New Year's Eve Celebration

SHARE OUR LAST EVENT OF THE 270TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE VILLAGE OF LISBURN
COME WATCH LISBURN DROP ITS BREECHES!!
YELLOW BREECHES!!
NEW YEAR’S EVE FAMILY FUN!!
SOMETHING FOR ALL AGES!!

➢ 6:45 - Celebration Service at the Church of God, 1621 Main Street, with Entertainment. Donations for the Food Bank will be collected.
➢ 8:00 – The Fun continues at the Lisburn Community Fire Company Social Hall. Snacks will be provided with additional food and drinks for purchase cooked by the Lisburn Community Fire Company.
➢ Quilt will be presented to High Bidder!!
➢ See some displays from this year-long event including a video of the Very First Parade in Lisburn!
➢ Entertainment provided by Ellen’s DJ & Party Services
DJ Music
Line Dancing
Party Dances
Couple Dances
Games for Children & Adults
Fun for all ages!
➢ 12:00 Midnight – New Year’s Eve Drop with a Special Emcee doing the Countdown!! (Yellow Britches!! Opps, we mean Breeches!)
➢ Celebration ends at 1:00 am, January 1, 2010!
Donations at the Door!
For more information pleaseemail LisburnVillage270@Comcast.net or visit our website, www.Villageoflisburn.us. Please help support us in raising money to have our new history book printed!

Lisburn Founder's Day Celebration-Hillbilly Style

Welp, Weze all gearin up for dat dare Founders Day here in Lisburn. We dun got all kinds a people rount here pitchin in. We gonna be startin' our cel-E-bratin with a native story teller bout 11:00. And dat dare Lisburn Community fire comp'nee gonna be servin' up chicken dinners an' some dogs and burgers.

Then weze gonna whup it up good with a good ole fashioned Parade down our Main Street. Weze even got us one of dem dare high falutin' politicians gonna be our grand Marshall. And taint never seen such big horses as dem dare Percherons a pullin a big ole stage coach. Dares also gonna be some of dem dare fancy corvettes a sportin' arount. And we can’t be a forgettin' all the local good ole boys is a bringin out their tractors. Now we dun got two areas for dem, biggins and littl’l uns. Weze gonna let the big boys go forin us, cause usuns on our yard tractors may not be able to keep fetched up to em. Anyways, weze a hopin' most of da town joins in.

When weze get back agin to dem dare fire grounds, weze gonna have us a dilly of a time with all kinda goins ons. Dem countree girls is havin' a bakin' contest, alls ya gotta do is bake up some dessert vittles an five of us here boys will be a judging whichins is the best.

Then dem girls ul be a judging dem local boys beards for thickest, longest, and most critters(dead or alive). Couple a years back dat dare Homer Clavis was a tryin to pass off some of dem dare plastic ones as a realin. But they dun caught on to him when they dun found themselves a two legged blue spider. We dun knowed it taint real! Specially when Cletis wouldn’t eat it.

Dares also gonna be a big ole display of historical things relatin' to Lisburn. Den weze got us a big ole surprise fer ya. For the mere price of a quarter of a dollar, that’s $.25 to mees an yous, weze gonna let ya sneak a peek at what were a droppin' on New Years.

Anyways weze all ahopin ya’lls gonna come on out an join usins for a big ole day of fun an good ole times.

Thanks, Steve! Come and join the fun on October 3, 2009. Things get going at 11am - parade at 1pm! Hope to see you there!

Come to the Founder's Day Celebration

OCTOBER 3, 2009 FROM 11:00 - ??

LISBURN VILLAGE CONTINUES ITS 270th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION!!!

COME WATCH LISBURN’S PARADE WITH
GRAND MARSHALL SENATOR PAT VANCE.
THEN STAY FOR OUR FOUNDERS DAY FUN!


