922-0277.
 

OLDEST STALCOP HOUSE BEING SAVED

Thanks to the hard work of Judge and Mrs. Kenneth Wilcox and the Historic Elk Landing Foundation the oldest house associated with the Stalcop Family is still in existence and has been started on it way to being restored.

Recently, in June 2009, there was a dedication ceremony held at the house to mark the end of the first, and perhaps the most crucial, phase of the project. If it had not been successful the house would have been lost. Structural floors and a new roof were built to replace the structures that had collapsed. Additional work was done to stabilize the outer walls. Those walls were built of native stone from the area. All of the walls were re-pointed with mortar to replace the mortar that had deteriorated during three plus centuries.

Dr. Peter S. Craig and Dr. Richard Hulan, both of Washington, DC, were successful in having the house listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. The house has been the subject of several Swedish Colonial News articles. Dr. Craig wrote an article for the Fall issue of 1994. A second article appeared in the Summer, 2000 issue. The Spring 2008
 

issue of the Swedish Colonial News includes an excellent article by Christina W. Lassen. Photographs appearing in her article show the house in 1949 when it was still being used as a residence and the derelict state the house was in 58 years later in 2007 after the roof and floors gave way. Christina Lassen is from PA and is a Councilor of the Swedish Colonial Society.

The Stalcop Connection?

The house was both residence to John Hans Steelman and his wife and children and his Indian Trading Post. His wife, Maria Stalcop, was the youngest daughter of original New Sweden settler Johan Andersson Stålkofta/Stalcop and his wife Christina Carlsdotter.

Steelman began building the stone house possibly as early as 1693 when he moved from New Castle County, Delaware. The 1693 census of New Sweden shows his family, consisting of five “Souls”, living at Sahakitko, or now Elkton, Cecil County, Maryland. The house clearly seemed to have been completed sometime before the three Swedish ministers arrived in 1697.

Trading activities took place at the basement level of the house. That level faced the creek. The creek can be glimpsed on the right side behind the house and there likely was a dock at waters edge. This dock was very important because it helped ease the loading/unloading tasks of the trading post customers as well as Steelman’s work in restocking and shipping out the items he acquired in his trading business.

Transportation in Steelman’s era was nearly all by boat. There were at least one, if not several, archways, now closed up with stonework, along the creek side of the house that provided access into the interior of the trading post.

Steelman’s house reflects that he once was a wealthy man. It is both a well-designed and well-constructed house. It has four usable floors. It had a basement or trading post level, two main living levels plus an attic level that was probably used by his

children as sleeping quarters and play room during bad weather. There probably were at least six fireplaces, each a typical Swedish style corner fireplace. Five of the fireplaces are still in situ.

Another measure of wealth when the house was build was in the number of windows. Glass was very hard to obtain and very expensive. There are thirteen windows with five in the front wall and five in the back wall. They were very large for the times. Three smaller windows were set at the attic level, two on the left side and one on the right side. The front and back entrance doors even had a transom window above them. All of the windows and doors will have to be restored.

The house likely had porches on three sides, one in the front, one on the right side and one on the creek side. There are doorways through the outer walls on all three sides. There is a large semi-horizontal access doorway with steps leading down into the basement or trading level from the outside on the left side of the house. The basement originally had only a dirt floor.

An archeological survey found evidence of a log structure nearby. This most likely would have been a smokehouse or a combination Swedish bathhouse and smokehouse. Dr. Peter Craig suggests the structure may have been the original home of Steelman in Cecil County.

Maria Stalcop was probably the sixth of Johan Andersson Stålkofta and Christina Carlsdotter’s children and born about the year 1666. She was about 13 years old when her father wrote out his will. She is known to have married John Hanson Steelman and to have been the mother of at least five children. The identities of her children are not clear. Two were sons, John Hans Jr. and Måns. Maria seems to have been the last survivor of Johan Andersson’s Stålkofta/ Stalcop's children.

After the rediscovery of the community in America upon the arrival of the 1693 letter and census sent to Sweden the Swedish Church dispatched three ministers. Upon arrival in 1697 they first landed at Jamestown in the Virginia Colony and spent two

weeks there refreshing themselves and replenishing their vessel before continuing their trip up the Chesapeake Bay. They stopped at St Mary’s, Maryland and stayed two days with the Governor of that Colony before traveling on the head of the Bay. After landing they journeyed overland until they arrived at the first Swedish home. Word about their arrival spread quickly and by the next day people had gathered at the house from as far away as fifty miles. A great celebration was held. This celebration was at the home of Maria Stalcop and John Hans Steelman at Elk Landing.

