MIDDLEBURG -- Two Snyder County landmarks will be put up for sale at noon Saturday.
Snyder County's first jail, at 113 W. Market St., was the first official building of the county. It was built in 1855-56 of heavy mountain stone and brick walls. The rear was the jail part and contained four cells, two downstairs and two upstairs. The front was built of brick, six deep, and housed the sheriff and his family.
This 154-year-old building housed the only two people ever hanged in Snyder County. David Reichley, of Penns Creek, was sheriff at the time. The structure was used from 1855 until 1886, when so many prisoners escaped that the people of the county demanded a new building.
The structure then became the property of private individuals and passed from person to person, including Mary Peters, who owned the property until her death. She gathered together much of the lore and history concerning her property and often made trips to the third floor to show visitors the early wooden construction.
The floors were constructed of heavy logs and the ceiling was made of heavy timber, 12-by-12 inches. The brick walls are 18 inches to two feet thick. On the second floor, there is a hole whittled where three prisoners escaped the night before a trial.
According to Mrs. Peters, the men escaped to the third floor from their second-floor cells through the hole. The third-floor windows were not barred, so they used bed sheets to swing over to the adjoining church building, where they dropped to the ground and escaped.
The second landmark up for sale is the former Middleburg Bakery Co., which was in the large brick building behind the Brethren Church, 4 S. Charles St. Long ago, the bakery had a fine reputation for its high-class baked goods. It had the capacity to bake 175 to 200 loaves of bread a day and had a wagon that visited nearby towns. In addition to bread, the employees baked cookies and pretzels, and during the winter months, candy and popcorn balls were manufactured. As a sideline the company sold crackers and peanuts.
This building was owned by the late Fae Peters, and it is said that the original bread ovens are still in the basement. The rest of the building has been made into apartments.
For information about the sales or for private showings, call 837-1155.
n Jane Kessler is a life member of the Snyder County Historical Society, 30 E. Market St., Middleburg. The library is available for research from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays and 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays. For information, call 837-6191 or visit schs@snydercounty.org. "Once Upon A Time In ...." is a Monday feature provided by the historical societies in Union, Montour, Northumberland and Snyder counties. The columns focus on people, places and objects of historical significance.
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