YORK COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– A special road marker dating from the first half of the 20th century has been reinstalled in Newberry Township.

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The Keystone Markers, as they were called, were erected by The Pennsylvania Department of Highways following World War I. They were part of the Good Roads Movement, a push by bicyclists (and later automobile drivers) to improve the condition of American roads which began in the late 1800s.

The markers are rectangular with a keystone shape in the middle, a nod to Pennsylvania’s nickname, the Keystone State. They are cast iron, painted deep blue with yellow lettering and edging – a style which carried over into the state’s current historical marker system. But the Keystone Markers are a bit more utilitarian; they feature the name of a town, the distance to the next town, the derivation of the name, and the year when it was founded.

A town would have at least two of these signs, usually located at either end of its borders along a major state road. If a town had an intersection of two major state roads, it might have four markers installed.

Midstate Marker: Place of the boiling kettle

Many of these signs can still be seen along Pennsylvania roadways, but many have disappeared, thanks to bad weather, bad driving, or being removed due to road work.

The Newberry Township Keystone markers were taken down and have been in storage since the 1970’s. At a Newberry Township Supervisors meeting in March 2022, Dominish Marie Miller, Founder of Preserving the History of Newberrytown, Librarian, and Local Historian,
suggested they be repaired and put back on the road.

Midstate Markers: The 40th parallel

This idea grew into a collaboration between Preserving the History of Newberrytown, Newberry Township, PennDOT, and the Keystone Markers Trust, an organization dedicated to preserving and restoring the markers.

According to Jack Graham of the KMT, “Too many towns simply ignore these signs until they finally fall over and are lost. Although all of our KMT members have personally repaired and/or repainted many of these markers, we can’t do them all ourselves, and it is only through local interest and adoption by individuals that step up and make it happen that many of these will continue to be saved.”

Midstate Markers: Two signs, one canal

One of the Newberrytown signs has been restored and repainted by Newberry Township Public Works, and on May 13, 2024, it was installed in front of the Newberry Township building and police station located at 1915 Old Trail Road, Etters. (The sign is not in its exact original location, but is within a few yards based on PennDOT coordinates.)

As for the other Newberrytown marker, Dominish Marie Miller says it will be placed in front of the Newberry Township Fire Department sometime next year after it’s restored.

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To learn more about efforts to restore Keystone Markers, click here.

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