Strasburg Heritage Society

Strasburg Heritage Society The history of Strasburg, from 1729 to today.

This week in SWN - The August 12, 1983 provided answers to two Strasburg "mysteries": 1) What happened to the fountain t...
08/16/2026

This week in SWN - The August 12, 1983 provided answers to two Strasburg "mysteries": 1) What happened to the fountain that sat in Center Square from 1900 to 1922, after it was removed? and 2) What became of the 1912 "Carroll Car" built by Carroll and Chester Aument of Strasburg? Read this newspaper clipping to find out!

Here's a little background, in case these topics are new to you...

In 1900, the Women's Christian Temperance Union gifted a fountain to Strasburg, to provide clean drinking water for "man and beast." It was made of cast iron, and sat right in the middle of the intersection of Main and Decatur Streets. Trolley tracks that ran down Main Street had to curved around the fountain. The fountain had an elevated basin for horses, and a small bowl at ground level for dogs & other small creatures. A cup hung from a spigot above a small basin for people. The fountain was one fo the first sources of running water in Strasburg. It became a local landmark, but was finally removed after being damaged in a collision in 1922.

Brothers Carroll and Chester Aument grew up at 54 W Main, and as young men, opened a garage in an old building or the corner of West Main and Fulton St. Carroll was trained as an engineer, and together, the brothers designed and built a car in 1912. Their hopes to manufacture it never materialized. They sold cars of other brands (Marion and Saxon cars, Republic trucks), and did automotive repairs at their shop. Around 1915, Carroll pursued other carreer opportunities. Chester continued with the repair shop until 1917, when he sold the business to David Batterman. John McCord then bought the business in 1919. B. Lloyd Yunginger purchased the property in 1941, and replaced the old building with the one that is now Synergy Service Center.

The Strasburg Holiday Home Tour is in Jeopardy!Homeowners – we need your help! Early each December, the Strasburg Herita...
08/11/2026

The Strasburg Holiday Home Tour is in Jeopardy!

Homeowners – we need your help! Early each December, the Strasburg Heritage Society presents the much-loved Holiday Home Tour. Gracious homeowners open their houses so that the public can appreciate the Holiday cheer of their decorated homes. Proceeds from tickets for this event go to the Society, making it our main fundraiser.

The Home Tour funds many of the Society’s activities throughout the year, and is critical to our continued operation. But it only works if we have enough homes to present. We need at least seven homes, but this year, despite months of hard work, we have only three committed homes. If we can’t add at least four more homes to the lineup by the end of August, we will have to cancel the tour this year.

The tour is scheduled for Saturday, December 5, with homes open from 10 AM to 4 PM. We only ask that you open your first floor to visitors (although you are welcome to show more). Your house does not need to be large or historic; people love to visit homes like their own, to pick up ideas for their own decorating. You don’t need to go overboard with special decorations. Whatever you normally do at this time of year is all that is expected. We understand that opening your home can seem like a big undertaking, but nearly all of the homeowners who have participated in the past have told us that they had a wonderful the experience. Visitors are so friendly and appreciative of those who open their homes, and we have never had a problem with any of them.

If you might be interested or have questions, please send us an email at [email protected]. Know that by contacting us, you are not committing to anything. Although we are in great need, we never pressure anyone to join in. We would just like a chance to talk to you and answer all of your questions. Then you can decide whether you want to be part of this fun and worthwhile event. And thank you for supporting the Strasburg Heritage Society!

This week in SWN - The 1948 edition mentions a scene that's that doesn't often come up in stories from Strasburg's past....
08/09/2026

This week in SWN - The 1948 edition mentions a scene that's that doesn't often come up in stories from Strasburg's past. Set three years after the end of World War 2, this news item has an element of early "American Graffiti" feel, with hot rodders (?) hanging out at Center Square and racing on Miller Street.

Chipper day was a great success! Many thanks to the 8 volunteers who showed up today to eliminate the pile of branches t...
08/09/2026

Chipper day was a great success! Many thanks to the 8 volunteers who showed up today to eliminate the pile of branches that had accumulated over years on grounds behind the Shroy House (122 S. Decatur St)! It was hot and humid and the work was strenuous, but everyone was amazingly industrious! The chips made a nice mulch under the big holly tree. We finished just in time to escape a thunderstorm, and returned the chipper early, earning a $70 refund on the rental cost. Check out the before and after photos.

An extra shout-out goes to the volunteers who showed up for many prior work days this summer. Among other jobs, they cut down a crazy mess of growth in and around the existing branch pile, and also pruned trees and shrubs around the property. They did a huge amount of up-front work to make today's chipper event as productive as possible.

Help lead Strasburg Heritage Society into the future!If you check in regularly with the Strasburg Heritage Society, you ...
08/05/2026

Help lead Strasburg Heritage Society into the future!

If you check in regularly with the Strasburg Heritage Society, you probably share our values. We’re guided by the four pillars of the Society’s mission: Preservation, Education, Appreciation, and Restoration (P.E.A.R. – hence the logo!). To reinforce our relevance in the 21st century, we also recognize that Strasburg’s wonderful historical inheritance can be a framework for unifying and strengthening our community.

For people who live in a historic place, familiar surroundings come alive when their history is revealed - the events, characters, lifestyles, values, culture, conflicts, and lessons. By presenting Strasburg’s history, we invite today’s residents to care for their home town and to add their personal stories to Strasburg’s narrative. Bonds of community form as neighbors understand that they share a special place and a common heritage. Strasburg Heritage Society helps to make this a reality!

The Society’s status as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit requires us to have a board of trustees in place to guide the organization. Our board consists of 11 members who ensure that we’re faithful to our mission. They also look after our finances, assets, and legal responsibilities. Our board currently has multiple openings. We’re looking to renew the board with talented people who can lead us into the future. We especially need people with abilities in secretarial work, fundraising, communication (social media), building maintenance and restoration, and board governance.

If you want to help us, you can have a look at volunteer position postings here: https://strasburgheritagesociety.org/board-of-trustees (scroll to the bottom). If your abilities don’t exactly align with the postings, you can still tell us about yourself by filling out an application here: https://forms.gle/yCi9Ytis3VRxShog8. Strasburg Heritage Society’s future depends on people like you!

This week in SWN - This weekend's post comes from the July 31, 1998 edition. It's a story about Harry Zug, on his retire...
08/02/2026

This week in SWN - This weekend's post comes from the July 31, 1998 edition. It's a story about Harry Zug, on his retirement after 56 years of operating a dry cleaning business. The business was in the little space at 11 East Main St, attached to the east end of Massasoit Hall. "Zuggie" passed away in December 2001 at age 93.

I came to Strasburg too late to know Harry Zug or his business, but I enjoyed reading his story. It shows how people who live or work in Strasburg become part of the fabric of this place. His story helps to remind us that we are all part of this community. Our personal stories add to those that have been unfolding for hundreds of years. Strasburg Heritage Society strives to reinforce our community bonds by telling these stories.

Address

P O Box 81
Strasburg, PA
17579

Telephone

717-687-3534

Website

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