Gardners is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in Adams County,

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and a

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, suc ...

that includes portions of Adams and

Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic counties of England, historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th c ...

counties in

, United States. The village of Gardners is located off

Pennsylvania Route 34 Pennsylvania Route 34 (PA 34) is a state route located in southern Pennsylvania. The southern terminus of the route is at U.S. Route 15 Business (US 15 Bus.) in Gettysburg. The northern terminus is at US 11/US 15 south of Liverpool. PA 34 heads ...

, in Tyrone Township, in northern Adams County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the village of Gardners was 137. The zip code for the United States Post Office in the village of Gardners is 17324. This zip code covers surrounding villages and areas in Adams and Cumberland counties, including Goodyear,

Hunter's Run ''Hunter's Run'' is a 2007 science fiction novel written by Daniel Abraham, Gardner Dozois and George R. R. Martin. It is a heavily rewritten and expanded version of an earlier novella called ''Shadow Twin''. The novel was originally published ...

, Idaville,

Pine Grove Furnace State Park Pine Grove Furnace State Park is a protected Pennsylvania area that includes Laurel and Fuller Lakes in Cooke Township of Cumberland County. The Park accommodates various outdoor recreation activities, protects the remains of the Pine Grove ...

, and Uriah.

Demographics

History

The village of Gardners was originally known as Gardner's Station. In the 1886 it was described as "a modern railroad town on the Gettysburg & Harrisburg Railroad" and a "shipping point for the southern settlements of Huntington and Tyrone Townships". In the intervening years, the rail line was operated by the

Reading Railroad The Reading Company ( ) was a Philadelphia-headquartered railroad that provided passenger and commercial rail transport in eastern Pennsylvania and neighboring states that operated from 1924 until its 1976 acquisition by Conrail. Commonly call ...

and

Penn Central Railroad The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania, New York Central and the ...

, and currently is operated by the

Gettysburg and Northern Railroad The Gettysburg and Northern Railroad is a short-line railroad located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. The railroad operates a long line running between Gettysburg in Adams County and Mount Holly Springs in Cumberland County. The Gettysbur ...

. The surrounding area is known for its apple and other fruit orchards. In 1912 a food processing plant was built in Gardners by C.H. Musselman as a second processing plant for the Musselman Company, which he started in Biglerville in 1907. The Gardners plant began processing apples in the fall of 1913. During World War I the plants at Biglerville and Gardners managed to maintain a steady flow of canned fruit despite labor, fuel and transportation shortages. During the 1960s, the company became part of the Pet Milk Company, which subsequently changed its name to Pet, Inc. In 1978 the company was acquired by IC Industries (ICI) and in 1981 ICI sold off the Musselman division to private owners from Vineland, New Jersey. They sold Musselman's to its currently owners, Knouse Foods, a growers' cooperative, in 1984. Today this 148,183 sq.ft. plant covering 471 acres employs approximately 150 who pack apple juice and apple sauce in a variety of sizes under the Lucky Leaf and Musselman label

Zeigler Brothers, which was founded in 1935 as a local producer of poultry and livestock feeds, operates a manufacturing facility and maintains its headquarters in the village of Gardners. The company develops and manufactures over 300 products and exports to over 50 countries around the world. In addition to its facilities in Gardners, the company has another manufacturing facility in south-central Pennsylvania and two franchises located in Mexic

In the 1960s, there was a major fire that destroyed the feed mill in Gardners.

Education

Residents of the village of Gardners and surrounding areas may attend elementary school in Bendersville, Pennsylvania, Bendersville and the middle school and high school in Biglerville. Operated by the Upper Adams School District, these schools' teams are known as "the Canners". Nearby residents outside of the Upper Adams School District's boundaries attend schools in the Bermudian Springs School District, the South Middleton School District, or the Carlisle Area School District.

References

{{authority control Census-designated places in Adams County, Pennsylvania Unincorporated communities in Adams County, Pennsylvania Census-designated places in Pennsylvania Unincorporated communities in Pennsylvania