We took a day trip to visit Hummelstown in Pennsylvania. It's a small, old town that sits between Harrisburg and Hershey, off route 322. Main street runs through the center of town and the Hummelstown square. You'll find several businesses on Main Street and the square that offer shopping and dining experiences.
While visiting we took the time to learn a little bit about the history of East Main Street. Here's some information taken from the historical markers on the Hummelstown Square. This is just "partial information" you can visit and read all of it while you're there.
Hummel Property was located at 13-15 East Main Street and was the original home of Joseph Hummel and Elizabeth Leebrich, both from Hummelstown. Joseph was the grandson of the founder Frederick Hummel. They moved into the house in 1817, just after their marriage. This property is one of the finest examples of 19th century stone architecture in Hummelstown.
Bowser Property was located at 2 East Main Street on the Square. This is the noted birthplace of Elizabeth Leebrich, wife of Joseph Hummel. It was later used as an inn, cabinet shop and has been the home of Bowser's furniture and funeral home since 1934.
Hauer's Department Store was located at 9 East Main Street and was an original one-story store was built in the late 1890's. It served as a combination home and department store for the owner and his family. Hauer's closed for business in 1972 after a long presence in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.
Sitting between that historical marker and another one is the Hummelstown water fountain. The other memorial plaque gives you some of the history on that.
From the founding days, Hummelstown's Square has been the center of business and social activities. The fountain in the center of the Square came into existence as a memorial to honor Henry Hershey and Nancy Landis Hershey. It was erected in 1910 by their son, Henry Landis Hershey.
