414 East Main Street

An Early 18^th Century Farmhouse, beautifully restored

Renovated by its current owners in the early 1980s, this early 18^th century limestone home originally served as a farmhouse.  The barn, located to the rear, housed the Annville Frozen Food Service in the 1970s and 80s and now provides office space for a private business. 

The front entrance of the home opens into the living room, which has an exposed beam ceiling, wide window sills, and original wide-board flooring.

According to the informal history of the area, George Washington stopped here when the building was a tavern.  The tradition lives on in a paper entitled “Landmarks of Annville” by Miss Anna Kreider, who was born at 244 East Main Street and lived there for more than 90 ninety years.  In 1962, when she almost 90, “Miss Anna” wrote this paper for a meeting of the “Home Study Circle” held at the home of Mrs. Alfred K. Mills (444 East Main Street).  On page 14, Miss Anna reports the following about 414 East Main Street:

“A landmark of Annville that may have historical significance, if my girlhood information is correct, is the limestone house on the southwest corner of East Main and Bachman Road. This building was a tavern where George Washington was reported to have stopped on his way west after spending the night at the Ulrich Mansion in Myerstown.

Although the exterior appearance of the house is changed, the third floor is still divided into sleeping quarters as in early days.

The water trough and pump which were located there at one time were signals for the weary traveler who passed by.”

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