Conestoga Centre is a village in Conestoga Township celebrating its 200th birthday in 2005. It is said to have been founded in 1805 but, because it is a village, there are no founding documents to confirm this date but Conestoga Centre is mentioned in the 1815 Federal Direct Tax lists so that date is probably correct.
As a village Conestoga Centre doesn't have its own government, its own boundaries and even its name isn't something recorded in an official record. The name is what the local people call it, when they begin calling it something else, the name will change. I'm told that the U.S. Postal Service changed the name of the village from Conestoga Centre to Conestoga. I don't know by what authority they make that change, I suspect they changed the name of the post office but they can't really change the name of the village, that name will remain Conestoga Centre as long as local people continue to use that name.
Centre is the British spelling of center and we might assume the name is a remnant of the British rule in North America. No doubt, right after the revolution both spellings were used, the 1815 Direct Tax shows the tax collector spelled the name Conestoga Center, prior to the establishment of fixed spellings (later in the 19th century) there was a wide variety of accepted spellings for various words.
I haven’t seen any primary document (one written at the time the event occurred) that shows that John Kendig founded the village in 1805 but I’ve accepted that as true since other primary sources seem to indicate that John Kendig was a tavern keeper at Centre and it appears he inherited the land that later became Conestoga Centre.. It may not have been John Kendig but someone founded the village at about that time, since Conestoga Centre is identified in the 1815 Federal Direct tax. .
In the early 19th century taverns were controlled by the county, earlier they had been controlled by the state. .If someone wanted to operate a tavern he had to request a license, tavern petitions are the result of that request. If the tavern created a problem in the neighborhood, the citizens of that neighborhood could request that the petition be denied. If those who made the decision about granting a petition thought there were too many taverns in the area they could also deny it. It was also common for those who held licenses in the same neighborhood to object to the having new licenses issued.
Background
Conestoga Centre is a village built along a ridge of high land in the center of Conestoga Township. The original owners of this land were Michael Hess and John Freyfly, they received this land from William Penn by warrant and the Warrant Map for Conestoga Township1 suggests that Main Street in Conestoga Center was the dividing line between their lands. It was common when issuing warrants for the Penn government to give an additional 6% for roads and it was also common for roads to be run between two property owners so it looks like the current layout of Conestoga Centre is the result of this historic property line. In the early 1800s, Main Street in Conestoga Centre was known as the Road to Burkholders Ferry and Safe Harbor. River Corner Road was the boundary between the lands of Michael Haverstick and Michael Hess. John Kendig, who is given credit for the founding of Conestoga Centre, had planned to use 35 acres of land that he had inherited from his father 2 for the new village. He inherited all of his father’s estate, probably because the Orphan’s Court thought it too small to divide, but he was required to sell land to pay his brother’s and sisters their share of the estate.. Founding a village, which meant he could sell small lots, would be a perfect plan to raise the money, it would also be good for his tavern business.
Conestoga Centre in 1815
The 1807 tax list for Conestoga Twp. doesn’t mention Conestoga Centre but lists John Kendig Sr., tavern keeper and John Kendig Jr., weaver. The 1815 Federal Direct Tax3 tax lists 11 families living in Conestoga Centre (probably about 50 or 60 people), John Kendig, Sr., John Kendig Jr., Martin Kendig, Magdalene Ponper, Adam Brady, Cornelius Conrad, John Carry, Theophilus Dunning, Solomon Falk, Catherine Grummel and Jacob Yentzer. The 1817 tax lists lets us add their occupations, Adam Brady, weaver; Cornealous Conrad, weaver; Theophilus Dunning, weaver; John Kendig, Tavern keeper; Martin Kendig, horse farrier (a combination blacksmith and horse surgeon); John Kairy (Carey), laborer;Catharine Krummel (Crommel/Grommel), no occupation; Magdalene Ponper, no occupation; Jacob Yentzer, no occupation and Salomon Falk isn't listed in 1817.
John Kendig Sr, was living of 2 ¾ acres with a house of one story, made wood, (the 1790 Direct Tax shows this as logs) 20 feet in length by 30 feet in depth, valued at $380. dollars.
