History of Taylor Township

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1775 - First recorded history of persons residing in what is now known as

Taylor Township. Those residents were Jacob Neff, brothers Martin and

Jacob Houser, Christian Hoover and most likely a few others.

1810 - Naming of Blooming Grove, which was later named East Sharpsburg

which was named for the large amount of wild Plum and Crab trees

blooming in the spring.

1828 - Upper Maria Forge was built just south of McKee’s Gap.

1830 - Middle Marie Forge was built.

1830 - A Stone schoolhouse was built known as “Dick Schoolhouse” and is still

standing just south of Roaring Spring at the intersection of Bloomfield

Road and Dick Schoolhouse Road. Presently this property is owned by

The Blair County Historical Society.

1832 - Lower Maria Forge was built.

1840 - Start of ore washer in Ore Hill with water being pumped from the

Steam Pump Dam on Halter Creek.

1845 - Ore Hill was founded.

1848 - Name of Blooming Grove changed to East Sharpsburg. During the Civil

War, East Sharpsburg was known to have had two wagon shops, two

blacksmith shops, a hotel, general store, shoemaker shop, tailor shop,

undertaker and a woolen mill.

- Saint Johns Reform Church was organized in East Sharpsburg.

- Tollgate was established in East Sharpsburg on the road from Roaring

Spring to Martinsburg (now known as State Route 164).

1855 - Taylor Township was formed.

1856 - First Tax Assessment of Taylor Township.

1860 - Maria Forges were closed.

1862 - Rodman Furnace was erected where the middle Maria Forge was located.

1867/

1877 - Scratchtown, located south of Roaring Spring along Bloomfield Road,

was named as a result of a fight between two boys who had severely

scratched one another. In 1877 Scratchtown consisted of four dwellings.

1868 - The “Dick Schoolhouse” was abandoned and The “Walters School” was

erected near Scratchtown.

1873 - The Pennsylvania Railroad built a spur into Ore Hill.

1873 - Lower Maria Furnace ceased operation.

1878 - Ore Hill Post Office was established.

1884 - A railroad arch was built and the trestle was filled in on Papermill Road,

which is still standing and in use.

1885 - Rodman Furnaces were blown out for the last time; were dismantled a

few years later.

1887 - Roaring Spring became a borough and was removed from Taylor

Township jurisdiction.

- Store opened in Ore Hill.

1890 - The second “Walters School” was erected which lead to abandoning

the original “Walters School” built in 1868.

1896 - Ore washers in Ore Hill closed.

1898 - A large United States Flag was suspended on wire between the mountain

peaks in McKee’s Gap.

1921 - The “Dick Schoolhouse” became property of The Blair County

Historical Society.

1930 - New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co., Inc. purchased their present quarry

located where the Maria Furnaces and Rodman Furnaces once operated.

The new owner remodeled the business with the hope of producing 400

tons of limestone a day. The quarry was initially dug by crews of the

two previous owners.

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