Renovations to the Massy Harbison cabin in New Kensington are moving along, but repairs originally meant to be finished this summer may become a multiyear process.
The Massy Harbison-Fort Hand Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution, which serves the Alle-Kiski Valley, owns the historical cabin that found its home at Massy Harbison Park in 1976. It’s located off Oates Boulevard, across Stevenson Boulevard (Route 366), from Valley High School.
The chapter has been restoring the cabin — believed to be pioneer-woman Massy Harbison’s homestead toward the end of her life — to its 1790-era specs since last year.
The construction, done by Encompass Building Group, is being paid for by an anonymous “angel donor” and by DAR fundraising, said Alexa C. Hansen, vice regent and chair of the historic preservation committee for the Massy Harbison-Fort Hand Chapter.
The group applied for a $108,000 state grant to pay for some of the work, according to the grant application, but it was not awarded the funds, causing DAR to reconsider the renovation timeline and phases.
“Because our grant application was declined, we asked Encompass to reduce the bid and work schedule to match what we have available,” Hansen said. “We are going to table some of the original restoration plans.”
Hansen said the first construction phase, which is expected to wrap up by summer, includes: repair and replacement of the roof with cedar shingles, replacing damaged floor joists and floorboards, refinishing windows and trim, epoxy sealing of all logs, repair and rebuilding of stonework, installation of a stone mantel for the fireplace and installing signage for the cabin.
Encompass already installed most of the new split-face cedar shingles, replaced sheathing and rafters, and laid an ice and water shield over the roof. It has also patched wall holes and water-sealed the chimney, Hansen said.
Future phases would require additional funding, which Hansen said the chapter might seek through grants, but did not disclose an amount.
Hansen said the chapter has collected some era-accurate furnishings, with the second phase of restoration to include finishing the cabin’s interior design.
A third phase would focus on community program development.
The ultimate plan for the cabin includes a historically accurate garden, picnic areas and comprehensive signage and historical context to promote education, Hansen said.
She said the chapter would eventually like to donate the cabin to the City of New Kensington.
City Clerk John Zavadak said the city would like to continue partnering with DAR on the project.
“We would definitely like to see (the cabin) become a point of interest,” Zavadak said.
Despite the funding setback, Hansen said the chapter still plans to dedicate the cabin on July 19 as a DAR Patriot Marker and to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday.
The 2 p.m. event will be at Massy Harbison Park.
Living descendants sought
Leading up to the event, DAR is searching for and inviting living relatives of Massy Harbison to honor them at the celebration.
Ellen Rupert, Massy Harbison-Fort Hand Chapter honorary regent and historian, said most of the search has been through ancestry websites.
“We’re doing this for posterity and to spread the word about the Revolutionary War and their ancestors,” Rupert said. “I believe that the most important people to be invited to this event are the descendants, because they’re the ones that had the actual connection to the history.”
About 12 relatives and their families from across the country, including Georgia, New Jersey and Virginia, have already RSVP’d for the event, she said.
Rupert said she’s hoping to get interest from some local descendants as well. People can reach her by email at Lrupert@comcast.net.
“The easiest ones to find, of course, are the direct descendants,” Rupert said. “But we also have people that are nieces and nephews. … We don’t, discriminate that they have to be a direct line.”
Living relatives will be honored at the July event with a special ribbon and a family ancestry map.
“The community should be aware of these people in our midst,” Rupert said. “It’s so important for descendants to be there and to be honored, it’s not only the history of the DAR and the history of New Kensington, it’s their personal history that I hope is extremely important to them. And if it isn’t, hopefully we can make it important to them.”
Who was Massy Harbison?
A pioneer woman and wife to former American soldier John Harbison, Massy was kidnapped in 1792 by Native Americans of the Seneca and Munsee nations while living near Bull Creek in what was, at that time, part of Westmoreland County. She and two of her children were taken to a spot near what is now the City of Butler. One of her sons was killed before the family was taken from their home and a second son was killed near Butler, leaving Harbison with only her infant daughter when she escaped and made her way south to the Allegheny River, where she was rescued by other settlers.
She was reunited with her husband at Fort Pitt and the family moved to Coe’s Station, a frontier blockhouse located along the Allegheny River between what are now Tarentum and Springdale. Around 1795, the family moved back to the Bull Creek area and, after a number of years, moved to the Buffalo Creek area of Armstrong County.
John Harbison died in 1822. Massy died in 1837 and is buried in Freeport Cemetery.
Sources: Heinz History Center, Daughters of the American Revolution, Fort Hand Chapter