History of the Harrington house

The Harrington House was built in the 1920's by James S. and Maurice James Harrington. Dairy plant owners in Dushore, the Harrington's built their large family home close to the family's business. Their success in the dairy/ice cream business provided Maurice's family with the American dream. During their retirement, Maurice and his wife Mary Lane owned a summer home first in Cranberry Lake, NY and then Little York, New York; they would go to St. Petersburg, Florida for the winters. Maurice enjoyed fishing, golfing, photography and traveling.

The Harrington family was of Irish descent. Maurice's father, James S. Harrington was born in 1851 the eleventh of twelve children by Cornelius Harrington, an emigrant from the county of Kerry in Ireland and his wife Mary Ann Litzelswope. In 1880, James S. married Margaret Gahan in Elmira, New York. The couple had five children - Maurice James (1886), Mildred [Snyder], Mary, Helen (d. 3y/o) and Margaret (d.1y/o).

Maurice James, the only boy, married Mary Lane in 1910 and they, along with their children Robert Maurice and Margaret [Peg] lived in the house until the mid 1940's when they passed the house to their daughter and her husband, Jack Gerrity. The Gerrity's then raised their five children, John Martin, Mary Kathleen, Patrick Maurice, Peggy Ann and Maureen, in the Harrington House.

After spending the final three years of his life in the Harrington House living with his daughter and son-in-law, Maurice died at the age of 92 on December 12, 1979. Likewise, his wife, Mary Lane Harrington died in 1976 at the age of 90 in the Harrington House.

The Harrington House has an interesting history beginning with the lot. The home's lot had another house on it, so wheels were used to move it down the street. The House's style blended Georgian Colonial and Colonial Revival styles which were popular in the early 1900's. The simplicity of design and classical refinements incorporated with this modern trend set the Harrington House off from the more elaborate Victorians that dominated Dushore's streets. The brick siding was unusual for the area; most local homes were wood-sided because of the abundant lumber in the area. The front entrance was off-set from the center of the façade, breaking the rules of central door symmetry, but allowed a more practical use of the interior space. The gable roof was accented by a circular dormer and central chimney. The house was framed with classical cornices and dentil moldings. The plentiful, large windows on all floors were rectangular, iron clad, multiple panes, sash types arranged symmetrically around the house. The front door was framed with a portico, pediment and pillars. A side porch ran along the north side of the house and contained three entrances to the home. A sun room accented the back of the house on the second floor.

The front door led to an entryway with stairway and hall. All the first floor living areas rooms branched off this main hallway. Like most Georgian Colonial-style homes, the first floor of the Harrington House had a formally-defined living room, dining room and kitchen. The living room extended into another sitting room, a den opened onto a north side porch and a rear porch was off the central kitchen. The second floor contained the family's bedrooms and the third level stairs led to a full sized attic. The rear ground floor originally contained a two car garage and basement.

The interior featured walnut woodwork, crown moldings, pocket doors and rosette glass knobs. A walnut stairway and banister complimented walnut moldings that framed the windows and doorways throughout the house. The walls were plaster and room flooring was narrow-planked hardwood. Black and white tile lay in the main hallways.

The Harrington House was "almost" next door to the ice cream plant usually referred to as "The Creamery" where plenty of steam was generated from the heating system. Only the Litzelman property separated the creamery from the Harrington House. Determined to use this steam to keep the house's radiators running, an insulated pipe was installed from the creamery through the back of the neighboring Litzelman property. Big dump trucks would get coal from a very large coal pile [located where the current town sewer equipment sits] and haul it up to a dumping station in the side of the creamery building. The coal would be burned to heat water tanks that would produce the steam which heated the creamery buildings and Harrington home. Also, the steam was used to provide the power for the town's fire whistle.

The Peg Harrington and Jack Gerrity children remember the house filled with love and laughter. At dinner time, five kids crowded around the kitchen table for a meal of meat, mashed potatoes, gravy and cabbage salad. Birthdays and holidays were celebrated in the Dining room. The Christmas tree always stood in the right corner of the living room and the house was decorated with outside lights.

The large driveway became the town's basketball court. Kids [mostly boys] from all ages came - no matter the weather - for a game of basketball. Many, many times the boys would shovel the 'court' to play even during the cold snowy winter days. Pat Gerrity, became proficient at shooting baskets from his bedroom window - 2 stories up. While he was suppose to be doing his homework his friends would throw the ball up to his window [on the back right of house] where he would shoot the ball down and usually make a basket!

The rest of the yard was often used as a baseball diamond leaving a few storm windows to meet their fate when a ball was a grand slam!

The house had a clothes chute and a dumb waiter to take things from the basement up 3 stories to the attic. Stories are told of kids climbing in the dumb waiter for a ride under the direction of other kids! The laundry shoot saw both clothes and toys!

In 1983, the Harrington House began the next chapter of its history when Jerry and Aimee Plastow purchased the house to establish a dental business and raise their three children. Once again, the house was full of activity. Dr. Plastow's parents, Harold and Jane Plastow helped to further modernize the heating, wiring and plumbing, as well as change the layout of some rooms. The façade of the house was changed dramatically; new energy efficient windows were installed and interior walls were removed for better functioning. The kitchen was overhauled, back porch enclosed for a laundry room and side porch sealed off for the children's playroom. The ground floor was converted into dental office space. A first addition added a two car garage and a second addition on the north side increased the square footage of the upstairs living area.

