in 1850, at the age of 36, stokes was persuaded by his legal client, the pennsylvania railroad company, to take a residence in the southwestern portion of pennsylvania. he took up residence in greensburg, pennsylvania in westmoreland county in a hilltop dwelling that would be known as stokes mansion. it sat on the property of the jennings farm which would later be purchased by the sisters of charity where they would charter their new school, now known as seton hill university.