Old Stone House car club celebrates 50 years
PENN TWP — Antique cars don't usually come to mind when one thinks of the Old Stone House.
However, several Butler County residents can't think of the historic landmark without thinking of their favorite pastime.
The two come together Saturday when the Butler Old Stone House Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America celebrates 50 years with a road rally and car cruise.
“We want to keep the history of these wonderful cars alive in the community,” said Gail Gesin, the group's spokesman.
The club will begin Saturday's festivities with a road rally taking in many county landmarks and finish with a car cruise at 4 p.m. at Alameda Park.
The car cruise, which is open to the public, will include a silent auction, a 50/50 raffle, door prizes and food vendors, Gesin said.
For the founders of a group focused on the rich Butler County history of automobiles, adopting a name synonymous with the region's overall history seemed a natural fit.
“They chose the name of the Butler Old Stone House Region because the base location of the club was Butler, and the Old Stone House was a historical establishment on the road between Butler and Erie,” said Gesin, who, along with her husband and club President Fred Gesin, is organizing Saturday's event.
The Gesins are particularly excited about the silent auction, which will benefit the upkeep of the group's historic cars.
Gail Gesin said the community has stepped up: donating symphony tickets and passes for events at Succop Theater at Butler County Community College.
“The community has been great to help us out this year,” she said.
On a recent afternoon, club members gathered at their Penn Township garage to work on and clean two of their historic cars, the Butler-built Huselton and the Standard 8.John Pro and John Yaroschak were working on the engine of the Standard 8, while Gail Gesin polished the brass and leather on the Huselton.The 1909 Huselton was donated to the city of Butler in 1984 by B.C. Huselton III, grandson of Huselton builder Edgar Huselton, with the stipulation that the car club would maintain and preserve the vehicle.Longtime club member Bob Heaton said the car was in “horrid shape” when the group started its restoration.Yaroschak, who is on the group's board of directors, had a hand in restoring the classic car. When he heard the city had acquired the car he said he “had to go over and see it.”Now, he regularly drives the car to community events. Yaroschak and his wife, Teri, along with other members of the club often dress in period clothing, with John Yaroschak wearing a bow-tie, suspenders and a flat cap,“I find it an honor to work on and drive something this old and this one of a kind,” Yaroschak said.At Saturday's car cruise, the club will receive a proclamation from Butler Mayor Tom Donaldson noting, in part, its care of the classic cars, including the Huselton and Standard 8.The Old Stone House chapter began with a 1964 ad in the Butler Eagle.Posted by Al Jacox, a printer at the time, the ad was seeking all owners of classic and antique cars interested in forming a car club.Gail Gesin marveled at the small beginnings of the club.“I thought it was really cool that it started as a little article in the Butler Eagle,” she said.From the first meeting with just 13 members, the club grew to more than 70 members with second and, sometimes third generations participating in events throughout the year.Gail Gesin said many have been members for 30 or 40 years.She hopes events such as Saturday's car cruise can help to swell the club's ranks even further.The more people who see what the club does, the more who might want to become involved themselves, she said. “We have a lot of older people,” she said. “We're trying to get younger people in, so we can keep the cars going as long as we can.”
