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Steve had long been attracted to the rustic tin fixtures that illuminated taverns, churches, and homes during the Colonial and Federal periods. When he couldn’t find lighting that suited his taste and the style of his own circa 1790-1810 Stone House he was restoring, he decided to make it himself using the same tools and techniques used more than 200 years ago by the craftsmen who made the pieces he so admired. photo of Steve holding pierced chandelier cones in the shop photo courtesy Gross & Daley He put out the word that he was searching for original equipment for his project. A tinsmith responded by offering not only his inventory of tools and materials, but also the training to go with it. Working with stakes, brakes, hammers, hand wedges, and other tools for shaping metal, he began by first making candleholders and sconces as he continued to research the craft and sharpen his skills. Steve visited museums and private collections to measure and photograph lighting fixtures, then returned to his workshop to fashion his designs after these original pieces. Although Steve was born in Chicago, IL, when his father was in the Navy (Pacific Theater), his family eventually came back home to Milton, PA, where he graduated from high school. After receiving his Bachelors degree from Penn State, he worked for a nationwide trucking company and later for the Dept. of Justice before taking managerial jobs on several cruise ships. When he got his feet back on solid ground, he opened a restaurant/bar in Snyder County. The rest is history. Steve abandoned the restaurant business and in 1987 began operating The Stone House naming his new enterprise after the home he was restoring. A converted summer kitchen just a few steps from the main house became his tin-smithing shop. But around the same time another change took place in Steve’s life; he met his wife, Noreen. A native of Snyder County, Noreen grew up in sleepy little Beavertown and graduated from West Snyder High School. After attending an all girls academy in Philadelphia, she began working in the office of a large custom cabinet company, where, 30 years later, she continues to work full-time. Her job equipped her to assume the role of office manager. But as the business expanded, she developed additional skills to handle the PR and advertising activities, as well as helping with both the production of their catalog and creation of the web site. Simply put, she tends to every detail necessary to keep the business running smoothly. photo of Steve & Noreen standing by the shop door. Although Steve and Noreen both devote a lot of time to the business, they save time for doing other things. Steve enjoys landscaping their grounds and Noreen likes flower gardening. They also make time to go out to their favorite restaurants for relaxing dinners. Their family includes Murphy, a black cat; Monroe and Meisha, a brother/sister duo they rescued on a mountain road near their home as kittens; and Calie, a female kitten they found at the shop door.

 

Address: The Stone House, 28 E. Market Street, Middleburg, PA 17841.
Telephone: 1 800 9232260
Fax: 570 8371475
Website: http://www.stonehouse-lighting.com/