Henry Hunsinger - Upper Susquehanna Gunsmith

[Rich N.]

This evening a friend brought a few rifles to my house so that we could spend the evening studying a few hard to locate rifles by a few somewhat elusive gunsmiths.  Henry Hunsinger moved from Macungie Township in Lehigh County to Hartley Township in western Union County, Pa.  This is the first rifle I ever saw from this gunsmith.  It is signed "H H" but I'm afraid my picture of the signature isn't very good.  My friend gave permission for me to post these photos.  This rifle is 53" over all with a 39" Barrell.

[mr. no gold]

Nice to see an upper Susq' rifle made by Henry Hunsicker. And he still signed them with his distinctive 'H.H.' mark. He learned the craft in Lehigh County and made guns that could be described as somewhat unusual while there. i see that he did the same in Snyder County. Thank you for bringing these by for all to see. I have a piece by him, but it one of his Lehigh products.
Dick   

[Don Getz]

Dick....kind of an unusual gun.    Architecturally it is neither Lehigh nor Union County.   I have always wondered what a
gunsmith would do when he moved from one area to another.  Is there a Hunsinger rifle pictured anywhere that was made in
Lehigh County?  Actually, the profile of the butt stock looks more like Berks County........interesting..........Don

[eddillon]

Should we cling to the notion that style executed by a builder is directly related to where he lives or perhaps compliment them for their individuality and artistic sense?  I think the shape of the lock molding definitely show individual preference and can't be geographically identified.

[mr. no gold]

Don, there is a Henry Hunsicker rifle shown in Dillin's book that appears to be a Lehigh made piece. Not sure where else one might see one: perhaps in the "Kentucky Rifle, 1750-1850' book. Mine too, has a bit of a Berks look to it, but otherwise it is Lehigh. He was a relatively late maker at a time when regionality may have been losing ground to idiosyncratic preferences, as Ed suggests. The Snyder County gun indicates that; it is neither Lehigh nor Snyder exclusively. He did retain the patchbox style that he had favored to the east, however, or a strong semblance of it. I like Henry's work and there is one carved rifle by him that has Japanning in the carved areas. His work seems to be quite rare. My Hunsicker happens to be long barreled, half round smooth gun with checkered wrist and several silver inlays. It appears to be kind of a clunky rifle until you begin to see the fine finishing touches present. It has the arrowhead side plate and other Lehigh traits, though.
Dick

[Loudy]

Rich,

Please tell your friend "thank you" for allowing you to post photos of this very interesting rifle.  It's clear that Mr. Hunsinger marched to a different drummer.  Where did he come up with his sideplate design?  The sawtooth patchbox outline is attention grabbing.   There is are photos of a rifle attributed to H.H. in Dr. Whisker's book entitled "Behold the Longrifle Again", p. 107.  The two rifles are similar... but different.  Below is the biographical information I have in my files regarding this gunsmith.

Mark
 
Henry Hunsicker (Hurwicker, Hunnsickler)
Born:  1798 Northampton County, Pennsylvania
Died:  1859 Hartley Township, Union County, Pennsylvania
         
Henry Hunsicker worked as a gunsmith in Hartley Township, Union County, Pennsylvania, circa 1844.  Earlier he worked in Macungie Township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.  Records indicate that Henry Hunsicker had a son, also named Henry Hunsicker (Jr?), born about 1820, that worked in related trades.  Henry Jr. is listed in the 1850 census for Hartley Township with the occupation of “Moulder”.  In 1870 census for Hartley Township he gave his occupation as “Machinist”.  According to the 1880 census he was living in nearby Chillisquaque Township, Northumberland County.  In this census Henry Jr. gave his occupation as “Pattern Maker”.  By 1900 Henry Jr. was back in Hartley Township of Union County.  In the 1900 census he listed his occupation again as “Pattern Maker”.     

Married Anna Maria Saip about 1820. 

“Mr. Mirkel married, January 21, 1851, in Chester, Maria Hunsicker, born October 9, 1833, daughter of Henry Hunsicker, a foundryman from near Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and his wife, Mary (Saip) Hunsicker, whose children were:  1. Mary, born 1821; married William Borden, both deceased.  2. Caroline, born 1823; married John Postle, whom she yet survives, a resident of Sigourney, Iowa.  3. Harriet, born 1825, deceased; married Frederick Borhek.  4. Helen, born 1827; married Levi Mercer, both deceased.  5. Leven, born 1829, died in Monroe, Louisiana, a city of which he was mayor for two terms; he married Mary Myers.  6. Henry, born 1831; an inventor; both he and his wife Barbara are deceased.  7. Maria, wife of Thomas H. Mirkel.  8. Sarah, born 1835, died young.  9. Missouri, died young.  10. A son, died in infancy.”
Ref. A History of Delaware County Pennsylvania and its People, by John W. Jordan, 1914, p. 1100.   

Henry Hunsicker is listed as a resident of Mucungie Township in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania in the Federal Census for years 1820 and 1830.  The Federal Census of 1840 lists Henry Hunsicker as a resident in Bethlehem, Northampton County, Pennsylvania. 

1850 Federal Census, Pennsylvania, Union County, Hartley Township
Henry Hunsicker, age 52, occupation “Gunsmith”, born PA; Marvine, age 11; Levi Messer

[fm tim]

Ron Gable, at a past Dixon's, gave an interesting presentation of changes to Hunsinger rifles as he meove around Eastern PA.  It is on one of the PCN DVDs taken at the fair.