History

more than just yarn

History of Funkstown

Funck's Jerusalem Town
Jacob Funck unveiled the plan for a village named "Jerusalem," bounded on three sides by the Antietam Creek, in 1767. The town boasted 177 lots, each being 82 feet 6 inches wide and 231 feet in length with one exception, lot #43 that by necessity was smaller. Shortly afterwards, lots were for sale and the town soon had fifteen log houses. Early residents referred to it as 'Funck's Jerusalem Town’, which became part of Washington County in 1776.

Work on a comfortable stone house of the proprietor of Jerusalem Town was completed in 1769. Jacob Funck, his wife Ann, and their family of four girls and two boys moved into their new residence on lot #165, now designated as 35 West Baltimore Street. Y2Knit is at 100 East Baltimore Street, in a house a few years newer (approximately 1780).

Since its very beginning, Funkstown was known for its mills. Their first mill was built in 1762. It was flourmill operated by Henry Funck. By 1785 Jerusalem was home for an iron furnace, brickyard, powder factory, grist and woolen mills and a host of inns and shops. The last mill built in 1859 was a flourmill which burned in September of 1929. It was run by the Antietam Mill Company.

Jacob Funck was a Washington County Representative to the Maryland House of Delegates, 1785-1787. He divested himself of all land holdings in Washington County in 1791. That year, he and his family moved to Jefferson County, Kentucky where they lived until his death at the age of 67 in 1794.

Dr. Christian Borestler settled in Jerusalem around 1784. He brought with him 70 German families that settled in the community. Needless to say, German was the predominant language spoken.

Catawba, Delaware, Cherokee and Powhatan Indians lived in and traveled through this area hunting, fishing and farming. Antietam Creek is named after these Native Americans.

Funck's Town – Funkstown
The first post office was established in Funck's Town on December 24, 1816. In 1823 the Old National Pike was built through Funck's Town and the first of two stone arch bridges was constructed over the Antietam Creek. The first was built in 1823 by James Lloyd to allow traffic on the Old National Pike to pass over the creek on its way toward the Allegheny Mountains

The Town was incorporated as "Funkstown" in 1840.

The Civil War left its devastation on Funkstown when on Lee's retreat from Gettysburg a battle by General J.E.B. Stuart against General John Buford was fought on the east edge of town. The main engagement of July 10, 1863, resulted in 479 Federal troops being killed or wounded.

Joseph Stonebreaker, a resident of Funkstown and witness of the event wrote: "The wounded were brought into town and Mrs. Chaney's large dwelling was taken for a hospital. The Surgeons had a table in the yard under some trees and amputated arms and legs like sawing limbs from a tree. It was a terrible sight." Residents of the town treated soldiers from both sides.

Funkstown continued to grow in the twentieth century. However with the coming of railroads, the once bustling community of inns and mills became a quiet residential town.

In 1919 J.C. Weisner began efforts to create a memorial for World War I casualties. In 1921, the Funkstown Memorial was erected at the main square.

The western Maryland Community still reflects the charm and beauty that attracted the early German settlers. Many of the original historic houses and buildings are still in use as private homes, public buildings, quaint shops and businesses, including the Y2Knit yarn shop, opening July 2003.