New Holland Borough Hall is located at 436 East Main Street, New Holland PA 17557.
Phone: 717‑354‑4567.
Beginnings [1]
New Holland Borough is located in the northeastern portion of Lancaster County. The Borough is surrounded by Earl Township and lies approximately 10 miles northeast of Lancaster City along State Route 23. Other major routes that are easily accessible from the Borough include the Morgantown Interchange, approximately 12 miles northeast of the Borough, US Route 322, approximately one mile west of the Borough and U.S. Route 222, which is located approximately 6 miles northwest of the Borough.
Historical Context
Over the years New Holland Borough has had a rich history, spanning from the first settler in 1728, to the establishment of the New Holland Machine Company in 1895, which later became the Borough's leading employer. The following excerpts from New Holland Borough's 1967 Comprehensive Plan and Figure 1 provide some of the historically significant events that have transpired within the Borough:
"In 1728, John Diffenderfer filled a claim for purchase of approximately one square mile of land just north of what is now New Holland, and thereby became the first settler in the area. The settlement eventually was named New Holland in remembrance of the friendly treatment given the Palatinate settlers while they were refugees in Holland. Earlier names of the community included Earltown and New Design. Of particular significance in the early history of the community was the establishment of a free public school in 1787- perhaps Pennsylvania's first."
According to the Illustrated Historical Atlas of Lancaster County, New Holland Borough was laid out as a street town in the typical European style of having an outlying plot of land to cultivate. The main street of New Holland has major bends as it winds its way along the high ground. This is by design, as the early settlers knew that the land on the ridge was the driest and in winter it would be blown clear of much of the snow."
"New Holland's growth during the 19th century was accelerated by the development of transportation. From 1810 to 1919, Main Street served as part of an important turnpike extending from New Holland and Lancaster to other communities to the east. By 1876, the Borough was joined to Philadelphia by a rail line, which later was supplemented by a trolley line."
"The year 1895 was a particularly significant year in New Holland's history. It marked the year in which the community was incorporated as a borough; the year in which a charter was issued for a private water company to pipe Welsh Mountain spring water into the Borough; and the year in which the New Holland Machine Company was established. From a modest farm equipment repair shop, the machine company developed into the Borough's major single source of employment..."
Nearby Towns: Brecknock Twp • Earl Twp • East Earl Twp • Ephrata Boro • Ephrata Twp • Leacock Twp • Terre Hill Boro •