Start: The Simler House
The Presqueisle Street Walking Tour
The Simler House is considered the oldest remaining structure in Philipsburg. It was John Henry Simler’s second house and was built circa 1810. Simler was one of the original settlers to answer the Philips’ call to settle in the “wilderness town,” and he was a person possessed of a compelling personal story: he worked for a time as a shoemaker at Versailles in France and left Germany as a volunteer to fight with the French on the side of the Americans during the Revolutionary War. Over the years, several additions were made to the Simler House, and it was covered with numerous layers of siding. From 1997-2001, the house underwent a complete restoration and is now under the care of the Philipsburg Historical Foundation.
***From the Simler House, proceed South one block to the intersection of Second and Presqueisle Streets. Here, you can’t fail to see a commanding, seven-story brick structure on the south side with “The Philips” etched in stone, still faintly visible above its entrance.