1:00 PARADE – BEGINS AT MCCORMICK DRIVE AND ENDS AT LISBURN COMMUNITY FIRE COMPANY FESTIVAL GROUNDS, 1800 MAIN STREET.
Parking will be via Brenda Avenue in the Festival Grounds Parking Lot.
Bring a lawn chair and line Brenda Avenue and Main Street to watch!

LISBURN HISTORY, LARGE PICTORIAL DISPLAY, SPEECHES, GAMES, CONTESTS, GOOD EATS, TRACTORS, FIRE COMPANY APPARATUS, LISBURN VILLAGE ITEMS FOR SALE, AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!!

CONTESTS:
o OLD-FASHIONED BAKING CONTEST (ANYTHING GOES!)
o BEARD & MUSTACHE CONTEST
o COLONIAL PERIOD COSTUME CONTEST

FOOD:
o BBQ CHICKEN, BURGERS, HOT DOGS, HOT SAUSAGE MADE BY LISBURN COMMUNITY FIRE COMPANY
o LOTS MORE EATS & DRINKS!
o OLD FASHIONED CAKE WALK!

For more information please email LisburnVillage270@Comcast.net or visit our website, www.villageoflisburn.us. Please help support us in raising money to have our new history book printed and our final celebration, a 2009 New Year’s Eve Drop!!

NEWS FROM THE “CELEBRATE LISBURN!”COMMITTEE

As you all know, on May 17, 2009 our Committee hosted a Village Tour. The tour was very successful thanks to many of you that either opened their homes for the tour or spent the day peeking in others homes.

On October 3, 2009 Lisburn Village will continue its celebration with a parade and Old-Fashioned Picnic/Founders Day on the Lisburn Community Fire Company’s Festival grounds.

The reason for this notice is to let you, our neighbors and friends know that we are very short of help. Our Committee is busy doing so many things as you can tell if you check out our website at VillageofLisburn.us. We have many items for sale, we are trying to plan our Founders Day and of course, the main reason for our Committee, to complete a new book about our Village. And, we want to wrap up the year with the New Year’s Eve drop and celebration.

Unfortunately, unless we can get more folks involved in our endeavors, some of these things may not happen. We started off with such a big bang with our tour that we want to continue the celebration!!! We know we have some folks in our Community and Village that have just the expertise we require. It’s going to be lots of fun and a great way to get to know your old and new neighbors!

Won’t you please help support us in this endeavor? For more information or to join our committee, please email LisburnVillage270@comcast.net.

Thank you for your consideration,
The Celebrate Lisburn! Committee Members

Our next meeting is August 26th at 7 p.m. at the Lisburn Fire Hall. Come and join us! Just look for the cars.

Come Visit Us at the Lisburn Festival!

The Lisburn Community Fire Company's Old Fashioned Festival is this week, August 5 - 8, at the fire company's grounds. There will be rides, great food and . . . the Celebrate Lisburn! booth.

This week members of the committee will be manning two booths near the social hall. There will be people on hand to answer questions about the upcoming book, and lots of great items to buy to help us raise funds to print it!



Chances will be sold to win one of Emma Burn's Lisburn door toppers. Orders for these beautifully hand painted boards will also be taken.

Local artist Earl Blust has graciously offered to have copies made of his oil painting depicting the old Lisburn mill. There will be copies of the painting on display. Prints on canvas or acid free paper will be available for order.

A 2010 calendar, each month containing historic photographs of Lisburn, will be available for purchase for $10.00.

270th Anniversary of Lisburn Commemorative scented candles will be for sale. They are 26 oz double wick candles made in Ohio. Featured on the label is the mill (see profile picture above) with "Celebrate Lisburn 270th Anniversary" written above it. $20.00
Scents available are:
Butter Maple Syrup
Farm House - Pumpkin spice, orange clove, hint of maple syrup
Grandma's Kitchen - Cinnamon, almonds, cocoa, vanilla
Hot Apple Pie - Apples, cinnamon, vanilla
Mulled cider - fresh apples, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, vanilla

Bruster's Ice Cream coupon books will also be available for $10.00.
Good for 10 Free 1, 2 or 3 scoop ice cream cones or dishes and two $2.00 off on an Ice Cream Cake. This is a $40.00 Value.
Valid at all Bruster’s locations.

