Mar 28, 2019 2 min read

The oldest village in East Bethlehem Township, Fredericktown was laid out in 1790 by its namesake, Frederick Wise. According to Boyd Crumrine’s “History of Washington County, Pennsylvania” (1882), Wise fought in the Revolutionary War and died in 1802, before the town was fully built and completed.

Today, it’s a census-designated place, which means that its population is for statistical purposes only – it has no geographical boundaries or its own government. Blink as you drive through on Front Street (Route 88) or Water Street, and you might miss it. While it’s small geographically, there is a lot packed into its streets – 403 residents were counted in the 2010 Census, and East Bethlehem Township’s municipal building calls Fredericktown home, as do the Fredericktown Area Public Library, the Riverside Inn, a United States Post Office and BeeGraphix.

The Maxwell Basin Recreation Area was born as an initiative of the Fredericktown Area Chamber of Commerce, and promotes the Maxwell Pool area of the Monongahela River – more than 20 miles long – as a place for boating, events and a recreation destination. In the warmer months, you’ll see a number of recreational boaters out on the water.

Sitting on the river is the Fredericktown Area Public Library, which serves not only the residents of Fredericktown, but those of Beallsville, Centerville, Deemston, East Bethlehem Township and the Bethlehem-Center School District. Interestingly, Fredericktown was the home of the first library west of the Allegheny Mountains in 1796. That library closed in 1825, and for nearly 200 years, Fredericktown had no library. The current library has been in operation since 1984, and originally operated out of a room in the township’s municipal building.

Library interim director Theda Diethorn says the library has initiated a new program for preschool kids, called “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.” “We give the kids a handout to keep track of the books being read. At each 100 read, they will receive a small prize, along with having their picture taken, and then a larger prize when they reach 1,000.”

Just upriver in Millsboro is the Fredericktown Butcher Shop and Ten Mile Creek. But we will leave Millsboro for another issue …