Birth of a New County!

Birth of a New County!. Perry County Bicentennial.

1812-1814: War of 18 12, Oliver Hazard Perry, Naval Hero. , 1820: Perry County established. , 1827: County government moved to New Bloomfield

, With a history of topographical, economic and political differences, Perry County separated from Cumberland in 1820. Landisburg, already established as a small commercial center, became the first county seat. The town rapidly expanded to house the county offices and provide other necessary services such as printing and surveying. In addition, both county and Carlisle men of means purchased town lots and some constructed houses in an anticipation of Landisburg's future growth. , , By the early 1800s, agricultural and commercial prosperity had evolved to such an extent that residents built substantial stone and brick houses, barns, mills and taverns, displaying popular architectural styles., Entrepreneur John Waggoner (1762-1834) built a large grist mill at Bridgeport. A saw mill, clover mill and distillery also operated at this location. The mill was a key destination in the development of the road to Carlisle via Waggoners Gap for the shipment of wheat, flour and whiskey to Baltimore. , ,br> Baltzer Lesh built a large Sweitzer-style barn in Juniata Township just west of Wila in 1815, elevated years after he migrated from Berks County. While continuing to clear land, farmers traded or bartered their excess produce with local mill or store owners., A three-bay, two-story stone building known as the "Stone Castle" or "Blue Ball Hotel" was constructed soon after Solomon Sheibley laid out New Germantown at the western end of the county in 1820. Daniel Kautz kept the inn during that decade. The building has two front doors, one opening into the tavern/hotel area, the other into the residence., [Captions:] , Masthead from the Perry Forester, the county's first newspaper, printed in Landisburg from 1820 to 1828., A ca. 1890 view of the north and east elevations of Waggoner Mill., A 2019 view of the Balter Lesh barn, owned by Glenn S. and Bethany Martin in 2020., Samuel A. Anderson house and tavern. This entrance was into the first Prothonotory's Office. The Bank of Landisburg opened here in 1903., The "Stone Castle".