There are lots of ways to help raise funds for the printing of the new History of Lisburn book. All proceeds from the sale of the new book go to the Lisburn Community Fire Company.

Hope to see you there!

~the Celebrate Lisburn! committee

Update from the Lisburn Book Committee

Over 30 years ago when we set about to write the first book about Lisburn for the 1976 United States Bicentennial Celebration, our main goal was to present a history of who and what Lisburn, Pennsylvania was and where it is located on the map.

The original committee consisted of seven ladies. Their determination to gather the documentation that proved our origin was not spent in vain. Lisburn was found on several early maps and many early deeds. Thus was the proof verifying that Lisburn appeared on maps of Pennsylvania, as part of the Conoy Indian Path, uncovered. It was now clear that Lisburn was a natural resting point for travelers about halfway between York and Letort Springs, known as Carlisle.

Our many months of meetings and of research at the Cumberland County Courthouse, Cumberland County Historical Society, the State Library and the Pennsylvania Historical Museum and State Archives rewarded us with a lot of data. This tiny, blink-twice-and-you-miss-it spot is the third oldest village in Cumberland County and the oldest in Lower Allen Township.

Along the way, when we talked to life long and former residents, they not only shared their stories but also shared some of their priceless photographs of the early days in Lisburn. We will forever be grateful to all of those who so generously shared with us and helped in making our first book a success.

As the celebration year of 1976 drew close, we were forced to make some tough decisions: what to bring with us and what to leave behind.

Well friends, we have returned. Putting the unused materials from our first project about Lisburn to use and hard at work adding to it. This second book will be a complement to the first. The new members of the book committee are just as dedicated as the five from the original committee, who are working just as hard as they did over thirty years ago. We are doing a much more-detailed presentation on the buildings of town, it businesses and residents past and present. We know that at least seventeen of the buildings on Main Street were built between 1800 and 1900. More research and work at the County Courthouse will help us identify how many structures on Main Street are a century old or older. It may be hard to imagine today, but prior to 1940 there were fifteen or more businesses on Main Street.

In addition, please know that our genealogist has been researching in depth our earliest resident veterans. Even traveling to Washington, D.C. to gather facts. Some surprises have been found that shed a whole new light on these men.

There is still much research and fact gathering to be done. Then the tedious process of assembling these wonderful things we’re finding with those wonderful things we left behind begins.

Jackie Jumper

Chairman, Lisburn Book Committee

This Here's How We Dun Got Started

Put near a year ago it was dun brung to my 'tention by that there Sis, who lives on that there western end of town, agin that there golf course, that a group of usins should git akin on celebratin 270 years of this here town Lisburn. Welp, I dun said I was a willin' to help iffin I could.

Then bout six months ago it was dun brought to my 'tention agin by that there Sis, that we need to be a celebratin'. So put near six of ussins dun got together to start Cel-E-brate Lisburn, maybe seven or so.

We dun decided to have a meetin' at that there fire house. It sits back behint that there Tom Banks’s place, aginst the crik. The grounds was all in use so we had to be a movin' to the utility room. Thanks to them thar people at that there Lisburn Community Fire company, they be some good folk. So we set to organizing and arranging and putting to order a bunch of stuff forrin us all to be a celebratin'.

Some of the folks here in town, 'cludin me, dun got together back when this here country dun turned 200 and dun put a book together. Turned out it was a dang good book, and there was a bunch who thought weze mite be able to fetch us a couple bucks to put a new book together, a dang ole com-plE-ment to that there first one. So we dun started a bakin' a writtin' a researchin' and all we could to start the funds a flowin'.

