Americana personified.
Strasburg was voted one of the ten most historic and picturesque towns in America. It was developed along the Conestoga Road, the first road in the frontier of Lancaster County.
By 1800, it was second only to Lancaster in wealth and population. Strasburg had many taverns for travelers and immigrants with craftsmen such as blacksmiths, carriage makers, tanners, and shop keepers. Today, you can drive Main Street and admire the colonial log, brick, and stone houses that have been beautifully restored.
The Shroy House, located at 122 S. Decatur St., was built c1793. Brickmaker John Hinds is the first known resident, having purchased it from John and Anna Funck in 1794. After changing hands several times, In 1869, the house was sold to Samuel Shroy. His son John Lincoln Shroy became a prominent Philadelphia educator and published poet. The house remained in the Shroy family until It was purchased by the Heritage Society in 1977. It served as Strasburg’s public library from 1977-84. The Society plans to restore the house as a history museum.
The Glass House. Built in 1878, this building remained in the Shroy family until it was sold to the Glass family in 1987. It was purchased by the Strasburg Heritage Society in 2004. This house at 124 S. Decatur St. is currently a residential rental property which provides a revenue stream for the Society.
The Methodist Meeting House, built in 1807, was the first church to be built in Strasburg. It later served as “Temperance Hall,” home to the Independent Order of Good Templars (IOGT). Later uses were as a place of worship, a meeting place for the Civil War veterans Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), and a YMCA. In 1922, it was converted to two apartment dwellings (126 and 128 S. Decatur St.). It was purchased by the Strasburg Heritage Society in 2005 and remains a rental today, providing revenue for the Society.