Rupp Carriage Factory - Built Around 1875

Rupp Carriage Factory - Built Around 1875. . , During the Civil War, this property was part of the Shiremanstown Militia Drill Field., Daniel Rupp built his carriage factory here in the 'mid to late 1870's. John Baker, Rupp's blacksmith, operated the business for Rupp after Rupp moved on to other endeavors., In 1890, the business became the W. E. Howry Carriage Works, which operated for thirty years. They had a varnish shop, lumber warehouse and showroom on the grounds in the rear. There was a blacksmith shop at what is now 3 West Green Street. Carriages were offered from $65.00 to nearly $150.00 Sixty-five hour work weeks were the norm., In the 1920's, the building was purchased by the Borough of Shiremanstown, serving as borough offices, firehouse, police department, and jail. The Order of Knights of Pythias occupied the top floor as the fraternal order's lodge. Scouts, the Bible Baptist Church, and other groups met in this Borough Hall over the years. By the 1990s, it was in poor condition, and ill-suited for the Borough's needs., In 1994, local residents Jim and Carol Bogar purchased the rundown historic building and renovated it for the Bogar family law office. Renovations took 5 ½ months, finishing a few weeks before Christmas in 1994. According to Carol, "When it was over I had an emptiness and wondered what I was going to do with all my spare time."