by Christine Lorraine Morgan, Nov. 3, 2026

This building, which is still standing on Route 18, was known as the Stockdale Block back in the late 1800s, early 1900s. It is located in Wellsburg, which is also known as Lundys Lane.

When the town of Wellsburg requested a post office, the government declined, citing that the town’s name was too close to other town names in Pennsylvania, such as Wellsboro. A contest was held to name the post office, and “Lundys Lane” was selected.

It was suggested by a veteran who had fought in a battle by that name near Niagara Falls.

It served as the meeting place for the Knights of Pythias, and there was a social hall inside, as well as a dance hall on the 3rd floor. It even served as a school for a brief time.

Renae Steinhoff Nutting’s family lived there. She writes: “I talked to my Mom, who lived in Lundys Lane during her childhood, so here’s the scoop on the K of P Hall and the Lundys Lane/Wellsburg post office…

“The Knights of Pythius held their meetings on the ground floor of the building in the back. There was a social hall in the front where residents would hold box socials and ice cream socials. On the right side of the 2nd floor was an apartment where my Dad and his family lived.

“When fire destroyed the school building on the hill in 1944 (left in photo), they moved the school to the left side of the 2nd floor. Dad walked out one door, across the hallway, and into his school room. My Mom’s father (J. Lockwood Mischler) helped fight the fire at the school while the family watched from an upstairs window.

“To the left of the Hall where is now an empty lot, was the General store and Post office. My Mom’s grandmother, Florence Joslin, owned & operated the store and the post office.

Couldn’t quite determine the name of the store (‘s), but this might be the general store to which Renae refers

When the new school was built on the hill behind the church, it housed grades K-8 which combined classes from 5 local 1 room school houses. Grades 9-12 went to Albion High School. The Elk Creek school was eventually torn down and the Elk Creek Twp building sits on that site.

Elk Creek Township Building in 2022

“My great Aunt & Uncle, Alice and Charles Gilbert, both taught there. I remember ‘Aunt’ taking my sister and I inside the school (after it was closed down) when we were little girls. They lived in the Graham homestead across the street from the KofP Hall.

“Some of the older readers may recognize some of the teachers from that time period: Carrie Cherry, Mildred Remek, Walter Tozier, Alice Gilbert. I’m not sure when the school closed, but I was part of the 1st Kindergarten class to attend the new elementary school in Albion in 1968/69.

“My family roots run deep in Lundys Lane.”

Stockdale Block in 2020

Note: According to wikipedia: “The Battle of Lundy’s Lane, also known as the Battle of Niagara or contemporarily as the Battle of Bridgewater, was fought on July 25, 1814 during the War of 1812, between an invading American army and a British and Canadian army near present-day Niagara Falls, Ontario.”

Pretty sure this map is from 1853, the Baptist Church built in the 1830s (still standing) is noted, but not the Little Church on the Hill.

The Little Church on the Hill in Lundys Lane/Wellsburg was built in 1855 and is presently utilized as a community center.