History of Dill's Tavern and Plantation

Dill's Tavern is a twelve room stone structure erected from 1794 to 1819. The Dill family maintained a tavern in Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, beginning in the 1750's. Matthew Dill was a friend of George Croghan, the famous Indian negotiator, and members of the Dill Family fought in the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, and the War of 1812. The tavern was one of several business ventures carried on at this site. A large farm, a mill and a productive distillery kept family members, indentured servants, hired hands and some slaves busy. Regular shipments of whiskey produced in the distillery were sent to Baltimore. The Eichelberger family purchased the plantation in 1800 and kept the tavern open until the 1830's. In time, the structure became a store and eventually a residence.

An Interpretive History Center

The Northern York County Historical and Preservation Society hired Sam McKinney, Traditional Builder, to restore the Tavern in January 2005. The Tavern is now open as an Interpretive & Educational Center. This means that visitors can use the building and its period contents to experience tavern life in the early 19th Century. Sit in the chairs, lie in the rope beds, watch dinner boiling in the fireplace, and even try hearth cooking yourself. Explore all twelve rooms and handle the items contained in those rooms. Groups can rent the tavern and its two acres of lawn, for meetings, lunches, dinners, sleep overs, weddings or other appropriate functions. Open-hearth dinners for 25 - 30 people are now a regular occurrence. Regularly scheduled educational programs are also offered. In keeping with early building amenities, the tavern is heated with fireplaces and 10 plate wood stoves. Light is supplied from both candles and fireplaces. There are modern bathrooms and a summer kitchen located behind the main building in a new structure.

To arrange a tour of the Tavern, contact Joanne Klase by e-mail or call 717-432-2720.

Plantation & Features

Surviving documents from the Tavern provide valuable insight into 18th Century life in Northern York County. Serving the needs of many travelers and locals on the frontier required the provision of huge quantities of foodstuffs grown on the surrounding 500 acres. Several mills were constructed to grind flour and saw logs. In the days of handmade clothing , flax was grown to provide linen fiber for handwoven fabrics. In addition to the typical farm activities, a huge distillery operation flourished here. In one year, almost 10,000 gallons of rye whiskey were made! Its 24/7 operation required massive amounts of flour, water and wood for fires along with hundreds of barrels. All of these activities also certainly meant laborers by the score. The result was a complex and buzz of activity that is hard to imagine today. 

In 2011, NYCHAPS completed the  Wheelwright's Shop as a center for Preservation Workshop.  Plans for 2012 include the reconstruction an 18th century Log Barn to house animals for special events and serve as an orientation center and display facility for archaeological artifacts. Future plans include construction of a Stillhouse to demonstrate the operation of stills typical of the period.