The People's Hall Entry #5

We’ve discussed the history of People’s Hall, its link to the building of Triple Fresh, and its place in the community. The building has lived a long life and it is starting to show.

Keep in mind this building was completed in 1847. Think about the many snow storms, thunderstorms, a rare tornado, and other forces of nature it had to endure during its 170 year existence.

Inside the building, there are some exposed ceilings and repairs that are long overdue. Preservation Pennsylvania, according to their site, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping buildings like the People’s Hall. This organization has added the Hall to a list titled “Pennsylvania at Risk”. This means that it is an endangered historical site that urgently needs new repairs and attention.

The People’s Hall is operated by a Board of Trustees. The Board has discussed the difficulty in trying to restore the Hall to suitable physical conditions.

The good news Facebook friend is that you can help! There is a way to make a donation, no matter how big or small, by visiting the website www.peoples-hall.org or by visiting the People's Hall Facebook page by clicking “Shop Now”.

The People’s Hall has helped our community through hard times and now it is our turn to help it.

We hope you have enjoyed this mini-series on our neighbors, The People’s Hall. We were very pleased to bring you this exciting story in hopes that its legacy will not be forgotten.

The People's Hall Entry #4

During the times of slavery and the Civil War, there was something called the Fugitive Slave Law that covered even the “safe” Northern territories. This law made it illegal to assist a freedom seeking slave and to turn him or her in to the authorities if found. If you did not comply with this law, you would be fined $1,000.

What if the authorities didn’t find out? Well, that’s a good question. Many of them didn’t. In Ercildoun, the heavily Quaker community shared in the common belief of anti-slavery. Most neighbors did not rat each other out. There was the occasional dispute between neighbors with different opinions on the matter, but the Fugitive Slave Law was rarely enforced in this area.

After the Civil War, many freedom seeking slaves built a life here. According to Historic Resources of East Fallowfield, men by the names of Jacob Carter and Samuel Ruth created the Christ Disciple Church in 1894. Services were held there and later in People’s Hall.

The daughter of Samuel Ruth, Isabella Stokes, had this to say about People’s Hall in a 1974 written piece provided by Historic Resources of East Fallowfield:

“One old building still stands,

As a tribute to voices now stilled,

It stands as a monument to Old “Friends”

Who dared to do right.”

In our previous posts, we state that after the war, people held church services in People's Hall. It was then Ercildoun's local library and a polling place for voting. It also served as the meeting place for the area's Historical Society.

The common practice of neighbors helping neighbors in East Fallowfield existed long before Triple Fresh. However, it is very important that we take that same value and attribute it in our store after all these years.

Whether it was something big like Underground Railroad assistance, or just being a friendly face in the neighborhood, we at Triple Fresh are very proud to be a part of this long history of giving, helping, and community.

We hope you are enjoying this mini-series about People’s Hall, Ercildoun, and the rest of East Fallowfield Township. Make sure to like the People’s Hall Facebook page if you haven’t done so already!

Sources used for this piece: Historic Resources of East Fallowfield Township, Ercildoun: A Quaker Village In Chester County, PA by Janet Polk Morris,

The People's Hall Entry #3

You can’t think of the Underground Railroad without thinking of Harriet Tubman. One of history’s most courageous figures, Tubman aided countless slaves to freedom, risked her life and safety to help others, and showed everyone that in the face of great adversity, there are still people out there willing to help.

Tubman had visited Chester County during her time on the Underground Railroad which was documented by Thomas Garrett. These diary entries can be found in William Still’s “The Underground Railroad”.

“I write to let thee know that Harriet Tubman is again in these parts. She arrived last evening from one of the trips of mercy to God’s poor, bringing two men with her as far as New Castle.” This passage was written by Thomas Garrett.

Tubman worked various places in the Kennett area, due to its closeness to her home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and was protected by Thomas Garrett. It is documented in “The Trackless Trail Leads On”, that Tubman found refuge in a chapel at Lincoln University in Oxford and a nearby house on Old Route 1.

It is unsure if Harriet Tubman came in direct contact to the People’s Hall, but due to its role in the Underground Railroad, the chances could be high. During those years of the Underground Railroad, there are very few documents and things that were recorded. Many people attribute that to its success. Without leaving a paper trail, the secrecy of this railroad could be kept.

In the book, “The Trackless Trail” by Frances Cloud Taylor, it reports that Harriet Tubman lived to be 92 years old. She lived out the rest of her years in New York where cared for twenty slaves at a time in her home. In Auburn, New York a statue was built in her memory.

On the statue of Tubman, this text reads, “On my underground railroad I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.”

Sources used: The Trackless Trail and The Trackless Trail Leads On by Frances Cloud Taylor

The People's Hall Entry #2

The year was 1845. The abolitionists (people who were anti-slavery) wanted a place to gather to conduct their meetings without fear of violence towards them. This was during the time where acts of violence were plaguing places like Fallowfield Meetinghouse and Lancaster County where pro-slavery mobs were attacking anti-slavery meetings. The Pennsylvania Hall in Philadelphia was burnt to the ground by one of these pro-slavery groups.

A woman by the name of Margaret Coates sold the land to Nathaniel Walton, Mary Coates, and Lukens Pierce, among many others, for 50 cents. This was documented in a deed that was signed May 13, 1845.