John Kendig Jr. is identified as living in a two story house of wood, 30 feet in length by 23 feet in depth. He also has two old stables of wood and this is situated on 5 acres of land. He is also listed as owning another 5 acre lot, on the Safe Harbor road (which means its west of River Corner Road), a ¾ acre lot with a small wooden house and another small lot in Conestoga Centre. He also owned property in Millersport (the Manor side of Safe Harbor). The value of the property was $1730.00.
Martin Kendig owned one dwelling house of wood, one story in height and 19 feet in length and 18 feet of depth and one wooden stable. This house being located on 3 acres of land. In addition, Martin Kendig owned two lots of ¾ acres. The property was valued at $380.
Magdalene Ponper who owned a small wooden house, no dimensions given, on a half acre lot, the value was placed at $50..
Adam Brady owned a house of 20 feet in length by 27 feet depth, made of wood on one acre. Valued at $120.
Conrad Cornelius lived in a one story house, made of wood, 16 feet in length by 14 feet in depth.. In addition, a one story stable made of wood was on the property. The value was $120.
John Carry had a one story house of wood, 15 feet in length by 14 feet in depth on a ¾ acre lot valued at $80.
Theophilus Dunning lived in a one story house, identified as small and made of wood, no dimensions given. It also included one small stable of wood, on 1 acre valued at $100.
Salomon Falk had two dwelling houses made of wood, one story, 20 feet in length by 16 feet in depth situated on two acres and valued at $140.
Catharine Grummel, lived in a one story house of wood and stone, 20 feet in length by 18 feet in depth with a small wooden stable. It was situated on ½ acre of land and valued at $100. This may be Catherine Crommel, listed on the 1817 tax list and widow of John Crommel. Ellis and Evans list her as living at the location of the later day, Dr. John Kendig tavern.
Jacob Yentzer lived in a dwelling house of one story, made of wood 26 feet in length by 22 feet in depth. The property also included one stable of wood and one shop of wood, although we don't know the kind of shop. It was situated on 1 acre of land and valued at $400.
In addition there were two more unimproved lots listed in Conestoga Centre of one acre each owned jointly by George Urban and John Staffer, valued at $80.
This shows that there were 11 families living in Conestoga Centre in 1815 as well as 7 unimproved lots. In 1817 there were three weavers, a tavern keeper, a farrier, one laborer and three people who's occupation wasn't given but two of them were widows and one, Jacob Yentzer, doesn't have his occupation listed, but he probably had one. You can get an approximate idea of their wealth by comparing the tax they paid. The copy of the 1815 Direct Tax available at the Lancaster County Historical Society doesn’t list people by when they were visited (its alphabetical), had it been listed by visitation we would know who lived next to whom and could have constructed a plot map of the village.
The Sign of the Conestoga Centre
According to tavern petitions 4 - John Kendig had been operating a tavern at this location since 1790 5 . The name of this tavern was "The Sign of the Conestoga Centre", although it doesn‘t appear on tavern petitions under that name until 1832. The location of John Kendig’s Tavern would appear to be at 3182 Main Street, on the spot where the old Black Bear Tavern was located in 1875, also operated by a John Kendig. Ellis and Evan’s History of Lancaster County 6 indicates that the Sign of the Conestoga Centre was located where Dr. Jacob Mowery’s office was located and Reflections of a County Village 7 establishes that Dr. Mowrey's office was where the Black Bear Tavern existed in 1875.. This appears to be correct because Joshua Scott‘s Map of Lancaster County 8 for1824 locates Kendig‘s tavern at about the same location as the Black Bear, on the south side of Main Street. Tavern petitions frequently cite this as the place where Township elections were held and John Kendig Jr. appears to have been a Justice of the Peace so other court functions were probably held there as well.
