Broadway is one of the biggest streets in the world. Main street, located in Unionville, Pennsylvania, may not be the most well known street, but is the heart of this little town. This small country road is filled with history, stores, old hotels and homes. The central attraction in this small country based town was the general store. The first owner of the general store was Robert Buffington, who opened it in the northwest corner of Main street. The store was later taken over by Charles Buffington. In 1839, he advertised the store as having "Goods of all kinds free from the evil of slavery." He wanted to make it known that he despised slavery and that if people bought from him they would be supporting the fact that slavery was wrong. Later, a man named W. B. Chambers used the general store as a storeroom, and after that it was turned into a meat shop run by Charles Chandler. The main hotel in Unionville was called the Cross Keys Inn. It was built in 1750 by John Jackson, which he originally used as his house. The hotel was known for the oyster bar in its basement and the hotel's weekly sales of produce. In 1843 when the Cross Keys Inn was transferred into the Union hotel, the liquor license was withdrawn and the oyster bar was closed. A large square building made of brick, the Union hotel is located in the southwest corner of the crossroads of Main Street. Main Street's attractions include the doctors office, L. Best's Shingle Mill, the (former) library, at blacksmith shop, an art gallery, Jan's Cleaning Co., Unionville Hall, The Saddle Shop, Telephone Exchange, Dressmaker's Shop, Chafont Cabinet Works, Webb's Shoemakers, and Bonnie's Beauty Salon. In addition to these, there are many frame homes which line the streets of Unionville. George Love, Dr. Swayne, Dr. Seal, and John Jackson were the ones responsible for building most of Unionville's frame homes. There are also many other important buildings in the town of Main Street. The oldest building in Unionville is the Prang's Store, which is made with hickory logs, and chinked with stone, it was built in 1750. The Prang family lived fairly close to their store just two doors down to the right. Previously Prang's Store was Chandler's Store, Chambers Grocery, and the first Inn in Unionville. Throughout the 1900's the store was owned by the Sestrich family, who recently sold to a new owner in 1998. A popular place on Main Street was the Union Hotel. The history of the hotel dates back to Henry Hayes who originally owned the property. The title to the old tavern property in Unionville runs through George Jackson, Garnet Jackson, Samuel Entriken, Jesse Buffington, William Taggert Jr., James Wollaston, Isaac Taylor, and others. Quite a village has grown up around the old tavern. It was a classic inn, made of brick which stood three stories tall. The inn was built in 1834 by Isaac Smith. In 1867 their slogan was "It is as large as life and twice as natural, and if a wavering man wants a good square meal they will be served in style." It was always a busy place, and to this day it is still standing on Main Street. It has the original doorway, fan, and barn in the back. On Main Street there are a variety of structures. In 1881 Thomas F. Seal reported "There are now about eighty dwellings, besides a meeting house of friends, Presbyterian, and Methodist, a public school, a public hall, a library- besides those for first day and Sunday-schools, a hotel, two smitheries, a wheelwright shop, a ware room, a greenhouse in connection with the nursery, about seventy barns, stables (etc.) and an academy." The academy was known as the Unionville Academy. The school was originally an all boys school, and was also the largest private school in the area by far. It was owned and operated by the principal. The principals through out the years were Milton White (the original owner), Gaylord L. More, Cheyney Hannum, James Fling, Jonathan Gause, Milton Durnall, Henry S. Kent, Jacob W. Harvey and A. A. Meader. It was founded in 1834 by the citizens of the neighborhood and it had been one of the most successful and noted of the many private schools in the county. The building was two stories tall and consisted of four rooms with two rooms on each floor and had a bell tower on top. Later the school became co-ed. One hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty students were accepted. Every quarter the girls paid four dollars and the boys paid two dollars tuition. A student could board there or live at home, if they were in the area. In 1889 students that lived at home normally had to walk very long distances. But boarding students didn't have everything provided for them, they were asked to bring their own wash basins and lights. Main Street may not be the biggest street, but it is important to the townspeople. This small road used to be busy, but over the long years, it has lost its spark, and today, it mainly consists of homes and apartments. Hopefully in the future, Main Street will be filled with businesses, homes, and busy town folk.