May 2006, Volume 9, Issue 3
From the President’s Desk
Continued from the March Annals – The History of the Town Hall.
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The above photograph of the Town Hall was taken in 2004, |
In 1871 there was no electricity, radio, television, movies, CDs, or DVDs. The Town Hall was Greencastle-Antrim’s first cultural and special events center. The second floor was devoted to a huge auditorium, which was filled to capacity for most of the presentations, whether they were theatrical, musical, class plays, concerts, graduation ceremonies, reunions, dinners, dances, lectures, or Old Home Week events. The headquarters for Old Home Week were located in the Town Hall from 1902 to 1911, as seen in the photograph with traditional red, white, and blue banners decorating the front of the building.
According to Lillian Ruthrauff, the auditorium also had dressing rooms, very small dressing rooms. She recounted in her article that traveling theatrical groups stopped frequently in Greencastle to perform to enthusiastic crowds. The audience was evidently also privy to the “back stage” preparations, because the actors could be heard through the thin walls of the dressing rooms, complaining about no room “to make up.” One theatrical troupe returned year after year for almost two decades and filled the hall two nights in a row. The only thing they performed for all those years was “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”
Local talent was abundant whether in writing, acting, or singing. Phillip E. Baer, one of the vocalists, likely became the most well-known musical performer from the Greencastle-Antrim area. Besides singing solo, he was also a member of the Baer quartet with his father and two brothers. Baer went on to become an opera singer and was the founder of Greencastle-Antrim’s beloved Old Home triennial celebration. In 1902 a chicken dinner was served to the Old Boys in the auditorium of the Town Hall and by the fourth Old Home Week, the auditorium hosted a reception, a smoker, a fireman’s reunion, and dramatic presentations.
In Mr. Conrad’s book Glory Land, he tells about Greencastle’s African American community and their rich talents, which were most often shared with the community-at-large in the Town Hall auditorium or in Lininger’s garage on West Franklin Street. They performed concerts, had dances, and what sounds like the most fun of all – cake walks. In 1983, when Glory Land was written, older members of the African American community remembered that Charlie Wagner of Hagerstown was the leader of the cake walks. Mr. Conrad wrote, “His costume included a high silk hat, a ruffled shirt with an unusually high collar supporting a profusely colored cravat and sparkling tie pin. He wore a black coat with a shining velvet collar and lapels wide enough to support at least a ten-inch boutonniere. This regalia was completed with brightly striped trousers and white spats over yellow or highly polished tan shoes. Most importantly his baton or wand was always a glistening white cane.
Around the room the couples would follow the leader in formation and steps that he called – directed by his cane and demonstrated with high stepping struts, glides, bows, and other fancy gyrations. This combination walk and dance was accompanied by a band of three or four string musicians. As the promenade continued winding in and out on the dance floor, the dancers were gradually eliminated, until the winning couple would then be decided and a cake presented to them. The couples would dress in their “Sunday best” according to the season.” What a wonderful mental picture Mr. Conrad created.
The third floor provided a meeting place for the Grand Army of the Republic and fraternal organizations of the community. There was also an area on the third floor where bands could practice. The bands that entertained the community with concerts in the Town Hall at that time were a brass band, the Silver Cornet Band, a band sponsored by the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, and the Willow Spring Band from the African American community.
About 1911 or 1912, Harry McLaughlin built an annex, which included a movie theater, onto the hotel. The new, modern facility immediately started to attract special events and audiences away from the Town Hall. In 1913, the Town Hall building was sold. Within one year of the sale, the building was renovated – creating apartments on the second and third floors, with businesses on the first floor.
There are still questions to be answered. One is the verification of who the three investors were who formed the Town Hall Company in 1870. Who made all the food for the dinners that were served in the second floor auditorium, and where were the dinners prepared? Who purchased the Town Hall in 1913 and renovated it?
