QUARRYVILLE, PA
Extracted and excerpted from History of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania by H.M.J. Klein, PHd., 1924
Quarryville, a borough situated partly in Eden township and partly in Drumore, is the most aggressive place in the southern part of Lancaster county. It is the nearest point on the steam and electric roads for many parts of the "lower end" of the county; and that fact is probably the explanation of its continued growth.
The line of demarkation between the German and Scotch-Irish regions of Lancaster county seems to be at Quarryville, where the limestone soil ends. The region below Quarryville is slaty, and rich soil like that which is on the limestone cannot be found below Quarryville, in Lancaster county. This perhaps is the fundamental reason why the "lower end" of Lancaster county has not advanced as obviously as has the German section. The Palatine settlers were good agriculturists, and they were good judges of soil; and as they were the first to reach the region, they selected the choicest lands. The Scotch-Irish had to be content with poorer land. They were mostly industrious, but somewhat restless; and while the Germans as a class held closely to the land, the Scotch-Irish shouldered the musket when there was need. Still, in any case, they could not be expected to get as much out of their land-tillage as their Teutonic neighbors could from better land.
The fact that the limestone measures ended at Quarryville and that the land below was more impoverished than that on limestone bed northward gave that locality the initial industry which originated the town and the town name. One of the discoveries of the early part of the nineteenth century in Pennsylvania was that burnt limestone was a good dressing for impoverished soil. The farmers south of Quarryville needed it, and about a century ago an enterprising owner of limestone land in Quarryville devised a way of disposing of it that was somewhat unique. He laid out an orchard into lots much as one would plat a townsite; the only difference was that these quarter-acre or eighth-acre lots were sold or leased for quarrying purposes, not for residential. Farmers of Drumore, Colerain and Little Britain townships bought lots, and during the winter months quarried limestone from their lots and hauled it to their farms, where they had wood in abundance. There they burned the lime-stone as needed. Among those southern landowners who might be looked upon as early residents inQuarryville (seeing that they lived part of each year on their quarry-lots, in small cabins) were Joel Brown, Timothy Haines, Thomas and Samuel Patterson, Alexander Rumer, Robert Clark, James McPherson, the Ritchies, Ralstons, and others. The Lord of the Manor, as it were, was Abram Barr. It was he who laid out the land in quarry-lots, and for thirty years before that time the great stone mansion built by his father, Martin Barr, had been the most conspicuous in the neighborhood. It became known as "The Ark," and was the subject of an interesting paper by Leander T. Hensel in 1898. The paper entitled "The Ark: a Famous Last-Century Mansion" is to be found in volume II-5 of the Lancaster County Historical Society Papers. In part, it reads:
Situated in the northern end of the borough of Quarryville, perched on a slight hill, stands a large stone building, known for many years as "The Ark," and the hill on which it stands as "Mount Ararat." These names, it is said, were given by a noted wag of his day, named Longenecker, soon after the house was built. It was erected in 1719, by Martin Barr, and was his farm or manor house, being situated nearly in the centre of the lands he then owned. His estate consisted of several thousand acres of land, running north for alinost two miles, and about that far south. The farm was almost a mile wide from east to west. His land began at a farm flow owned by John F. Rohrer, north of Camargo. and, extending south, took in the Henry Keen farm, at Spring Grove in East Drumore. On the east, his land ran as far as the Moses Hair farm in Eden township. and west as far as Oak Bottom. His whole possessions comprised what are now twenty-five of the best farms in that section, besides the lands occupied by Quarryville Borough and Hawkesville.
Before erecting this building, Martin Barr lived in a log house, which was torn down about fifty years ago by Henry Keen, Sr. It stood where the house of Enos Hostetter now stands, on the "Hill Road" from Hawkesville to Strasburg. Nearby now stands one of the largest and oldest walnut trees in this part of the State. While living at the old place, about 1755, he built what is now known as the "Bossler Mill"
That "The Ark" was built in 1790 is attested by a stone in the west end of the building bearing that date. It was built of "Barren" stone, hauled from the ridge running about a mile northeast of that point, the limestone just at hand not having yet heen developed and not being considered as desirable for building purposes. An enormous quantity of stone was used, as the foundation trenches were sunk very deep, the builder being determined to rest upon solid rock. The house was thirty feet high, with a deep basement, and a two-storied "still house" was attached, to the east end. Mr. Barr ran a distillery, and in it is one of she finest springs in the neighborhood. A fine quality of whisky was made.
