Welcome to Spring Grove Area Historical Preservation Society


We resolve to provide a historical legacy for this and future generations of Spring Grove Area residents.

Watch our Presentation from September 17, 2024

Funeral Traditions in Spring Grove, PA

Check our our 2023 Annual Report

Learn more about what we do, who we serve, and our goals.

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Did you know?

In 1984, the Spring Grove Historical District was created.  This registration was concurrent with the 100th Anniversary of the Borough.  The nomination packet is viewable by clicking the button below.  To find out more about NPS's National Registry, click here

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America's 250th Birthday is quickly approaching!

Click here for a video from America250.org

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About SGAHPS

The Spring Grove Area Historical Preservation Society was founded in 1986, inspired by the Borough of Spring Grove’s 100th Anniversary Celebration a few years earlier. The late Mayor Richard Thieret invited several people involved in that observance to reunite. The purpose of that meeting was to discuss the feasibility of organizing a local historical society. Eleven people attended that meeting. Mayor Thieret presided over the meeting and Sandra Sterner acted as recording secretary. That was on May 19, 1986.

At a second meeting on June 17, Mayor Thieret appointed nominating, membership and by-laws committees. Two subsequent meetings were held involving more discussion and planning. The new historical society was incorporated on March 31, 1987. Harry P. Schrum, who was the Spring Grove Borough Secretary at the time, became our organization’s first president. There were 183 charter memberships: 48 Life; 59 Family; 67 Individual; and 9 Patron.

Donations of artifacts grew at a steady rate. First, donated artifacts were stored in a cabinet at the Spring Grove Borough building. Display cases were built by several volunteers in 1992, and placed at Glatfelter Memorial Library. An artifacts room was eventually opened in 1997 at the Spring Grove Area School District Educational Service Center. The artifacts were moved again in 2000 to the Spring Grove Area Community Center. This building was sold in December 2020. As a result of this sale, we moved our office to 100 Glenview Road in Spring Grove and our collection to storage. Here, our collection is limited by space and rotated to highlight different artifacts. We are particularly proud that our extensive collection has well over 10,000 artifacts included in it. In addition, we have a unique collection of local photographs. Our success is attributed to the interest and generosity of the community since 1986.

Our future looks bright. We have hired a full time Executive Director, whose mission is to help secure the Society a permanent home for our collections and a research archives.  As always, we look forward to continue our mission of providing a historical legacy for this and future generations of the Spring Grove area residents.  Through increased community participation and collaborations with other organizations, we work to become a strong community partner.  

Our History

Some of the memorable events in the last 275 years (but not all, look for more entries to be added often).

King Charles II granted the Penn Family land west and south of New Jersey to form the Colony of Pennsylvania

1681

Paradise Township laid out by Joseph Pidgeon, a surveyor for the Penn Family (Spring Grove was initially part of Paradise Township)

1747

York County established from Lancaster County.

1749

P. Dicks built the first iron bloomery west of the Susquehanna, in the present limits of Spring Grove

1755

Dicks bloomery becomes known as "Spring Forge"

1770

Revolutionary War

1775 - 1783

Spring Forge owned by D. Shireman, wagon loads of iron bar were sent to aid the Colonial Army

1778

T. Coleman sells to J. Hauer and he changes the business from iron forge to paper mill. 

1851 - 1863

Jackson Twp incorporated

1858

American Civil War

1861-1865

St. Paul Lutheran Church built

1880

Spring Grove Borough incorporated

1882

Electric Lights on Main Street

1896

The Ripplet became a widely published family newspaper journal. 

1897

Spring Grove Public School building built 

1898

The 1st National Bank of Spring Grove organized

1902

Telephone lines and sewers installed

1902

P.H. Glatfelter dies.

1907

First Ordinance regulating automobile speed on Main Street.

1907

Post Office officially changed from Spring Forge to Spring Grove 

1911

First House numbering system put into place.

1915

First World War

1914-1918

First "Barker" published

March 1920

Fire Department purchases a fire truck for $4,500

1922

Cemetery Street renamed Constitution Avenue for 150th anniversary of the Constitution of the US

1938

World War 2

1939-1945

Korean War

1950-1953

Spring Grove Joint High School built on Hanover Road. (now middle school)

1953

Vietnam Conflict

1964-1975

Annexed the Spring Forge Tract to increase the Borough to current size.

1966

Cable TV franchise granted.

1971

Thank you to PHMC  

Our collection management software has been provided by a grant from the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission. 

Thank you for our best GLY ever! 
$8148 collected!
Thank you to the Give Local York Stretch Pool!

Click Here to see our generous donors!

Thank You to the Cultural Alliance of York for our GLY Arts Match Stretch Pool!

Check out York County History Centers new interactive map of the History Connections in York County!

Click Here

2.7.23 Press Release - Hoke House

The Spring Grove Area Historical Preservation Society and its Board of Directors respectfully ask that the demolition of the Hoke House be reconsidered and that other options including preservation, removal to another location or incorporation into Rutters new planned construction for the site be explored. If preservation is not an option, we would then like to be included in any discussions concerning further documenting and artifact gathering of the structure and grounds. It is well documented that this property belongs on the National Registry of Historic Places. During its lifetime, The Hoke House has stood as a silent witness to progress over the last 275 years and to lose this building would be a loss to the community.

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Address

100 Glenview Road
Spring Grove, PA 17362, US

About us

Spring Grove Area Historical Preservation Society is a 501(c)3, nonprofit, charitable organization located in Spring Grove, Pennsylvania. All donations stay within the organization to create a historical legacy for this and future generations of Spring Grove area residents. Donations may be tax deductible, check with your financial advisor.

Spring Grove Area Historical Preservation Society does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.

Member of the AAM, AALSH, and PA Museums.

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