Carl's Drug Store
Carl Family and Drug Store History
1700's
Michael Carl emigrated from Germany to York, Pennsylvania. He served two
enlistments with the Continental Army.
1800 December 16
Adam B. Carl
was born, Hanover, York County, Pennsylvania, son of George and Catherine Diller
Carl. George Carl was a grandson of Michael Carl. Adam’s father died at a
young age and he was then raised by his father’s brother. Adam moved to
Carlisle where he worked in a pharmacy and became interested in medicine.
1825 April
Adam moved to Greencastle and lived in the
two-story house, which was the second building south of the alley, in the first
half block, on the west side of North Carlisle Street. Reference to this
location was made in Dr. George D. Carl’s obituary.
On April 27 Adam opened his drug store at 13 South Carlisle Street.
1825 May
Adam married Ann Marie Michael, daughter of John and Catherine Beltz Michael.
1826 May 22
Son William H. was born, who died suddenly in
1874.
1828 February 19
son John was born (father of Charles B.). John was educated in the schools of
Greencastle and became a farmer. John married Martha Ritchey Wingerd. Later, he
established a shoe and hat store at 6 North Carlisle Street in the building next
to the First National Bank.
1829 March
Adam graduated from Washington Medical College, Baltimore, Maryland. Sometime
during this year, he moved the store to 27 South Carlisle Street, which later
would become the residence of grandson Pitt F. Carl, brother of Charles B.
1830 June 15
son George Davison was born. George was the only son of Adam to become
a physician.
1830 September
Martha Ritchey Wingerd, daughter of John Wingerd and Lydia Stahl, of Antrim
Township was born.
1832 June 5
Son Charles H. was born to Adam and Ann Maria; he died at age 3 in 1835.
| 1833 Adam acquired the title to the property at 27 North Carlisle Street. The street number on both South and North Carlisle Streets were, coincidentally, the same. |
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| 1836 Adam built the structure at 27 North Carlisle Street that served as both residence and drug store. The drug store was located in the southwest corner room of the building. Susquehanna Bank (formerly the Citizens National Bank) supposedly has all the deeds for this property dating back to John Allison in 1782. |
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1836 December 19 1838 April 11
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1840 October 3
Franklin A. Bushey was born at the residence on the Williamsport Pike that
was built by Dr. Robert Johnston of Revolutionary War fame.
1843 March 1
daughter Mary Ellen was born. She was the last child of Adam and Ann Marie.
She later married Dr. Franklin A. Bushey.
1848 July 6
Ann Marie Carl, Adam’s first wife, died.
1849
Adam married Ann’s sister Mrs. Susan Moore; she died in 1874.
1851 February 22
An advertisement in Greencastle’s weekly newspaper, Conococheague Herald,
indicated that Dr. A. Carl and Son advertised that they had “a full and well
selected assortment of fresh drugs, medicines, oils, paints, glassware, cigars,
chewing tobacco” etc. and assured the public that they “made the sale of
Medicines a matter of conscience and not of profit.” This information is from G.
Fred Ziegler’s March 23, 1944 Echo Pilot article.
1853 Spring
Dr. George D. Carl graduated from the Pennsylvania Medical College of
Philadelphia and entered the practice of medicine with his father Dr. Adam Carl.
1854
Adam decided to devote fulltime to the practice of medicine.
Son William assumed the management of the drug store.
1856 November 27
Charles Blair Carl was born. He was the first son of John and Martha Wingerd
Carl and grandson of Dr. Adam Carl. Charles was educated in Greencastle schools
and by private tutors.
1859 December 17
John Adam Carl was born. He was the second son of John and Martha Carl and
was a grandson of Dr. Adam Carl.
1861 March 2
Dr. Franklin A. Bushey graduated from the University of Maryland.
1861 April 21
Bushey enlisted in the United States Army.
1863 May 30
E. Dorsey Carl was born. He was the third son of John and Martha Carl and a
grandson of Dr. Adam Carl. E. Dorsey served as one of Greencastle’s Post
Masters.
1863 July
Dr. Adam Carl, at his residence and drug store at 27 North Carlisle Street,
treated the wounds of Confederate soldiers upon their retreat from the Battle of
Gettysburg as they passed back through Greencastle.
1864 September 15
Pitt Fessenden Carl was born, the fourth son of John and Martha Carl and was
a grandson of Dr. Adam Carl.
1870
John Carl – second son of Dr. Adam Carl, opened a shoe and hat store at 6 North
Carlisle Street next to the First National Bank. Charles B. Carl began working
in the drug store at the age of 14.
1874
William M. Carl died suddenly at the age of 46. Dr. Adam Carl resumed
management of the drug store and later employed his grandson Charles B. as his
assistant.