Lukens Pierce was related to Gideon Pierce who was the original owner of the Triple Fresh building. Margaret and Mary were related to the Coates family, the namesake of Coatesville, Pennsylvania. Nathaniel Walton was a member of the Walton family. The Walton family is among the handful of families that were heavily involved in the Underground Railroad in the East Fallowfield area.

The building was completed in 1847 and was ready to serve the community and the people of Ercildoun. In its beginning years, it was referred to as Free Hall.

Even though the meeting place was founded by Quakers, you didn’t have to be a Quaker to join in on the discussion. According to the signed deed, the People’s Hall guided their membership through this practice: “…A free hall, to discuss any and every subject of interest in Religion, Morals, Physics, Politics, or any subject of interest to the family of man irrespective of clime, class, sex, sect, or party.”

Practicing what they preached, no slave owning Quakers could join unless they freed their slaves. Those who failed to comply were disowned by the Quakers and unable to join People's Hall.

Sources used: Ercildoun: A Quaker Village in Chester County, PA by Janet Polk Morris , Deed for People's Hall written by Margaret Coates.

The People's Hall Entry #1

Have you ever wondered about the building with the red door across the street? If you don't know too much about the history, it may surprise you! 

This week we at Triple Fresh would like to highlight our neighbors across the street, The People's Hall. This building has a major place in the history of East Fallowfield. People gathered in this building for church worship, Town Hall meetings, a library, and a polling station. 

A picture of People's Hall circa 1950s

The most important use of this building is its role in the Underground Railroad. Highlighted in the book Ercildoun: A Quaker Village in Chester County, PA author Janet Polk Morris discusses how there is a tunnel that connects People’s Hall with our very own Triple Fresh Market. There is a hidden door in the floor of People’s Hall where slaves would travel between the two buildings. This door has since been sealed. Morris also speaks of the neighboring safe houses that would help those seeking freedom from the Southern states. This is where the freedom seekers were housed and cared for during the day and prepped for transportation during the night.

That historical link between Triple Fresh Market and The People’s Hall shows that our tradition of neighbors helping neighbors existed way back 200 years ago.

Stay tuned to our page as we share more interesting facts about the history of Triple Fresh, its building, and link to The People's Hall.

Source: Ercildoun: A Quaker Village in Chester County, PA by Janet Polk Morris

Try New Food in 2018!

Are you starting to get bored of your routine? Eating the same thing every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday? Not looking forward to meals because you’re so bored?

A New Year’s Resolution that is commonly used is “going out of your comfort zone”.  Some people interpret this as learning a new skill or jumping out of an airplane. It could also be something as small as trying a new food or cuisine that you are not familiar with. May we recommend sushi?

“Sushi? What does Triple Fresh know about sushi?!” Yes, that seems to be a common reaction. Triple Fresh has partnered with the pan Asian restaurant Zing and is now selling sushi in our store! We carry a handful of sushi roll flavors which is just enough to get you familiar with this unique dish.

If you’re a little nervous about trying sushi, don’t worry. There is, what some like to call, a “beginners roll”. In most sushi places, it is referred to as the California roll. This is usually the roll people order when they try sushi for the first time. It contains crab, avocado, and cucumbers hugged by a blanket of seaweed and a bed of rice. This roll goes great with just about any other Asian, preferably Japanese, dish you wish to pair it with or simply by itself.

After you’re comfortable with that roll, you could move onto their spicy tuna roll. Even though it has “spicy” in its title, it is very tolerable. This roll is also wrapped with seaweed and rice. The tuna roll has a little bit of a crunchy outer to make this a little different than other rolls.

What a standard Philadelphia roll looks like

You can also try the Philadelphia roll which contains smoked salmon, cucumbers, and cream cheese. It’s self explanatory as to why this roll is pretty popular in this area.  

Sushi is safe to consume and fun to eat. If you choose to bring home one of our Zing packages, make sure to keep it refrigerated until consumed.  Sushi is not a hot dish.

This year, you don’t have to swim with the sharks or become a CEO of a company to go out of your comfort zone. Start simple. Start with sushi!

 Zing is located across from Harry’s Hotdogs in Sadsburyville. Stop in their store to try more of their tasty menu! They serve a more expanded sushi menu, as well as General Tso’s chicken, miso soup, and other pan Asian favorites.   

East Fallowfield’s Favorite Butcher Retires

  

   Richard Hoover was hired by, and worked alongside the former Hershey’s Market owner, Braydon Hershey, who surely saw his potential of becoming a great asset to his company. 30 years ago, Jim Petro bought Hershey’s Market in Christiana and Dick loved his job so much that he decided to stay on board with us as a butcher.

  Triple Fresh bought Webster’s store in Ercildoun in 1988, and Dick moved to this location shortly after.  Dick is one of the butchers we’ve always been proud of. He’s our shiny trophy we like to show off to everyone coming in and out of our store. Plenty of customers see and recognize his custom butcher cuts, and all of those customers always ask for Dick when they call. He’s always saying hello to familiar, and even the not so familiar faces.

   Dick will finally be turning over his cleaver to retire from Triple Fresh Market today, Thursday, June 1^st. So stop in today to see Dick, in all of his glory, one last time. Get that perfect cut steak for your family cookout this weekend, and meet one of the friendliest, hard-working, loyal employees that will grow with the history of this store, and will always be a part of the Triple Fresh Family! We will miss you, Dick!