The Plastows purchased the adjoining Troutwein property to the south of the house in 1992. This added a second lot to the property, increased the dental business parking and provided more outdoor space for the growing family. The house became a fully functioning school for 12 years while the Plastows homeschooled their three children. Some parts were a classroom, a library, a computer room and an arts and craft room. The spacious driveway and parking allowed plenty of room for recreation. The office driveway hill was a favorite sled-riding spot and hide and seek was exciting in the large house. Like the Harringtons before, the Plastows had many fun-loving times around the dining room table at birthdays and holidays.

As always happens, the Plastow children grew up and left home. The Harrington House felt too big, empty and quiet. It begged to be shared and to be full of activity. Always thinking that the house would make a great bed and breakfast, Dr. and Mrs. Plastow decided to bring their dream to fruition in 2009. Several adaptations were needed to convert the home for the public. However, many of the early designs of the house are still evident. Today, the form, function and furniture of the house have been chosen for the comfort and enjoyment of Harrington House Bed and Breakfast guest.

The Ice Cream Business

Harrington And Company

The first commercial ice-cream factory opened in 1851. In 1907, The Harrington family brought the ice cream business to Dushore.

In 1907, James S. Harrington established a small dairy product's plant in Dushore with his son Maurice James Harrington, a dairy management graduate of Pennsylvania State University. The two men collected the cream from nearby farmers. At first, the equipment consisted of a borrowed ten-horsepower boiler and engine, a churn, a cream vat, and seven cream cans.

In 1910, James S. Harrington retired from the business and Maurice was placed in charge of operations and conducted it in his own name for nine years. Maurice expanded operations by introducing "modern methods and practices." In 1917, an addition to the Dushore plant completed, a condensing plant was installed, and shipment of cream and ice cream mixtures to manufacture of ice cream in the East began. Harrington's ice cream product attained a wide distribution and established a name well known throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New York State. In 1919, Harrington & Company incorporated with Maurice J. Harrington as president.

"No industry in Sullivan County is more intimately associated with a greater number of residents of the section than the milk and ice cream plant of Harrington & Company at Dushore. More than a thousand farmers and dairymen in Sullivan, Bradford, Lycoming, Wyoming, Columbia, Luzerne and Susquehanna Counties send their milk to some Harrington plant, the total daily supply ranging from 100,000 to 150,000 pounds. The Dushore supply of milk comes from a 20-mile radius of the plant. Checks distributed monthly to these patrons are an essential factor in the welfare of the county. The payroll at Dushore where about 20 employees are engaged further contributes to the buying power of the county." (Endless Mountain Publications)

The Dushore plant of Harrington & Company was considered a modern and complete milk preparation plant. Sanitation was the big part of milk handling and a prerequisite to the quality of the product sold. Many people visiting the county each year included a trip through the Harrington plant.

In addition to its plant at Dushore, Harrington & Company operated a large retail milk plant at Wilkes-Barre under the name of Glendale Farms. This plant supplied both milk and ice cream to Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and other cities and towns in the Anthracite coal region. Another plant operated in Newark, N.J., from which both wholesale and retail milk are distributed in the Metropolitan Area. Other distribution centers were located in Sayre, Towanda and Reading.

Maurice Harrington was a philanthropist. Along with Mathias Litzelman, he made several substantial grants to fund trust accounts to preserve and maintain the older graves at St. Basil's Cemetery, Dushore, where the Harrington family is interred. Maurice was also president of the Sullivan Silk Company, Dushore.

The Harrington and Company operation in Dushore was for the manufacture of ice cream, condensed and powdered milk. They operated receiving stations in Benton, Fairdale and Rushville. The "Milk Plant" in Benton primarily shipped milk to Glendale in Wilkes-Barre and to the Philadelphia area.

Harrington and Company sold their operations to Philadelphia Dairies selling ice cream under the Dolly Madison label. Later the plant was sold to Foremost Dairies, then to Minneapolis Moline and finally to Smith Brothers (operating under the Dolly Madison name). The milk plant in Benton closed in 1962 and the Dushore plant closed in approximately 1973.

Harrington House Facts At A Glance:

·        1851 James S. Harrington born eleventh child to Cornelius and Mary Ann (Litzelswope).

·        1880 James S. marries Margaret Gahan and has five children - 4 girls and 1 boy.

·        1886 Maurice James (M.J.) Harrington born.

·        1907 James S. Harrington and son Maurice J. establish small dairy plant in Dushore.

·        1910 Maurice J. Harrington marries Mary Lane.

·        1910 Maurice J. placed in charge of plant.

·        1917 Maurice J. introduces modern methods.

·        1919 Harrington and Company incorporated, Maurice J. Harrington president.

·        1920 Plans for Harrington House started.

·        1920-1945 Maurice J. and Mary Lane raise two children at HH - Robert Maurice and Margaret (Peg) Mary.

·        Mid 1940's Harrington and Company sold to Philadelphia Dairies (Dolly Madison).

·        1945 Peg Harrington Gerrity and Jack Gerrity move in and raise five children.

·        1962 Benton plant closes.

·        1973 Dushore plant closes.

·        1976 Mary Lane Harrington dies at Harrington House.

·        1979 Maurice J. Harrington dies at Harrington House.

·        1983 Harrington House sold to Dr. Jerome and Aimee Plastow who raise 3 children.

·        2009 Harrington House Bed and Breakfast established.