Later and while Charles attended school at the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, Dr. Franklin A. Bushey managed the drug store so that Dr. Adam Carl could continue practicing medicine. Bushey was married to Adam’s youngest daughter, Mary Ellen.
Dr. Adam’s second wife, Susan, died.
1880 Spring
Charles graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy and assumed
management of the drug store.
1880
Adam was still practicing medicine at the age of 80.
1886
Pitt Fessenden Carl, brother of Charles, opened Carl’s Book Store – a book
and stationery store, at 8 Center Square. He was an expert telegrapher and
managed Greencastle’s Western Union office for 30 years. Pitt was the manager
of Greencastle Water Works for the first 15 years of its operation and served
several years as the manager of the Cumberland Valley Railroad’s real estate
department. He was instrumental in the formation of Greencastle’s “modern” water
system and Old Home Week.
1887
Charles attained a notary public license.
1888
Charles purchased the drug store from his grandfather Adam.
1890 November 6
Pitt married Emily Lantz Fletcher, daughter of Louis Henry Fletcher and
Martha E. Fletcher. Emily was the sister of Henry P. Fletcher.
1891 April
Dr. Adam Carl died at the age of 90 having practiced medicine for 62 years,
treating special old patients and friends during the last three to four years of
his life up until about a week before his death.
1891 May
Charles moved the drug store across the street to 6 North Carlisle Street in
the building next to the First National Bank. Charles’ father, John, once ran a
shoe and hat store in this building.
1891 November 25
Charles married Sallie G. Pensinger, the only daughter of Jacob and Isabella
B. Rupley Pensinger.
1893 June 2
son John Jacob was born.
1897 August 22
son George was born.
1898 November 7
Sallie Pensinger Carl died.
1901 July
Charles married his second wife, Elizabeth Rhodes, daughter of the Rev.
George M. Rhodes, a prominent Lutheran minister.
1902 August
The first Old Boys Reunion was held.
1915
Dr. George Davidson Carl died at the age of 85. He practiced medicine until a
few years before his death. His practice was largely devoted to pediatrics. At
the time of his death, he was the oldest, native-born citizen of Greencastle.
1916 August
Charles moved the drug store from 6 North Carlisle Street to the new three-story
building that he had constructed at 6 East Baltimore Street.
1924 June 26
Dr. Franklin A. Bushey, U.S. Army surgeon, died in his home at 27 North Carlisle
Street. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and was the U.S.
Pension examining surgeon for many years.
1933 June 11
Pitt Carl died.
1935 November 3
Charles died and his son Edward Rhodes Carl assumed management of the drug store
for the estate until his mother’s death some years later, at which time Ed
became the proprietor.
1940 March 27
John Adam Carl died; he was a brother of Charles B. and Pitt F. At the time
of his death, he was the last surviving member of the first Old Home Week
committee, which in 1902 was called the Old Boys Reunion. He worked as a clerk
in Pitt’s book store (Carl’s Book Store) and in Carl’s Drug Store for his
brother Charles. He was both a burgess and town councilman in the Borough of
Greencastle.
1953 February
Citizen’s National Bank (now Susquehanna Bank) demolished the Carl-Bushey
residence at 27 North Carlisle Street. The building was originally built by Dr.
Adam Carl in 1836 as his home and pharmacy. The site was used for a new
drive-through window and parking lot.
1954
The First National Bank razed the John Carl building at 6 North Carlisle
Street to make room for drive-through service and a parking lot.
1974 January 1
Frank H. Ervin purchased Carl’s Drug Store from Edward R. Carl.
1999 March 8
Ervin moved Carl’s Drug Store to its current location at 145 North Antrim
Way.
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2005 April
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| Frank Ervin and his wife, Brenda |
Allison-Antrim Museum hosted a special exhibit for open houses on Thursday, April 7 and Sunday, April 10 featuring Carl’s Drug Store artifacts and memorabilia, from its permanent Carl’s Collection and many items from the collection of Frank Ervin. Also included in the exhibit was Adam Carl’s first day book, in which he started recording his patient’s names and remedies beginning on April 27, 1825. An annual book with similar entries covered the time period from about 1826 to1850. A day book from Adam’s son John’s shoe and hat store was also displayed. These three books were on loan from the Lilian S. Besore Memorial Library. A Greencastle-Antrim Chamber of Commerce mixer was sponsored by Carl’s Drug Store, which was hosted by Allison-Antrim Museum on April 12.
A contest for 1,300 students in grades one to five relative to the history of Carl’s Drug Store was conducted. One winner in each grade received a $50 savings bond. All the winners were featured at the drug store during the month of April 2005.