Dills – Eichelberger Tavern

Dills – Eichelberger Tavern. . , Dills Tavern ca 1794 , The depiction above gives you an idea of the structure a traveler in the late 1790’s encountered as he passed by or stopped at the tavern for food or rest. The road in front was laid put in 1754 and was a thoroughfare between Carlisle and York and on to Baltimore the closest port city for commerce., Matthew Dill’s land patent of 1742 encompassed 504 acres of the surrounding countryside. It is difficult for us to imagine the wilderness he encountered or the great effort it must have taken to get here when roads were mere trails. The first building on the site was probably a sturdy log house, perhaps followed by a log barn and a spring house. The earliest section of the stone house was not built until 1794 by son James after tradesmen appeared on the frontier and the family prospered. The tavern stands today, although much altered, as a testament to Dillsburg’s founding family., Eichelberger Tavern ca 1800-1819 , In 1800 the tavern was doubled in size by Leonard Eichelberger with a 2 storey (sic) addition which included a stair hall, parlour (sic) and a large bedchamber. Eichelberger had purchased the plantation from the Dill estate and continued to operate a tavern here. A distillery was built on adjoining land and much of the whiskey produced was transported to Baltimore by wagon in hogsheads (barrels) in quantities the rivaled the distillery at Mount Vernon., The tavern business died out as road improved and travelers could cover greater distances each day. After the tavern era, a mercantile business was established and lasted a number of years. Eventually the large tavern was converted into a single family residence and descended in the Welty, Coover and lastly Logan families., The Barn , Our two-century old log barn began life in the western part of Franklin Township. It was moved to this site in 2012 and re-erected. The barn was built in a very rare form of construction and helps up (sic) better interpret the farming history of the era. The barn also houses an orientation center and small gift ship., The wheelwrights shop to the rear of the site is also a reconstruction and moved here from Carroll Township. It houses a complete blacksmith and woodworking shop. Attached to this building is out distillery. Future plans call for producing whiskey in a historically correct process.