Introduction
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L. Dietle
The first photo below provides a rear view of the house of the gunsmith James Stapleton. On June 10, 2025 Denny Donharl wrote the following to me: "The house was located behind the gun shop/post office. Logs from the house were sold to Bedford Village many years ago and the shop was also torn down." Have you ever listened to the sound of rain on an old "tin" roof like this house had, as you were trying to fall asleep in an upstairs bedroom?
The next photo shows a front view of the gun shop/post office, which was located right along the road.
The next photo shows where the house was located, in relation to the gun shop/post office and the road.
The following image is an excerpt from the Todd Township map in the 1873 "Atlas of Blair and Huntingdon counties, Pennsylvania". On June 10, 2025, Denny Donharl identified the location of the James Stapleton home on this map as follows: "...Stapleton's house was located across the street from the church and cemetery where James and many of his family members were buried."
The next image is a large charcoal portrait of the Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania gunsmith James Stapleton. An individual who purchased the portrait at the Stapleton home auction gave it to Mr. Donharl in the late 1990s.
The next photo features James Stapleton, his wife Sarah, and their sons. Based on the 1880 census, the names of the boys from oldest to youngest were William, John, Solomon, James, and Albert. The Stapleton daughters are not included in the photo.
Go to the William B. Stapleton page
The photos on this page were provided by Denny Donharl, an expert on Huntingdon County long rifles who is descended from a brother of the Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania gunsmith James Stapleton, and who knew James Stapleton's grandson Beecher Stapleton. James Stapleton was the father of the gunsmiths William B. Stapleton, Solomon Stapleton, and James M. Stapleton. Mr. Donharl wrote a letter to me that provides a wealth of information about the Stapleton family of gunsmiths.
