| 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.
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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 Bachelor's
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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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Steve & Noreen
have an interest in the Snyder County Historical
Society; they are
both lifetime members. The Society’s Museum and Library are
located next door to The Stone House. |
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