We’ze a hopen' to show that there rest of the county that we’ze just a plain ole folks here in Lisburn. We dun treat or naybors put near like kin, gather together for vittles. We'ze a thinkin 270 years ago that that there Mr. Frazier was prob'ly a celebratin' a mite also. So we started scouttin' arount to see if we could put together a tour of sorts to visit apon the folks with the older homes here and about. Then Miss Mary Ellen got it all put together rather nicely. I have to tell ya some of these here homes and buildins are bout two days older then dirt but is still very beautiful.

I reckon my favorite tis the church made to a home. You know them there people is being real good! Seein' we’ze workin' on the comittie we’ze gonna have a private tour and possible pot luck dinner. You know these country cookin' folks can cook up a mess of fine vittles.

So this here's all we gots till a mite later when we're fixin' to have us a Founders Day. Iffin y'all wants ta help, come on down to the fire hall and give us a hand!


Thanks to Stephen Turbett
President of the Celebrate Lisburn Committee
for the tongue in cheek hillbilly update.

Party After the Tour

Submitted by Mary Ellen Banks

The Gate to the Lisburn Cemetery

Many folks that live in Lisburn proper or even just outside our boundaries don't realize that there is a cemetery tucked between the fire company property and the Yellow Breeches Creek. For years the cemetery was only known by the swimmers who used it as a short cut to get to the deepest part of the creek to jump off the rope swings that used to hang from the trees on the steep cliffs.

The cemetery had a very elegant wrought iron gateway and fence that after years of neglect was over consumed by poison ivy , vines, and all sorts of overgrowth that hid the fact of it's existence.

Many people that know me, know my passion and commitment to the Boy Scouts. Scouting is a part of the American culture like a Norman Rockwell painting or a parade that happens every Memorial Day. For those not involved in scouting, it's easy to say without reservation that everyone knows the term "Eagle Scout" and what it takes to become one.

The Lisburn Cemetery Gate became my Eagle Scout project in the fall of 1980. The cemetery association had a need to restore the gate, and so I took on the challenge to restore a piece of our history. For (3) three weekends my scout troop and I camped along the mill race while spending the daylight hours with gloves, rakes, nippers, shovels and other tools of destruction to rid the area of the menacing overgrowth that covered the gate and fence. Then came the hard part, wire brushing down the gate and all the intricate parts of what is left of the original fence, then painting the entire structure.

One of the elements of preparing an Eagle Scout Project is putting together for approval the need and significance of the project. Usually a portfolio is put together with before and after pictures, the expected man hours, supplies needed, finances needed if any, and what leadership skills the Eagle candidate will show in completing the project. Part of the package to show the significance was to do research on the cemetery, compiling details of dates, prominent people buried there, etc.

It is fascinating to know that the lower part of the cemetery has native Americans buried there in unmarked graves. There are Civil War solders buried there, with GAR (Grand Army of the Republic) markers in front of their tombstones, although I believe unfortunately, many have been stolen through the years. The founder of the Churches of God for this area is buried there as well.

Many of the tombstones have been broken over the years and in an effort to be able to mow and trim throughout the grounds, have been stacked one on top of the other with no way of officially knowing where to relocate them in proper relationship to their owners. Many of the stones are so old and made of sandstone that the etchings are weathered and too smooth to read.

I hope that you each take a little time on some Sunday afternoon this summer and stroll through the cemetery grounds and read some of the stones. Find the grave of a Civil War solider or find the tombstone of a small child that only lived a very short time and imagine what might have happened to these people. By the way, I suggest starting your stroll of the cemetery grounds by walking through the actual gateway and fence. After 29 years, I'm still proud of my Eagle Scout Project.



Brian M. Kline
Eagle Scout Class of 1981

Emma Burns - Local Artist

Local Artist, Emma Burns, has created an original decorative door topper for the 270th Anniversary of Lisburn. (shown above) Ms. Burns graciously agreed to be interviewed on our community blog.

