New Centreville, a town of 250 to 300 inhabitants, is situated in the western part of Milford township. It was laid out in 1834 by Michael Freeze, who gave it the name it now bears, excepting the prefix, “New,” which was added when the village became a borough. John Witt made the survey of lots. John Freeze erected the first house. It is still standing and is now owned by Reuben McMillen. The first hotel was built by Michael Freeze in 1836. It is now the dwelling-house of Leonard Ferrel. The first store was erected by Francis Phillippi in 1835 ; the first wagonshop by Aaron Will in 1843; the first blacksmith-shop by Michael Freeze in 1830, and the first shoemaker-shop by William Aughinbaugh in 1835.
The first schoolhouse at Centreville was built about 1800. It was a log building, slab-seated. The first teacher was Jacob Weimer. The house was torn down, after the adoption of free schools, and replaced by a frame, which afterward burned. The present school- building was erected in 1869 and enlarged in 1874.
The first tannery in the place was built by Josiah Miller, who came to the town from Berlin, about 1843. He ran the business until 1869, and then retired. Mr. Miller is still living, and is an aged resident. He was born in Berlin in 1809. Reuben McMillen, son of John McMillen of Turkeyfoot township, learned the saddlery business in the shop of Michael Snyder; purchased the shop in 1849, and still conducts the business.
The town was incorporated as a borough on March 6, 1854, and on March 17, the following were elected the first borough officers: Burgess, Aaron Will; councilmen, Josiah Miller, Daniel Dull and W.S. Harrow; street commissioner, Peter Brubaker; assessor, S.H. Dull; constable, Jonathan Gnagy.
New Centreville now contains one store, one tannery, two blacksmith and three wagon shops, two shoemaker shops, one saddleryshop, two cabinetmakershops, two ministers, one physician, three churches and a schoolhouse.
(Source: History of Bedford, Somerset & Fulton Counties, PA; 1884)
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