Author: Kathy Maxwell

Dawn at Laughlin Mill
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Dawn at Laughlin Mill

Newville, Pennsylvania, Series

After the death of her father, John, in 1758, Mary Atcheson Laughlin inherited a mill on the Big Spring in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. By terms of her will dated December 26, 1815, she left one half of the tract of land and the grist mill inherited from her father to her son, James Laughlin. The mill belonged to the Laughlin family for four generations. In 1896, John Laughlin’s heirs sold the mill and the nearby Cool Spring to the company which was building Newville’s public water system. The system’s pumps were housed in the mill, and Cool Spring was used as the water source.

—Brief history courtesy of the Newville Historical Society

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Heishman's Mill
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Heishman’s Mill

Newville, Pennsylvania, Series

Built in the early 1800’s by Francis Diller, the mill which we now know as Heishman’s Mill is located north of West Hill on Creek Road in West Pennsboro township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. By 1858 it is shown on a county map as Diller & Greider, G. S. & Plaster Mill. During its lifetime the mill has been known as Diller’s, Greider’s or Crider’s, Keiter’s and was lastly named for Benjamin Heishman who purchased it in 1920. When the Greiders owned the mill it was a favorite haunt of Wilhelm Schimmel, the itinerant German wood carver of the Cumberland Valley.

Since 1969 Heishman’s Mill has been owned by William Foshag, a retired engineer from Washington D. C., who has devoted his efforts to researching, restoring, and preserving the mill. According to Mr. Foshag this is the last complete grist mill between the Susquehanna and Potomac Rivers in the Cumberland and Great Valleys. What this means is that all of its machinery, hydraulic structure, dams and mill pond are intact. As a project to reintroduce shad to the Conodoguinet Creek is being implemented, other dams are being torn down or altered by the addition of fish ladders. Mr. Foshag has lobbied and won approval to construct a fish channel around the dam. Thanks to his fundraising success, this historic mill and dam will remain intact as a reminder of its past role in the history of the Cumberland Valley.

— brief history courtesy of the Newville Historical Society

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Rhoades Farm
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Rhoades Farm near Doubling Gap

Newville, Pennsylvania, Series

North of Newville, Pennsylvania, along Center Road lies the Rhoades Farm. From this vantage point the North Mountain resembles an elephant slumbering in the landscape. The gap between the mountains, known as Doubling Gap, was given this name by the early settlers because its route through the mountains doubles back on itself. It was near Doubling Gap that “Lewis the Robber”, who terrorized central Pennsylvania in the early 1800’s, lived in a mountain cave. Later in the 1800’s and into the beginning of the 1900’s the White Sulfur Springs Hotel at Doubling Gap attracted tourists who came to partake of its healing waters.

—Brief history courtesy of the Newville Historical Society

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Tollgate Bridge (Newville, PA)
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Tollgate Bridge (Newville, PA)

Newville, Pennsylvania, Series

Tollgate Bridge was an integral part of the Big Spring Turnpike from Newville to Stoughstown which was the route for transporting products of the farms and mills along the Big Spring to market. To get their products to the railroad in Newville, the millers and farmers would have had to cross this bridge. It is estimated that 17,000 tons of goods and materials passed over this road yearly. This would have meant that an average of 55 loaded wagons went up and down the road every day.

The Tollgate Bridge was completed in August of 1872 and has remained in service since that time. When President Ulysses Grant brought his friends to Newville to fish, they would have crossed this bridge to get to their fishing spot. When the flour produced for Queen Victoria by the Manning Mill was shipped to her it was transported over this bridge to the freight station. Tollgate Bridge has been a favorite of photographers and painters since its construction.

—Brief history courtesy of the Newville Historical Society

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The Newville-Carlisle Trolley
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The Newville-Carlisle Trolley

Newville, Pennsylvania, Series

With the advent of cheap hydro-electric power in the late 1800’s trolleys, which were powered by electricity, could offer lower fares than the railroads. Short trips by this method of travel became popular in the Cumberland Valley.

In November of 1910 the Cumberland Railway began trolley service between Newville and Carlisle. The cars left both towns every hour on the hour between 6 a.m. and midnight. Each trolley carried a motorman and a conductor whose duties included taking care of packages, firing the stove in winter and collecting fares. From Newville the fare was 5 cents to Goodyear, 10 cents to Plainfield, 15 cents to Meadowbrook and 20 cents to Carlisle.

The trolley came into Newville on Main Street and continued to West Street, then south on West Street between the fountain and Parsonage Street, and finally to Big Spring Avenue. At the western end of Big Spring Avenue it was turned and retraced its route through town and back to Carlisle.

Because this line was a late comer to the scene, and automobiles were becoming popular, it failed to attract sufficient riders to keep the line profitable. Even the trolley park east of Newville with its picnic grounds, see-saws, swings and dance pavilion could not forestall the inevitable and the last trolley ran in 1918. The tracks were removed in 1920.

—Brief history courtesy of the Newville Historical Society

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Bluebells at Linwood (Newville, PA)
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Bluebells at Linnwood (Newville, PA)

House Portraits, Newville, Pennsylvania, Series

In 1852 the Reverend Mr. Robert McCachran erected a four story brick building just east of Newville, Pennsylvania along the Big Spring and there established Linnwood Academy. He was assisted by Professor William Linn, who later succeeded him as headmaster. The academy was a classical school for boys which was later opened to girls.

During the Civil War the Confederates who came into Newville searching for supplies used the shady grounds to stake out and graze their horses.

In the early 1900’s Dr. And Mrs. George Hursh remodeled the house inside and added the sun porch on the west. Since then Linnwood has been used only as a residence.

Mute evidences of the past are the initials carved into the floors of the third floor rooms which appear to have been used as dormitories. The initials S.P.K., Dec. 25, 1873 are scratched on a windowpane in the living room, and the name W.B. Denning and some less legible names are scratched on a windowpane in the kitchen.

Old Newville newspapers record that a favorite pastime of the young folks of the community before 1900 was picking violets on Linnwood’s lawns. Parties were organized for just that purpose.

Some of the forest trees left standing when Linnwood was built are still there and many new ones have been planted. After Guy and Betty McElwain purchased the property Guy planted three bluebell plants which in more than forty years have spread throughout the front lawn.

—Brief history courtesy of the Newville Historical Society

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