The house. at the time it was built, was not only the largest in its locality, but was one of the best and finest. Fronting on the south were two wide porches ranning along the entire house. All the woodwork was of the very best hardwood; most of it was walnut. The walls were two feet thick. The hall is twelve feet wide. It used to be said that the entire edifice contained a greater quantity of stone than any other building in the county, except the AImshouse, and Lancaster county is famed for its fine old stone mansions.
A huge barn stood nearby. It was 125 feet long and 60 feet wide, and was said to be the largest of its kind in the county. The ends and lower stories were of stone. The barn was partly demolished when the farms were divided after the demise of Martin Barr, but the remaining part stood until about 1895, when fire finally razed that landmark, But "The Ark" still stands, stately, substantial and solitary, amid the quarries and kilns of other days. After the death of Martin Barr, his son Abram occupied "The Ark." Mr. Hensel writes:
"It was he (Abram Barr) who first recognized the important fact that Quarryville marked the lower limit of the limestone in Lancaster county. The thinner lands of the 'Lower End' lacked a necessary element, to be supplied by the limestone quarried and burned into lime with the then abundant chestnut timber."
Abram Barr was born in 1770 and died in 1836 (or 1839). The great house, "The Ark," and adjoining lands and quarries, were then sold at public auction. They were bought by Jacob Barr, a cousin, known as "Lame Jacob." He was the son of Jacob Barr, cousin of Martin, Sr., and was born in Strasburg in 1778. In 1785 his father moved to Eden township to the farm, east of Quarryville, occupied a century later by Moses Bair. There he followed farming and teaming. The son Jacob was lamed "from white swelling",in early youth, but helped his father well in teaming, and eventually had full charge of theteams. Mr. Hensel writes: "He was a good judge of horses,and knew bow to handle them. His reputation was known from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, and his team always hauled the heaviest loads. As many hogs-heads of whisky as he could possibly get on his wagon were a light load." His father died in 1810, but "Lame Jacob" continued the farming operations as well as the teaming; and when, in 1836, "The Ark" was for sale, he acquired it, Ere long, he was burning lime also. He retired from all business in 1852, but lived for more than twenty years longer, death coming in 1874, in his ninety-seventh year.
Regarding the quarrying and lime-burning industries of Quarryville, Mr, Hensel writes: It was generally supposed that Martin Barr, Sr,, was the first to take out limestone at Quarryville for the burning of lime; but such is not the case. It was his son, Abram, who began operations in 1820, The first man who worked for him was Peter Rinear, who was afterwards (in i8j;') killed by a premature explosion in a quarry where the drug store now stands in Quarryville. Re began and worked at it alone, with a small steel drill, which he held in one hand, while with the other he struck with a small hammer.
The first stone burned into lime from these quarries was hauled to the farm of John Herr, near Mt. Eden Furnace, where he had built a small kiln, holding about three hundred bushels, The kiln is still there, but as a ruin. Several "burns" were made at this place, and lime was found to be a good fertilizer. Others built kilns in that section as well as over all the lower end of the county,' and the quarrying of stone became quite a profitable and extensive business. More men were put to work. In 1825 Abram Barr laid out about twenty acres an lots of one-eighth of an acre, and these he sold to farmers, to take out stone for their own use, which they did in the winter, after all their other work was done, In order to be convenient to their work, about twenty good-sized log cabins were built, and "Barr's Quarries became quite a place-hence the later Quarryville.
The last of the log cabins was torn down about twenty years ago, and only one of the old houses occupied by the original quarryrnen still stands. In a very short time it was found that lime was making the "Lower End." It was just what he wanted; and the opening of new quarries began. Large kilns were erected, and the quarrying of stone and burning of lime grew to he a very extensive business. Daniel Lefever, John Stewart, Henry Keen and Joseph Elliott were about the first to go into the business extensively. All the burning was done with wood until 1819, when Daniel Lefever burned the first with coal; and while some still used wood, the use of coal became general after a few years.