In the remaining decades of the 20th century, the building at 5 South Washington Street was known as the Funk building, the Strite building, and the Ausherman building, those names being those of the owners. Since the latter part of 2005, the current owner of the building was in the process of restoring the Town Hall building to its original glory by painting the outside wooden architectural features and renovating the 1913-era apartments. The Town Hall was in the good and caring hands of someone who respected and honored its past.
In Mr. Conrad’s September 12,
1985 article, he closed in the following way, “All that is left of
(Greencastle’s) Town Hall (circa 1985) are recorded memories covering nearly 50
years of simple pleasures and an altered building that, so far, has not been
demolished to be replaced by a modern structure or a parking lot.” But, oh what
wonderful recorded memories of its early years were left by our forefathers.
Memories cherished even more so since the fire. I can almost hear the concerts
and taste the chicken dinners and hear the gaiety of the cake walks. Yet, in
spite of the fire, new memories will be created in the years to come at 5 South
Washington Street; memories which will also be recorded for future generations
in the history book of Greencastle-Antrim.
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May Open House Exhibit
Antique timber framing tools used in the construction of barns will be on display along with artifacts from the German Bank Barn which is being reconstructed in the museum’s backyard. Some smaller farming items that would have been found in a barn, such as a Walck grain cradle, a Walck hay fork, flails, a rake, and a buck saw will also be on display.
In addition, the exhibition of Phil Schaff’s 23 framed
photographs of “Brick-end Barns of Franklin County” will continue during the May
open houses. The Schaff’s are also showing, in notebook form, the remaining 77
photographs out of the 101 brick-end barns in Franklin County. The Schaff’s were
delighted to discover at one of the April open houses that Phil had missed
seeing the one-hundred and first brick-end barn on his county road travels. The
barn sits very far back from the nearest road, unseen to the daily traveler.
Dianna Heim, author of Cumberland Valley Barns: Past and Present has
added to the exhibit her black and white photographs of stone-end barns.
See Calendar of Events for date and time.
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May Monthly Meeting
AAMI members, Frank and Ray Mowen will recount the history of Rescue Hose Company’s renowned minstrel show, which is thought to be one of the oldest continuing minstrel shows in the United States. The Mowen family’s participation in the minstrel show spans more than 60 years, dating back to their father “Sambo” Mowen who was one of the early premier “End Men.”
The minstrel show began as a fundraiser for the fire company in February 1929, when the first production was performed in the Gem Theater (now the Antrim House’s banquet room). To this day, the members of the Rescue Hose Company and the auxiliary perform the minstrel shows to packed houses at the high school auditorium.
Come enjoy an evening of lively conversation about one of Greencastle-Antrim’s surviving forms of hometown entertainment from years gone by. See Calendar of Events for date and time.
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In the above photograph from an early minstrel show are, from left to right, Betty Jane Shatzer, Jake Teeter, Vic Martin, Sambo Mowen, and Bobby Holbert. They appear to be seated in front of gaily decorated backdrop for one of the minstrel shows, which at that time were performed in the Gem Theater. |
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June Monthly Meeting
Keven Walker first spoke to AAMI’s membership in April 2005 about “Milton Hershey and His Legacy.” Walker returns again as the speaker for the June 8 membership meeting, at which time he will share “The History of Hershey Park,” one of Pennsylvania’s most popular amusement parks.
At the April 2005 meeting, guests learned that Milton S. Hershey bought land in Derry Township, Pa., about a mile from where he grew up, and began building his first chocolate factory in 1903. The town of Hershey, Pa. (the realization of Hershey’s ideas) catered to Hershey’s employees. In addition, a 30-mile inter-urban railway was built by the company for its employees when they needed to travel outside of Hershey. How did Hershey Park become a reality and why? Discover the answers to those questions on June 8.
Walker, a native of Hershey, Pa., is a historian in the
Cultural Resources Management Division at the Antietam National Battlefield and
is a consultant for Chambersburg Heritage Center. Walker served as a historical
consultant and commentator for a new documentary film entitled “Historic Homes
of Antietam. See Calendar of Events for dates and time.
