Borough Purchases Clarks Ferry Tavern

Duncannon Borough Summer 2012 Newsletter announcement:

Standing along on the West side of the Susquehanna River where the Native Americans had a crossing they called "Queenashawakee" and built prior to 1788 is a stone tavern.  John Clark, an early pioneer of what is now Perry County, has been credited with starting a Ferry on this site prior to 1800 and keeping a tavern for the travelers along the first through-road from Huntington to Pittsburgh.

This historic building in the late 18th century being one of the only buildings in the area is now located in the center of the Borough of Duncannon.  While the years have been hard on the old Clarks Ferry Tavern, and its owners many, the historical significance still captures the heart of the local history enthusiasts.

Recently the ownership of the Tavern has fallen upon difficulties and into a state of neglect, finally the building was listed on the open market for purchase from the mortgage holder and Duncannon Borough has purchased the Tavern and the associated land officially closing the deal on July 19, 2012 for the realized price of $50,000.00.

The money was obtained from the Borough's Capital Reserve fund which is made up of monies realized from the sale of timber on the forestry managed watershed.  A few years ago Borough Council voted to use monies from the sale of timber only for capital improvements such as new buildings, facility upgrades, and special projects that are of a "bricks and mortar" nature to improve the Borough.  Borough Council voted 6 in favor to 1 opposed to purchase the tavern based on the asking price and the current condition.  During our discussion many concerns of the purchase were volleyed to include; what may happen if the building was purchased and the buyer decided to dismantle the structure to recover the cut stone?  Can the Borough recover their investment if it proves not to be a worthy project?  What can we do with the structure and the property?  Is it worth saving?  Are we acting responsibly with the monies of the Borough?  These were just a few of the questions bantered about and with the Guidance of our Solicitor to confirm we were acting in a legal and appropriate manner, Borough Council made the offer by resolution.

What will be the future history of the Clarks Ferry Tavern?  Borough Council has decided first to secure the property, evaluate and prevent further deterioration, and maintain the exterior and grounds in an appropriate manner for the short run.  Since our budget does not reflect any planning for owning this property in 2012 we will do the minimum needed to accomplish the above.

Moving forward we will appoint a group of interested residents to look at the many options of what this location could be in the future, how it can be funded for rehabilitation into its new use, and how it will be maintained for future generations.  The possibilities are many and the ideas will grow as our community gets behind a project to save a historic structure.  We look forward to working together as friends and neighbors in the Borough of Duncannon.

If you are interested in volunteering to work on this project email your contact information to dhammaker@duncannonboro.org or stop by the Borough Office and let one of the office staff know.