At the time Abram Barr began the sale of quarry-lots the prices were from $75 to $100 each. As time went by these same lots sold as high as $1,500, The lime business continued to grow rapidly at Quarryville, and considerable money had been made at it until about 1860, when the use of commercial fertilizers became more general, and the business began to decline, and, in fact, became almost extinct. Stone was only quarried for business purposes, but the last few years the farmers, finding the use of something besides commercial fertilizers necessary, have begun to use lime, and the business is again gradually increasing. Millions of bushels of lime have been burned from stone taken out of the great "orchard" quarry, the excavation of which covers acres, and is almost fifty feet deep.
In 1858 alone over 600,000 bushels of lime were burned and hauled from Quarryville; fully a dozen quarries were running; over a hundred men had work in them, and every lime-burner had at least one six-mule team and some as many as three, while almost every farmer kept a team which found steady hauling, Great quantities of lime were delivered into York and Chester counties and into Cecil and Hartford counties, Maryland.
The grandchildren of "The Ark's" builder are dead and gone the great estate has been subdivided, and its broad acres are now sold by the foot frontage; rich fortunes have been quarried from its-buried limestone; where "Pete" Rinear held his drill with one hand while the other wielded the hammer, a sparkling fountain now marks the centre of a flourishing town. The walls of "The Ark" stand plumb, strong. "foursquare to every wind that blows" Its timbers are sound and strong. Back of it a blue breast of limestone fronts towards the rising sun. Aside it a fortlike group of limekilns are smoking with the fires of a re-kindled industry.
Quarryville was only "Barr's Quarries" until 1833 ; there was no other business; but in that year Jeremiah P. and Lewis Haines built a frame store and dwelling-house and transferred their mercantile business from Darlington, Maryland, to Barr'sQuarries. The dwelling-house later became the Railroad Hotel. In 1837 George "N'. Hensel, a lad of fourteen years, walked over from his father's home in Darlington, Maryland, and entered Haines' store. Five years later, young Hensel was a partner in that store; thirteen years after-wards, in 1855, he was sole owner. Other mercantile storekeepers during the period to 1883 included Hess, Wittner,Geiger, Shant, and others, but the Hensel business was the only one that continued. George W. Flensel, Jr., s still one of the merchants of Quarryville and others of the family have had prominent place in Lancaster county affairs.
Quarryville was so named in 1837 by Mr. Haines. He applied for the establishment of a post-office of that name in the village in that year, but it was not until 1849 that this facility was granted. In 1851-52 a church was built; and in the same year a tavern. More taverns than churches have since been built in Quarryville, though the former are now decadent lit1875 Quarryville was made the terminus of a steam railroad, and is now on the route of another, as well as having hourly electric service to Lancaster. In addition, a new road for automobiles is under construction between Quarryville and Christiana; so that the future seems good for QuarryvilIe It was credited with 823 inhabitants in 1920, and at that time had two groceries, one drugstore, seven general stores, twelve automobile service establishments, and two banks. The banks are the Quarryville National, and the Farmers National, both well-established institutions, under conservative management. The Quarryville National Bank had capital of $60,000 and surplus of $160,000 in 1922. Its officers then were George W. Hensel, Jr., president; L Russel Ambler, vice-president; Thomas R. Ankrim, secretary; A. S. Harkness. cashier. The Farmers' National Bank of Quarryville at the same time had capital of $50,000 and surplus of $60,000. Its officers were: I. Haines Dickinson, president; George H. Brown, vice-president; and Lloyd L. Vinter, cashier. Among the old-established merchants and business houses of Quarryville are: Samuel A. Book & Brother, farm machinery; Isaac Haines Dickinson, general store; William Fisher, saddler; E. B. Fritz & Son, coal, hay, grain; William F. Geiger, plumber; D. T. Hess, coach works; J. Allen Kirk, jeweler; Levi P. McCallister, lumber; Quarryville Shoe Company, manufacturers; Carl Reynolds, undertaker. Quarryville also has its own newspaper, the "Quarryville Sun."
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