John Hanson was born in 1655 to Hans Månsson and Ella Stille. He later called himself John Hans Steelman. He was an Indian trader and interpreter. He led a colorful life and was involved not only in the affairs of the Swedish community but also in those of Maryland and Pennsylvania. Steelman was a major contributor toward the building of the Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church, probably providing as much as one-third of the building cost.

The following is adapted from an article found on the Internet written by Frank Whelan, Lehigh County Historical Society, Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum.

Hans Mansson, the father of John Hans Steelman did not come to America voluntarily. In the summer of 1640 he entered the garden of a monastery owned by the King of Sweden and chopped down some cherry trees (two cherry & six apple trees) whose wood he wanted to use to make into mane combs for his horses. Brought to trial Mansson was given a choice of being sent to New Sweden or being hung. He chose to go New Sweden. (He arrived in July 1641 on the same voyage that brought Johan Andersson Stålkofta) After serving five years in New Sweden Mansson was given his freedom. In 1653 he signed a petition in opposition to the harsh rule of Governor Johan Printz. Printz soon returned to Sweden and Mansson and the 20 other signers, among them his friend Peter Jochimsson, welcomed his replacement. Sent to New Amsterdam, now New York, by new Governor Risingh, Jochimsson unexpectedly became ill and died there. (He left a widow and two Jochimsson children).

Hans Mansson married his friend’s widow, Ella Stille. They were to have six sons known as Hansson or son of Hans. The sons adopted the surname of Steelman after their mother’s maiden name of Stille. One (the first born) of those sons, John Hansson Steelman, was born in 1655 at what is now Grays Ferry Bridge (Aronameck) in the city of Philadelphia. He (John Hans) moved to New Castle County, DE by 1687, married Maria Stalcop and by 1693 they were living in Elk Landing, Cecil County, Maryland.

In partnership with his brother-in-law, Peter Stalcop, Steelman owned land on Red Clay Creek in New Castle County. Peter Stalcop owned and operated a number of water-powered grist and saw mills. The land probably provided raw materials to those mills.

Steelman probably became an Indian trader when he lived in New Castle County. In 1655 Governor Risingh purchased Sahakitko, now Elkton, an Indian trading center, from the Minquas Indians. It was located at the head of the Elk River where the Little Elk and Big Elk meet. Nearly four decades later the 1693 church census shows five Swedish families living at Sahakitko as part of the Crane Hook Congregation.

John Hans Steelman moved his home and business several times as his customers moved westward. He died west of the Susquehanna in present Adams County in 1749 at about the age of 94. By the time of his death he had lost most of his wealth. His estate brought only £23 at auction with most of the items purchased by a grandson. It has not been determined exactly when and where Maria Stalcop Steelman passed away. Probably in Adams County, PA. She and her husband were granted the right to be buried under the floor of Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church but this right was not used.

WANT TO HELP IN RESTORING AND PRESERVING THIS
OLDEST OF STALCOP FAMILY HOMES?

HERE’S HOW

THE ONE CONTROLLING INGREDIENT THAT IS ALWAYS IN SHORT SUPPLY IS

MONEY

The Foundation has commitments from the Maryland Historical Trust and the State of Maryland to receive matching funds provided they raise enough money to reach certain goals.

The work done so far cost about $400,000. Half of that amount had to be raised to receive a matching amount needed to make the necessary first phase repairs. The remaining work will cost at least as much money, or more. It has to be raised before a matching grant can be received.

ANY AMOUNT HELPS

Please send your generous tax-deductible donations to:

HISTORIC ELK LANDING
FOUNDATION, INC.
P. O. Box 277,
Elkton, MD 21922-0277

Be sure to include accurate contact information: your name, address, telephone number and
email address so that an acknowledgement of your generosity can be made.

John Hans Steelman’ father was Hans Månsson. Born in Sweden, he became a respected leader of the up-river Swedes living within the jurisdiction of the "Swedish Nation," later known as the Upland Court. He succeeded Sven Skute as captain of the militia and served as spokesman for settlers in his area and in 1660 successfully opposed Stuyvesant's plan for them to move to a single, fortified village. His 1100-acre plantation fronted on the Schuylkill River between present Woodlands Cemetery and about 60th Street and extended westward as far as Cobb's Creek (City of Philadelphia).