These decorated boards are available for sale. For more information on the details of the board, please click here to visit our website

1. Who are you, and what do you do?
My name is Emma Burns and I am an Artist.

2. How long have you lived in the area?
I've lived in the area off and on for about 35 years.

3. How long have you been an artist? Did you go to school for it? Self taught?
I've been an artist all my life. As far back as I can remember I drew or scribbled pictures that people recognized. I worked as a graphic artist for about 25 years and had some education in that area. About 15 years ago I retired from that area of art and began a new career of painting on all sorts of things, i.e., wood, tin, canvas furniture. You name it, I've painted on it.

4. What inspires your art?
I'm inspired by anything God has created, as well as some of man's creations. I've painted oceans, country scenes, lighthouses, covered bridges, old homes, barns, horses, dogs, cats and people. I'm inspired by just about anything.

5. Do you have a favorite subject?
My favorite, I suppose, is painting lighthouses. We have visited many of them all up and down the East Coast, the Great Lakes and The West Coast.

6. How did the idea for a Lisburn decorative board come about?
One day a man by the name of Tom Banks called me and said that he had seen one my of door toppers that I had created of Mechanicsburg and wanted one just like it with buildings from his town of Lisburn. This request expanded my repertoire of door toppers. I have about ten different towns that I have done.

7. What did you do to research the sites that are included on the board?
To create a door topper requires about 8 photos or drawings of old buildings. I sometime take these with my digital camera or use ones supplied by the client.

8. Where can we find your work?
You can find my work at my home or at the 2nd Floor Gallery in Mechanicsburg.

9. Do you have a catchphrase-style philosophy on life and/or art?
I'm a realist, and everything I paint is a real place or thing. I do use artist prerogative at times and add a different color or object that I think might enhance a painting. Everything God has created is perfect, and I don't feel I need to change a thing.

The Celebrate Lisburn! committee would like to thank Emma Burns for her generosity. Ms. Burns will donate 25% of the proceeds of each door topper sale to the committee's fund raising efforts.

Poetry From Lisburn

Here is a poem, composed by one of our residents, that was included in the first history of Lisburn book from 1976.

To Our History Buff


The sun came up one beautiful morn

Upon a town not yet born

Wild deer, tall trees, and meadows of green

Oh! Such a sight I would love to have seen.



A man was here, red the color of skin

But who cared what shade he was then!

Redman didn’t care where he was at

There were deer to hunt and furs to trap.



The white man came to settle here

And chased alike the Redman and deer.

Of the Penn’s there were many, The Fraziers a few

But our man Alex knew just what to do.



Upon a muddy creek he built a mill

With fringe benefits of a good ole still.

Good corn liquor was here in those days

To kill aches and pains and chase tears away.



Soon there were many settlers around

They all got together and formed a town.

Lisburn's name is from Ireland you see

And that is how this town came to be.



The counties and townships were all broken down

First it was LANCASTER, yes this little town.

It became EAST PENNSBORO in the year 1745

And in 1766 became ALLEN without batting an eye.



NO! We did not forget about 1750

A new County was born, CUMBERLAND, the nifty.

To finish our story a hundred years past.

WE”RE now in LOWER ALLEN township – at last!



by Linda L. Kilmore

Come To The Lisburn Village Tour!

Lisburn located in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County will host a Village Tour on May 17th, 12:00 Noon to 4:00 PM. Lisburn is located on Rt. 114 halfway between Mechanicsburg and New Cumberland and the cost is $10.00 for advance tickets and $12.00 at the door. There will be 14 sites in and around Lisburn. Please start your tour at Lisburn Community Fire Company Social Hall where you will receive your receipt for pre-order or to purchase your tickets. At the social hall you will find a pictorial history of Lisburn Village with some great pictures and refreshments.

For pictures of each location, please see our website: http://www.villageoflisburn.us/Tour_stops.html

Lisburn’s earliest settlers, Indians and slaves are said to be buried at the Lisburn Cemetery located on the Yellow Breeches. Take advantage of this opportunity to have a tour of the cemetery by the current caretaker and learn about some of those interred here.