It would appear John Kendig the founder died between 1815 and 1817. The 1817 tax list includes only one John Kendig and I’ve assumed this was his son, John Kendig Jr.9, no designation as to Sr. or Jr. is given in 1817, but he is identified as a Tavern keeper. It appears that John Kendig Jr. took over operation of the tavern after the death of his father and it was probably under his direction that the tavern replaced the log structure with the stone structure that exists today, probably about 18349. It would appear that John Jr. died about 1836, we find that his tavern was taken over by Catharine Hess and her son Edward. They seemed to have operated the tavern for one year and then Adam Kendig. took over the business. John Daily took over the tavern in 1843 and operated it for three years before Adam Kendig resumed proprietorship.
The tavern petitions we have end in 1853 so we can only assume the John Kendig who operated the Black Bear in 1875 was a descendant of Adam Kendig.
Post Office
Conestoga Centre got it’s first post office in 182711, the first post master was E. Magreedy, in those days the post office was in someone’s home so E. Magreedy must have lived in Conestoga Center as well.
The Lutheran Church & Reformed Church
On August 30, 179112 the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania granted a warrant to the Lutheran and Calvinist (Reformed) Congregation in Conestoga Twp. The property was twenty perches (a perch is about 16.5 feet) and the Trustees for the Congregation were Ludwick Urbahn, Andrew Fail, Henry Miller, and Jacob Becht. The ministers that served this congregation were the Lutheran and Reformed ministers of Lancaster City. John Jacob Strine was the Lutheran Minster here from 1815 to 1870. He was the marringest minister in Lancaster County, he married many Mennonites who were under the impression they had to be married by an ordained minister. Strine would marry anyone who paid his fee, they didn't have to be a member of one of his churches.
It appears on Joshua Scott’s 1824 Map of Lancaster County as a Lutheran Church. In 1844 the German Reformed Congregation built there own church on the same piece of land.
The Sign of the American Coat of Arms
In 1836 Dr. John Kendig appears on the scene with a two story stone house, it appears, according to tavern petitions, that Hugh Mehaffey operates this tavern before Dr. Kendig become tavern keeper. The Heritage of Lancaster, prepared by the Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, identifies this house as being built about 1821 by A.T. Bruner. In 1837 we find that Dr. John Kendig’s tavern is known as the Sign of the American Coat of Arms (see tavern petitions). Dr. Kendig operates his tavern until 1851 when John Martin takes it over.
Pinchgut
On Joshua Scott’s 1824 Map of Lancaster County he shows Pinchgut in the hollow between Conestoga Center and the ridge to the north.. This clearly establishes that Pinchgut wasn’t an early name for Conestoga Centre, it was the name for the African American Community in Conestoga Twp. Unfortunately, there were no listings for Pinchgut in the 1815 Direct Tax, perhaps because none of those living there owned their own land.
Conestoga Township gets no credit for having been involved in the underground railroad and perhaps it deserves none but I’m struck by the isolated nature of the settlement of Pinchgut on Scott’s 1824 map. Its doesn’t even appear there was even a road to Pinchgut, what shows up on Scott’s map is a stream that still exists. In the 1850 census for Conestoga Twp. there are 6 African Americans heads of households (out of 24) who were born in slave states but who’s wife was born in Pa., suggesting they had come to Pa. as young men and possibly as escaped slaves. Was Pinchgut a hideaway for runaways or were they simply people who had been freed in the south and had moved north ? Joseph Urban is mentioned by his son Benjamin F., as a conductor on the underground railroad, did he own the land that was Pinchgut in 1824 ? This is an area that deserves further research.
The 1790 census (on our web page) indicates that there were 7 African Americans in Conestoga Twp. at that time, by 1800 the number had jumped to 21. By 1850 there were 130 African Americans in Conestoga Twp. and about 75 lived in Conestoga Centre. By 1860 there were 143 in the township with 52 living in Conestoga Centre. In 1870 John W. Urban was the census taker and he didn’t distinguish people by post office so its difficult to determine how many were in Conestoga Centre but there were 89 African Americans in the township. By 1900 the African American population of Conestoga Township had dropped to 44 with only the Edward Pecos and the Martin family living in Conestoga Centre. Its thought that after the Civil War many African Americans (as well as whites) began moving into Lancaster City where there were better paying jobs. African Americans in Conestoga were primarily farm laborers but when factory jobs opened in Lancaster City they began moving there.
