About the Cover
The land, on which the village of Greencastle would be settled, was part of a land grant “first owned by Samuel Smith,” who received a warrant in 1750 from the Penn proprietors. Thirteen years later, in 1763, William Allison, Sr. purchased the land from John Davidson. “No one knows when the tavern was built, but it did exist” when William purchased the land in 1763. In 1769, William “transferred 300 acres” to his son Col. John Allison, founder of Greencastle in 1782 – 240 years ago. It was here that John Allison brought his bride Elizabeth Wilkin and it is where they raised 12 children.
Many of today’s major highways are attributable to migrating buffalo and Native Americans who hunted buffalo. When the white men arrived, they used the trails for exploring, trading, and settling. Along those trails, taverns were built by very early settlers to accommodate newcomers traveling the pack trails. The taverns were a respite – a place for the travelers to eat, sleep, and board their horses before getting back on the trail.
Today, we know the intersection of the two 1700’s pack trails as Greencastle’s Center Square.
At that 1700’s intersection was a tavern on the southwest corner, which became known as Allison’s Tavern. The roads are U.S. Route 11, that runs the length of the Cumberland Valley from the Susquehanna River to the Potomac River. It was the road to Carlisle and is so named today within the borough. The east/west pack trail was known then as the Baltimore Road, now PA Route 16, and Baltimore Street within the borough.
Through the succeeding centuries, there was always a hostelry on the lot of Allison’s Tavern until 1923 when the National Hotel closed, due to the effects of Prohibition, which began in 1920. The old National Hotel building is now used for apartments and business establishments.
Information
The Old Home Week Badge shows your support of the Greencastle-Antrim Old Home Week Association and its events listed in the program. We “Thank you,” for your support. The Badge and Official Program are available at Headquarters, some events, and at various business places in the Greencastle-Antrim community. The cost of a Badge and Program is a $6.00 donation. The only way the Old Home Week Association can maintain a current mailing list for their records is through registration. We look forward to seeing you at the Old Home Week Headquarters located in Growing With Music (old Conn Building) on Center Square.
Headquarters phone number 223-205-8769.
This phone will be active until August 31, 2022.
The hours for the Headquarters Office for 2022 Old Home Week:
Friday, August 5, 2022: 12:00 to 9:00 pm
Saturday, August 6, 2022: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Sunday, August 7, 2022: 12:00 Noon to 11:30 pm
Monday, August 8, 2022: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Tuesday, August 9, 2022: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Wednesday, August 10, 2022: 9:00 am to 9:00 pm
Thursday, August 11, 2022: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm; Reopen 8 pm to 10:00 pm
Friday, August 12, 2022: 9:00 am to 8:00 pm
Saturday, August 13, 2022: 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Sunday, August 14, 2022: Closed until Old Home Week 2025. See you then!
Old Home Week T-shirts ($18), Golf Shirts-Adults ($30), Children’s Unisex Golf Shirts ($25), Hats ($18), Visors ($12), and Tumblers ($25) will be available for purchase at Old Home Week Headquarters.
The OHW Headquarters is also a Lost and Found Department.
The official Old Home Week photograph will be taken on Wednesday, August 10th at 11:30 am (rain or shine) on the square. Copies of the picture ($25.00 each) may be ordered at the event.
The annual meeting of the Board of Directors of the Greencastle-Antrim Old Home Week Association, Inc. will be held Friday, August 12 at 11:00 am, at the Rescue Hose Company Multipurpose Room, located in the Fire Station at 842 South Washington Street. Committee reports of the 41st Triennial Old Home Week will be presented and Officers for the 2025 42nd Triennial will be announced. This meeting is open to the public and everyone is invited to attend.
Greencastle-Antrim area Boy Scout Troops, Scouts BSA Troops, Venture Crews, Girl Scout Troop 80161, and Cub Scout Packs will be providing food and drink concessions on the Square and at selected Old Home Week events throughout the week. Troop 99 will be operating the food stand on the Square with daily hours. Please check the Official Old Home Week event listing for hours and special menus for the week. We “thank them for their service.”
Portable restroom facilities (including one handicap) will be located on the Truist Bank parking lot just off the Square. One handicap portable restroom will be on the parking lot of the Greencastle Church of the Brethren, 36 S Carlisle Street. Restroom facilities will also be available for the “parade formation” courtesy of Blue Heron Events, 407 S. Washington
Street.
