Here is part 3 of the history of East Petersburg, PA, a Lancaster County gem:

Part One Part Two

In 1888 David Gochnauer built the house at 1977 State Street (originally known as Columbia Avenue) which was the first in town to have electric lights and indoor plumbing.  It is still there today in excellent condition.  Next door at the corner, a store in continuous operation since 1852 by J. Stauffer and Levi Gochnauer would be bought by Haydn Zug and become a restaurant of the same name.

A plank road was laid along Main street for one year, and was promptly worn out by the increasing traffic. It was replaced by a turnpike.  On the outskirts of the eastern end of  town was a half mile racecourse, where every Saturday afternoon races were held which brought hundreds of people to town.  Hotels such as the “Captain Lawrence” in Daniel Wolf’s old store and Henry Hottenstien’s at Main & State were popular for many years.  The old Mennonite church and Trinity Reformed Church on Main as well as the Brethren Church  and Zion Evangelical on Lemon grew and expanded, while Grace Evangelical was founded in 1878.  The main square of the town transitioned to State & Main during this period.  The trolley arrived about 1900 and traveled through town via Hershey, Main, Broad and north Lemon.  The bus route from Lancaster to Manheim eventually supplanted it by 1930.

In 1910, a dangerous fire caused the local citizens to create East Petersburg Fire Company No. 1, and the firehouse was built just north of the square on Main Street.  Well-known local wheelwright S.F. Andes built the first fire engines (horse-drawn) at his shop just south of the square where the Turkey Hill store now stands.  In 1929 Main Street was resurfaced and expanded to make State Rte. 72 a direct link to Manheim.  The Quarry just north of town also had its start in this year.  

By now, East Petersburg was becoming a bedroom community for Lancaster City in addition to its long-held role as a place of retirement for local farmers.   In the mid 1940’s, an epidemic of typhoid fever in town instigated the testing of the local water sources, which were found to be contaminated.  A committee looked into the problem and decided on establishing a new water source for the town.  As part of the process to establish a community water system to replace the tainted sources, the town incorporated as a borough on December 20, 1946.  The new water system was installed by 1951 and in 2006 the water was honored as the finest drinking water in Pennsylvania.  In 1958, the town school was moved to its present location and the old school (dating from 1881) on Ann & Pine Streets was torn down to make way for a new firehouse. 

The population of East Petersburg has grown from a few families in 1812 to almost 4,500 today, but the small-town charm has remained and the sense of history that graces its streets & homes help to make East Petersburg a worthy addition to the great legacy of Lancaster County.  Many homes and businesses are restored or in the process of restoration and improvement, and the future of the town’s historic district looks promising.  2006 marks 60 years as a borough, and in 2012 East Petersburg will celebrate the bicentennial of Daniel Wolf’s creation in the fields north of Lancaster.

Click here for more  Lancaster  PA Real Estate or to ask about  Lancaster PA homes for sale.  Thanks!