Haines' granddaughter, Annie, bought the house in 1987 and renovated it, but eventually had to give up the property when the bank repossessed it because she was unable to keep up with the expense of maintaining it, Ruth Miller said.
The foreclosure sale in the local newspaper caught Ruth Miller's attention, and a rumor that some prospective buyers wanted to move it out of state fueled her interest even more.
"This is where it belongs," she said. "If you move it out of here, the meaning would be all gone."
The new owner, Carleen Farabaugh, has assured her that the shoe will stay firmly planted in Pennsylvania. Farabaugh, who declined to reveal the purchase price, said she plans to maintain the tours and hopes to expand the operating hours next summer.
"I really fell in love with it the minute I saw it," Farabaugh said. "The historical side is fantastic. It's something we need to pass on to our children."
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