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What’s Been Happening
January’s exhibit honoring the 50th anniversary of Elvis’ career and February’s exhibit of Custer memorabilia equaled the daily attendance figures for Old Home Week open houses. There were a total of 190 visitors through the museum for Elvis and 220 to see the Custer exhibit. March’s exhibit of Indian artifacts, which were excavated from Ebbert Spring, drew 112 visitors. The brick-end barn photograph exhibit in April was viewed by over 130 people and with special tours another 25 have been inside the museum this year. So far this year, during the first quarter of the year, the museum’s total number of visitors has been about 680, or 81% of the total number of museum visitors in 2005, which was about 840.
From April 9 – 11, Ken and Bonnie Shockey attended the annual conference of the Pennsylvania Federation of Museums and Historical Organizations (PFMHO) in Harrisburg. The annual conference provides an excellent opportunity to network with representatives from other state museums and historical organizations.
This is the third year that Ken has been asked to take the official photographs for the conference. At the annual meeting, which was held on Monday, April 10, Bonnie was nominated and elected to the state board of directors of the PFMHO as one of three new directors. She will be the advocate for the state’s small museums and historical organizations.
On Wednesday, April 12, AAMI members, Frances “Pickle” Diehl, Russ Clever and Marvin Rice; and board members, Rebecca Elgin, Pam Ott, Jim Thomas, and Bonnie Shockey; and friends of the museum, Dianna Heim and Richard Penney, gave short history lessons to the sixth graders during their second annual downtown walking tour. The historical sites, which were visited, were King’s Playground, the engine house (Borough Hall), the Antrim House, the site of the former Town Hall, the old Reformed Church graveyard on South Carlisle Street, McCullough’s Tavern and site of the Dahlgren incident, the Union/National Hotel (site of William Allison’s Tavern), the Town Clock, the Presbyterian Church and the Jefferson Street Train Station. The students and teachers followed up by sending many thank you notes to each docent.
On Tuesday, April 18, Jim Craig, Jim Thomas, and Marvin Rice gave a guided tour of the museum to about 25 members of St. Andrew’s United Methodist Church of Hagerstown.
On April 18, the barn’s door jams for the front wall on the lower level were set in place so that the limestone can be set around them.
If those of you who have volunteered to be present during open houses are
wondering why you have not been called lately, the reason is that the museum has
had several very competent high school students who have been performing their
30 hours of community service (required for graduation) at Allison-Antrim
Museum. One of the duties, among other things that have been assigned to them,
is meeting and greeting the visitors to AAM during open houses.
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Who, What, When, Where, and Why?
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For what is this tool used?
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The answer to March’s
question, “Where is it located?” can be found at 9 East Baltimore Street. The
“fancy” windows of the storefront were once home to W. H. Witmer & Brothers
grocery.
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Do you know…
…when the first electric lights and the first telephone arrived in Greencastle?
The answer to March’s, “Do you know the names of the two men from Franklin County who were appointed as ministers to foreign countries?” President Andrew Jackson appointed James Buchanan as minister to Russia. Henry Prather Fletcher served 51 years under eight presidents (from Theodore Roosevelt to Harry Truman) as a United States ambassador to four countries and held various secretarial positions with legations to three other countries. He was ambassador to Chile, Mexico, Belgium, and Italy. The various secretarial positions with legations were in Cuba, Portugal, and twice in China.
Recent Acquisitions
- Eight photographs, including one of the employees of the Greencastle Packing Plant (with some names identified and more needed); an advertising card for H. S. Walck; a cardboard church fan, which advertised Belle’s Dry Goods Store; a public sale notice/flyer dated May 8, 1971 for W. R. Sellers at his stock farm; and one pen knife with W. R. Sellers Livestock printed on the mother-of-pearl handle. These were gifts from Ruth and Don Coldsmith and their daughter and granddaughter, Laurie Schwing and Bethany Schwing.
Website Inquiries
- A question about a family Jacquard woven coverlet owned by a direct descendant of Martha Washington.
- An inquiry about a small business venture in NYC relative to a hat shop with over 2,000 vintage hat blocks.