York, Pennsylvania, is not on many travelers’ list of places to see. Although Lancaster gets much more attention,  York, and its surrounding area, have their own historical sites worthy of appreciation. The Cookes House is one such place.

The house is York’s third oldest structure and was built in 1777-1778. It’s noteworthy because it is the only building in York to have used Germanic stone construction.

York was the temporary capital of the United States and played host to the Second Continental Congress. It’s said that Thomas Paine stayed at this home during his time in York for the aforementioned congress. While this is disputed there’s no doubt York hosted many prominent figures of early America and one can imagine them at Cookes House on the banks of the Codorus Creek.