On April 12, 1973, ten residents of Upper Allen Township gathered in the municipal building in response to a call by the Commissioners for people interested in planning for the nation's bicentennial celebration. Several weeks later, on May 7, these same residents, along with two new recruits, formed the Upper Allen Heritage Committee, having as its stated purpose the preservation of the "natural and historical heritage of Upper Allen Township." The name given this fledgling organization and the ambitious goals it adopted exemplified the determination of the founders that their creation would transcend the Bicentennial.
Several considerations may explain why this handful of citizens called together for an important but limited purpose quickly organized themselves into something more significant.
Upper Allen Township, a sparsely settled rural area lying between Mechanicsburg and Yellow Breeches Creek, had a population of only 1,594 in 1950. By the late 1960s, however, it had become the rapidly growing edge of the Harrisburg Metropolitan Area and was on its way to becoming the fifth largest municipality in Cumberland County. Six hundred forty acres of open land, a square mile, had gone to development in just a few years. In 1970 the population reached 7,325 and experts were predicting the number would double by 1980. Residents who had chosen to settle in the township because of its rustic charm and rural landscape saw their environment urbanizing at an accelerating pace. Apprehensive about urban sprawl with its attendant blight and social problems, they sought ways to control growth, to channel it into prescribed areas, and to preserve as much of the open space and rural atmosphere as possible. Many of the founders of the Heritage Committee were in sympathy with these endeavors.
There was, as well, a growing sense of community among township residents. This sort of thing is difficult to nurture in a thinly populated rural area, but as settlement increases and neighborhoods, commercial districts, and institutions come into existence, an identification process begins to take place. The inhabitants start to think of themselves in connection with their own localities rather than the nearest town. This was happening in Upper Allen in the early 1970s. Residential developments, once widely separated, had all but grown together. Their boundaries had become blurred and their distinctive names were passing out of usage. Their civic associations, formed in earlier years to protect the private interests of their own residents, were united into a township-wide federation. A community fair association was organized to sponsor an annual event. Service clubs performed their work. Because Upper Allen was emerging as a distinct, recognized locality, its people began to search for their history. The Heritage Committee was the obvious instrumentality for that search.
The founders were products of their time. They came together in the midst of world-wide concern with preservation of historic sites and of the environment. The National Historical Preservation Act of 1966 had given the impetus to many groups throughout the country to save buildings and whole neighborhoods from the wrecking ball. The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 had created a governmental agency for the purpose, among others, of "preserving important historic, cultural and natural aspects of our national heritage .... " This momentous legislation and the work of numerous organizations served to focus public attention on the beauty of older buildings and the comfortable ambiance of older communities. The result was an awakening interest in the lifestyles of earlier generations. The approach of the Bicentennial celebration intensified this interest.
In the early part of the 18th century, public schools did not exist in Pennsylvania. Affluent parents who wanted their child to have a formal education enrolled them in a private academy such as the Carlisle Grammar School or the Cumberland Valley Institute in Mechanicsburg. Private or subscription schools were very expensive but would prepare a child for college and the professions.