AREA HISTORY:  Hall Postoffice, Washington Township, York County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Kathy Francis

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History of York County, Pennsylvania.  John Gibson, Historical Editor.
Chicago: F. A. Battey Publishing Co., 1886.
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HALL POSTOFFICE – Page 673

Hall Postoffice is a hamlet near the center of the township, and is the voting 
place.  It is fast growing into an attractively built village, the local name of 
which is “Kralltown.”  A store was first opened here, by Jesse Krall.  The house, 
now used as a store and hotel, was built in 1853.  Stores have since been kept by 
John Krall, Samuel Reed, Henry B. Smith, John Straley, and at present by Andrew 
Straley.  The postoffice was established near Bower’s Church, and named “Hall.”  
Michael S. Bower, who had a store there, was first postmaster.  It was moved to 
Kralltown, and Samuel Reed became postmaster.  The name remained unchanged.  The 
village now contains about twenty houses.  There is no hotel now in this 
township.  A mail route passes through from York Springs to York.

The Union Meeting House near Hall Postoffice, is now used by the Mennonites, 
Evangelical Association and Lutherans, principally by the first two 
denominations.  The Mennonite preachers are Jacob Hershey, Samuel Roth and Isaac 
Kauffman.  This building was for a long time used as a schoolhouse.  A fine 
schoolhouse was built in 1881, at a cost of $900.  David Newcomer, once associate 
judge of York County, was born near Kralltown, in this township.  When a young 
man he drilled a militia company, and afterward a volunteer company, in his 
native township.  He died in Hanover.

Jesse Krall’s mill, on the Bermudian one mile and a half from the village was 
built by William Butt in 1782.  Michael Myers run it for twenty-six years.  A 
mile farther south is Absolom Trimmer’s mill.

Some of the other industries of the township are Lewis Strayer’s wool carding 
mill on the Bermudian, Cornelius Strayer’s tannery, and Diehl’s and Eisenhart’s 
mills on the Conewago.