History of Reisterstown Part 1: John Reister

John Reister was born in 1715 in Germany. Reister was educated in Germany and had knowledge of many rural living skills. In  September 1738 he sailed from Rotterdam to Philadelphia. He settled in York, Pennsylvania and in 1746 married Margaret Sohn, daughter of a local innkeeper. 

In 1746 Mr. Reister purchased 50 acres of land west of the present town of Westminster. He carved a farm out of the wilderness making it his home for the next 12 years. All six children were born there.

In 1758 he acquired 20 acres on the Conewago Road (Reisterstown) and called it "Reister's Desire". He moved his wife and six children to this land. They built an inn or tavern. This tract was too small for successful farming.

On January 1, 1763 Mr. Reister purchased 83 acres of land which adjoined his property. This purchase gave him land on both sides of the main road. This became the center of Reisterstown. Life on the frontier was not easy. Food was their first concern and water and woods supplied an abundance of fish and game. Fruit trees were planted for future orchards. He opened a successful tavern and inn: "a place of public entertainment for travellers and strangers."

According to the Maryland Historical Trust the building at 218 Main Street is close to the original site of John Reister's tavern. What cannot be determined is whether today's building is in any way a remnant of this tavern.

By 1785 all of the Reister children were married and settled on land given to them by their father. They were a very self-sufficient family group.

John Reister Jr. married Mary Yohn, and they took up residence on the east side of the road opposite the inn. In addition to farming his father's land, John Jr. was a blacksmith and a carpenter and he operated a distillery producing rye whiskey for the tavern.

Margaret married Peter Trine. The Trines stayed in Reisterstown a short time and then moved the family back to York, Pennsylvania where Peter established his own tannery.

Mary married John Beckley, a skilled blacksmith, who opened a shop in the rear of his house.

Catharine married Roland Smith and together they became the first merchants in the area, operating the Reister store south of the inn.

Philip married Eve Gardner, and they managed the Reister Inn.

Elizabeth married Henry Weist, who operated a tanyard in the rear of their home which is now 410 Main Street.

Mr. Reister moved near 365 Main Street where he retired and died in 1804. The original house was torn down.

This article was taken from the Baltimore County Public Library Reisterstown Branch website.