In the mid-1670s, Hans Månsson became the first white settler on Pennsauken Creek in present Burlington County (NJ). He moved permanently to this site by 1681 when he sold his Aronameck plantation to his stepson, Peter Petersson Yocum. Hans returned to Pennsylvania on occasion. On 25 June 1684, at the request of William Penn, Hans Månsson, aged "72 years or thereabouts," joined Peter Cock, 74, and Peter Rambo, 72, in signing an affidavit relating facts designed to show that Lord Baltimore recognized the right of New Sweden to occupy lands on the Delaware.

Hans Månsson died at Senamensing, Burlington County, about 1691. In the following year his property was taxed to "Widow Hance."

By 1693 Hans Månsson's widow and his six sons (known as Hansson, or son of Hans) adopted the surname of Steelman, undoubtedly derived from her maiden name of Stille. Old Ella Steelman, born in Sweden, was buried in Gloucester County, NJ, 22 Jan. 1718, at the age of 83.

A VISIT TO CHRISTINA CHURCH
A memory of Roslyn and Larry Stallcup

If my identification [my memory] is
correct  this is Christina Church in
Falum, Sweden.




Meta, Hans and Larry entering the
church. The date in the window above
 the door is 1655.



The Magnificent Pulpit

It is mounted on one of the large columns
and is easily in view of everone seated in the church. The floor was replaced in 1906
because the old one was dangerous to walk upon due to the uneven nature of the many carved gravestones.

Christina Stalcop, and her husband, Rev.
Erik Bjork, are buried in the “Priest grave”,
the area reserved for priest and their wives, somewhere near the spot where the photo
was taken. Their tombstones were moved outside when the new floor was installed so
 it is now impossible to know the exact
 location of their resting place.




This tremendous organ is one of the newer features of the church. It is
 about 30 feet wide and about
35 feet tall.

This is a memorial plaque dating
from 1678. It gives the related
 families of the deceased with
their shield designs and their
names.

A number of these plaques were mounted on the outer walls of the church.

My wife Roslyn and I had a once in a lifetime opportunity to visit Sweden in 2004. A year earlier we had the pleasure of meeting my distant cousin Hans Ling and his beautiful wife Meta when they came over to the former New Sweden Colony for the dedication of the restored 1712 portraits of Rev. Erik Björk and Christina Stalcop.

Hans and Meta graciously invited us to visit them in Sweden if we ever had the opportunity. We had no idea that a chance would appear the very next year when Roslyn was asked to conduct a seminar in the Netherlands. It was just a short flight from Amsterdam to Sweden.

Thanks to Hans and Meta we visited a number of places, particularly places of importance to the history of the Stalcop family. All were fascinating but several of them have stood out in our memories over the years. Christina Church is one of them.

Falum is the center of the copper mining area in Sweden. Often called “Cooperburg” it was the center of several important industries. Among them was the cannon manufacturing and coin minting industries. Since copper was abundant the most abundant coins were minted in copper.

This is the church Rev. Erikus Bjork served when he was promoted to Provost and returned to Sweden. This is the church Christina Stalcop attended until her death in 1720. Her funeral service was conducted here. Other than the new floor, new organ, updated lighting and perhaps the color scheme, very little has changed since their time.

The church apparently did not have a name when Bjork arrived. It soon became known as Kristine Kyrka (Christina Church). There is nothing to indicate that it was named for Christina, her grandmother Christina Carlsdaughter, for the community of Christina in New Sweden or perhaps for all three.

2009 GATHERING

LONG TIME DREAM COMES TRUE

MarMary Jane Stallcup Joyner and Juanitta Stallcup Baldwin

* * * NOW IS THE TIME   * * *
 

PLAN NOW TO ATTEND THE NEXT

STALCOP
Gathering

Hughes Branch Road, Bryson City,
Swain County, NC

Saturday, JULY 10, 2010

11am until . . .

The Saturday before the second Sunday

Please RSVP - A head-count
for lunch is needed.

Write a Letter, call on the telephone or use the new fangle
e-Mail.  Please include your contact information so we
can get back to you.

Larry Spencer Stallcup
1436 Lakeview Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23455
757-464-4974
stalcop@aol.com