The History of
Our Village

The Scots-Irish members of the Pequea Presbyterian Church are a large part of the first immigrants to the area.

The King’s Highway is planned, running from Lancaster to Philadelphia. Today this highway is known as Route 340 or The Old Philadelphia Pike.

Cross Keys Tavern is established. This is the beginning of the village of Cross Keys.

Amish arrive in Leacock Township.

The Lancaster-Philadelphia Turnpike is completed. Today this is known as
Route 30.

Newport Road is laid out, going from
Mt. Hope, Pennsylvania to Newport, Delaware. This is now known as
Route 772.

A newspaper advertisement meant to bring new residents to the village.

The name of the village changes to Intercourse; the village consists of five buildings.

Traveler's Rest Inn is established.

Jacob Wenger builds the first store in Intercourse, which is now The Old Country Store.

Leacock Township builds a public school in Intercourse.

Founded in 1852, the association charged annual dues of 25 cents insuring members the safe return of stolen livestock.

Intercourse Association of Lancaster County for the Detection of Horse and Other Thieves is organized.

A second general store, which is now Zimmerman's, is established.

Wenger’s Store, owned by Moses and Jason Eaby, is destroyed by fire and rebuilt soon afterwards.

The Intercourse baseball team was active from the 1920s to the 1940s.

Intercourse has 54 dwellings, 280 people, 2 stores, 2 hotels, 1 feed store, 1 blacksmith, 1 wheelwright,
2 harness makers, 1 shoe store,
1 cabinet shop, 3 carpenter shops,
1 butcher shop, 2 churches, 2 schools,
3 physicians, 1 dentist, and 1 tobacco warehouse. There are 158 owners of farms in Leacock Township; 65 have Amish names.

Diller’s Store, which is today known as Zimmerman's, is destroyed by fire, along with a few other buildings.

Stagecoach line from Intercourse to Lancaster is established.

First National Bank of Intercourse is founded.

Street lights are installed. Intercourse Telephone and Telegraph Company is organized.

A Rowe motor truck replaced the Intercourse stagecoach in 1911.

Motor truck replaces stagecoach.

Bus line is established on Route 340.

Dial telephones are installed in Intercourse.

Unsuccessful petitions to change the name of Intercourse back to "Cross Keys" or to "Smokerville" circulate.

Eros Publishers, a pornography business, is turned down in its efforts to establish Intercourse as a mailing address.

Plan to sell one-inch lots in Intercourse is refused.

The People's Place, an educational center on the Amish and Mennonites, is established by the Goods. (After 28 years of operation, it closed in 2004.)

The Old Country Store opens at the location of the oldest store in the area.

The People's Place Quilt Museum opens its first exhibit of antique Amish quilts.

Bestselling Fix-It and Forget-It cookbook series by co-owner Phyllis Pellman Good is launched.

The Intercourse Community Park is dedicated on the east end of town.

The Pequea Valley Public Library is built.

www.OldCountryStoreFabrics.com is launched globally.