At least in the post Civil War period, it doesn’t appear that the social environment for African Americans in Conestoga was all that bad, there are indications that African Americans were active in the Conestoga Twp. Republican party, two, Abram Quamony and Jacob B. Wanner were elected officers 13. In addition, The Rev. George A. Bosley, an African American, spoke before the Republican Club in Conestoga Centre14 and on Memorial day, when the graves of Civil War veterans were visited, the Conestoga African Methodist church was included 15. When this same AME church held a Camp Meeting most of those participating were white 16. In 1880 Nancy Levi (aka Nancy Sterret) celebrated her 100th birthday and hundreds of people from Conestoga turned out to help her celebrate, including the General Reynold's Cornet Band 17. Many of the whites in Conestoga were Lincoln Republicans and so somewhat sympathetic to African Americans. Of course, this didn’t apply to economic matters, generally African Americans were the poorest people in the village and the township, most earned their living as farm laborers. These feelings of understanding and good will didn’t last forever, in the 1920’s there was a Klu Klux Klan activity in Conestoga Centre.
By and large the most influential African American in Conestoga Centre was a woman, Harriet Sweeney. She was a Pow Wow Doctor, she used hexes and natural remedies to cure people and apparently had a wide following amongst both the white and black population. She was the driving force behind the African Methodist Church in Conestoga Centre, providing the land and the money to build the church. She is probably also responsible for returning the body of Samuel Cooper, he was killed during the Civil War at Falmouth, Virginia, during the battle of Chancellorsville, He had enlisted (along with Jacob B. Warner) in the 99th Pa. Regiment in 1861, at a time when it was illegal for African Americans to enlist in the militia. For more on Samuel Cooper see, "Two Civil War Soldiers" on our web page.
Later in her career the Lancaster County District Attorney tried to deny Harriet the right to identify herself as Doctor, but later relented when it became clear she wasn’t going to give in easily and one of her codefendants was acquitted.
Harriett Sweeney died on June 28th, 1884 .18 at Conestoga Centre and is buried at the African Methodist Cemetery in Conestoga Centre.
NOTES
1 See the warrant map on our web page. I determined the location of Main Street by printing out the warrant map and the 1875 map of Conestoga Twp (both maps are on our web page). The computer scaled the two maps before printing and I aligned the boundaries of the township before using a pin to mark Main Street on the warrant map. It wasn't a perfect match but Main Street did conform to the bend in the boundary.
2 Records of the Orphan’s Court, August 12, 1785. John Kendig of Conestoga inherited the land from his father, Martin Kendig, who had inherited the land from his father, John Kendig on April 17, 1776
3 Federal Direct Tax for 1815, 6th District of Pennsylvania. This was a tax intended to be used to pay off the debt that was the result of the War of 1812.
4 Tavern petitions are on our web page, originals are at the Lancaster County Historical society.
5 The tavern petition of Lewis Urban, filed in 1819 but denied, mentions that Kendig had been operating a tavern for about 30 years. Urban’s petition was denied because he had no source of water on his property and John Kendig was opposed to letting him take water out of Kendig’s well.
6 The article on Conestoga Twp. from Ellis and Evans, "History of Lancaster County" is on our web page Ellis and Evans were the editors, Peter C. Hiller wrote the article on Conestoga Twp.. The article notes that John Crommel, John Kendig and John Musser all lived on land in 1780 that later was part of Conestoga Centre.
. 7 Reflections of A Country Village, A History of Conestoga 1805-1980 by Michael W. Sigman and Ronald B. Walton, 1980
9 John Kendig Sr.‘s father had died 32 years earlier so I’m assuming he was fairly aged, so its much more likely the elder John Kendig died. He left no will or intestate record which would settle the question. He is said to be buried in the German Reformed Cemetery but there is no tombstone.
10 Tavern petitions show that John Kendig had a tavern in 1834 that was a two story stone structure. I had, at first assumed this was Dr. John Kendig but he doesn’t show up for two years yet. In 1834 Hugh Mehaffey was operating a tavern and in 1836 this is identified as the tavern taken over by Dr. John Kendig so these are two distinct taverns.