The Lower Allen Township EMS will be on hand at the Fire Station for free blood pressure checks. The Firemen of Lisburn Community Fire Company will demonstrate the present apparatus and gladly talk about their new engine which is to be delivered in October of this year.

The houses/businesses on the Village Tour include:

1) Jan Jarrett’s circa 1820 home at 1740 Main Street, Lisburn with a large addition including a reproduction of the original summer kitchen fireplace.

2) Earl Blust Studio at 1029 Oak Hill Road, Lewisberry features Earl’s paintings throughout the home which was built around 1800. Earl is the only remaining member of the original Seven Lively Arts of the Harrisburg area.

3) Wendy and Thomas Sawyer’s circa1816 brownstone farm house at 981 Oak Hill Road, Lewisberry features an addition by the previous owners using only period materials.

4) W. S. Carey Electric at 1781 Main Street, Lisburn is a converted mill originally built in 1751. This stop will only include the outside of the building.

5) Gene & Terrie Hosey’s circa 1812 home at 1633 Main Street, Lisburn began as two buildings connected by a kitchen in the 1920’s. The backyard includes brick pathways and a fish pond.

6) The Church of God at 1621 Main Street, Lisburn was built in 1878. Pastor Larry Billet and his wife along with life-members of the church will greet you and be able to discuss not only the history of the church, but Lisburn as well.

7) Marietta Egervary and Terry Fackler of 1609 Main Street, Lisburn have converted a 1917 church into a beautiful and unusual residence.

8) Michael Jarrett and Patricia Crogan have upgraded their 1840 red brick farm house at 1624 Main Street, Lisburn since their purchase in 2001.

9) Greg and Christy Black purchased their home at 1421 Main Street, Lisburn in 2004. The original home and barn’s deed states it was built in 1904; however, appear to be much older. They have done extensive updating inside, and added many features outside including stone work, a front porch, a pool, patios, pool deck and a pond in the back yard.

10) The Lower Allen Township Barn was built in 1847 by George Barber and purchased by Lower Allen in 1963 as part of their township park. They have remodeled it into a public meeting place and social hall.

11) Tom and Julie Waddington’s home is located in Lisburn Estates at 1540 McCormick Drive and was built in 1970. The home includes a wonderful screen porch on the back that overlooks the Yellow Breeches Creek.


The Village of Lisburn in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County, is celebrating their 270th Anniversary Celebration this year with numerous events. To read more about these events, please visit their website at www.villageoflisburn.us . These events will help fund a new book about Lisburn and the Lisburn Community.

For more information or to reserve tickets, please contact Mary Ellen Banks @ 697-5003, 1780 Main Street, Lisburn, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055; or you can email LisburnVillage270@Comcast.net. Please help support us in raising money for other events planned in 2009 including a Founder’s Day Picnic in October and a final 2009 New Year’s Eve drop.

Posted by Mary Ellen Banks - Tour coordinator

Welcome to Our Lisburn Blog

Celebrating the 270th Anniversary of Lisburn, Pennsylvania

Welcome to the year long celebration of our town. We have activites scheduled throughout the coming year. And with that in mind, the Celebrate Lisburn! committee decided a blog would be a good way to keep everyone up to date.

Members of the anniversary committee will be posting articles, updates, pictures and memories of Lisburn and the surrounding community once a week. Look for new updates on Wednesday mornings. These postings will supplement the big activities we have planned. For more information about the anniversary celebration CLICK HERE to check out our website.

We'd love to hear from you, and welcome comments to our entries. If you are new to blogging, here are a few tips on how to leave a comment. If you do not have a blogger or google account, you can choose "anonymous" from the list of identity choices below the text box where you've typed your comment. If you'd like to leave your name, include it in the comment box.

If you're interested in contributing your thoughts, pictures, ideas or general all around two cents, the committee would love to have you as a guest blogger. Email us at the address to the side of the posts and let us know! We look forward to hearing from the community.