After James Rickenbach's son Curtin (1863-1934) retired from his shipbuilding business in Camden, New Jersey, he purchased the land adjacent to his great grandfather Jacob's original stone house, next to the drydocks where he worked with his father. Curtin (perhaps with his brothers?) had built a small frame house there in the 1880s, and expanded the house after retiring there in the1920s. The trees in the background mark the location of the canal. Curtin's widow Jennie lived there until her death in 1961. Today (as of October 2001) the house is beautifully maintained as a very nice bed and breakfast inn.

The house was a little bit smaller back in 1954 (below left), without the addition to the right of the front room and kitchen. The canal bed wall can be seen behind the house to the right. My grandfather Howard Rickenbach Sr. (1906-1961) often visited his great Aunt Jennie there, driving up from West Reading in his new Plymouth with his children. Howard is shown (below right) flying a kite in the front yard next to the old schoolhouse, with Cross Keys Road behind. He also would visit "Aunt Becky" (the author of the James Rickenbach memoir), who may have lived there with Jennie in the late 1930s until Becky's death in 1941.

The view from the back side of the house shows the original portion of the house (back right across to chimney on left).

Below is a view of the living area around the fireplace, as you enter the house and go to the left. This was the living room area of the original house.

The ceiling of the basement (below) still is supported by original logs of the 1880s construction.