Hummelstown

Hummelstown was laid out in 1762 on the same tract originally patented by Robert Chambers in 1744 and deeded to Frederick and Rosina Hummel. At the same time, it was called Frederickstown. Hummel's original draft of Frederickstown shows the center Square and a street pattern laid out nearly exactly as it is today., The earliest building from this time period is shown at the bottom left. It was a log house, built in 1767, originally located on the property at the northwest corner of the Square and later moved to a site along Swatara Creek. It was destroyed by the Hurricane Agnes flood in 1972., Another log structure, shown at bottom right, originally located at 120 East Main Street, was dismantled in 1970. The site is currently a parking lot for Smith's Tire Store at 118 East Main Street., The map depicts the development of Hummelstown c. 1762-1815. The key numbers refer to former and some existing properties., By the time of the Revolution, the town had become known as Hummel's Town., A journal account written in 1794 by a French traveler, Theophile Cazenove, on the way from Lebanon to Harrisburg describes "Homelstown": "...It is a village on the highway. There are about 50 little houses of logs and mortar yet with little English windows, inhabited by workmen who work for the farmers around. A large retail store and four tavern keepers. However, the lots or building ground, 60 feet front by 200 feet deep are all bought by the inhabitants and are worth from 20 to 40 pounds, or 50 to 100 dollars....", An earlier account, c. 1787 by Alexander Graydon, described Hummelstown as "...containing about 35 houses and one German Church of wood...."