11 Postal History of Lancaster County by M. Luther Heisey, Journal of the Lancaster County Historical Society, Vol. 48, No. 1, 1944.
12 Pastors and People, German Lutheran and Reformed Churches in the Pennsylvania Field, 1717-1793, by Charles H. Glatfelter, Vol. 1, Pa. German Society, Breinigsville, Pa. 1980.
13
Lancaster New Era
Monday, November 3, 1884
Conestoga Centre
The Republican parade at Conestoga Centre was an entire success, both as regards numbers and appearance of the men participating. The Conestoga Blain and Logan Club and the Conestoga Band were the main features of the parade. A large mass meeting followed the walk around at which addresses were made by Major A. C. Reinoehl, William D. Weaver and E.K. Martin. The meeting having been called to order by A. J. Zercher, the following officers were elected:
President; Jacob Bitts.
Vice-Presidents: H.H. Miller, H.H. Kurtz, S. Rohrer, Daniel Rineer, John M. Warfel, Eli Jl. Kendig, Jacob Harnish, Martin Kendig, Casper Hiller, Wm. A. Haskell, Wm. J. Rutter, Dr. I.M. Witmer, Dr. P.S. Clinger, Fred Shoff, Henry Eshleman, Christ Warfel, Samuel Crossen, Benj. Gartner, Andrew Good, J.W. Urban, B. F. Hookey, Theodore F. Patterson, Geo. Tripple, Abram Quamany, Jacob Wanner.
Secretaries: A. G. Hudson, Samuel L. Fehl, David H. Miller, H. H. Rhineer, P. C. Hiller, J Wesley Gardner, Henry Black, Joseph G. Rancon, Simon Hart, Val Kneisley, S. B. Good, John McAlister.
14 Diaries of Peter C. Hiller, Conestoga, Pennsylvania, 1875-1898
October 15, 1885, Rev. Geo. Bosley from Washington D.C., a colored man, spoke about a half hour. He gave another speech on Thursday to the Republican Club.
15
The Daily New Era,
Monday, May 31, 1886
-----------------
Conestoga Centre: The Republican League, 34 men, formed in front of their regular place of meeting, and headed by the General Reynolds Cornet Band, marched to the M.E. Church and decorated the graves of the soldiers interred there, after which they were joined by the officers, teachers and pupils of the different Sunday-schools, led by Superintendent B. F. Hookey, of the M.E. Sunday-school. The procession marched to the African M. E. Cemetery, from there to Mt. Zion and then back to the German Reformed. After planting flowers on all the soldiers graves, the crowd was dismissed. In the evening at the Reformed church, the people were addressed by Rev. Coxson of the M.E. church, Mr. H.H. Kurtz and Rev. Wroman of the Evangelican church.
16
Lancaster New Era,
Wednesday August 25, 1880
-----------------
A Colored Woods Meeting
A woods meeting, under the auspices of the Bethel A.M.E. church of Conestoga Centre, was held in John M. Warfel's grove, near the village, which was largely attended. There were only about fifty colored persons on the grounds, and about seven hundred white persons. Four sermons were preached, and several exhortations delivered. Not a single case of disturbance occurred to mar the pleasure of the worshippers.
17
Lancaster New Era
June 7th, 1880
Celebrated her Centennial
On Saturday, Mrs. Levi, colored, residing with her son, Elijah Levi, between Conestoga Centre and Safe Harbor, celebrated the 100th anniversary of her birthday. The General Reynolds band, of Conestoga Centre, honored the aged lady with a serenade. About three hundred of her neighbors called during the day and evening to pay their respects to Mrs. Levi.
18
Lancaster New Era
Monday, July 28, 1884
Death of Doc-tress Sweeney
Mrs. Sweeney, well known in this community as a colored woman who practiced medicine for many years, died at her home at Conestoga, on Sunday morning, an announcement of the sorrowful fact was made in the Bethel A.M.E. church, Strawberry street, on Sunday. The funeral will take place on tomorrow (Tuesday) morning, from the late residence of the deceased, Conestoga.
