Salem Apothecary to Host 40th Anniversary Party on October 17

Our very own Salem Apothecary is celebrating its 40th anniversary this Friday, October 17, and Pharmacist Rebecca Marshall has much in store for the apothecary’s 40th birthday party.

“We’re going to have music out in front of the apothecary,” Rebecca Marshall said. “When we had our 25th anniversary, Lick Creek Band came to play, and so I’ve got them coming again from over in Paoli. They will be here from 5:00-7:00 pm out front. I was hoping to be able to get a food truck, but they’re all already booked at other places. So, my husband is making our famous ‘crickbank potatoes.’ We’ll be cooking those out front too from 7:00-9:00 pm.”

In addition to Lick Creek Band, the Salem High School Guitar Club will be performing in front of the apothecary from 7:00-9:00 pm, and Daniel Main will be hosting the “Murder & Mayhem Tours” from 6:00-10:00 pm.

“We will likely start here in front of the apothecary,” said Daniel Main. “I’ll be taking groups of about 15 to 20 people around the square to tell stories of various people that have been killed, murdered, or have gotten in gunfights on the square. Each tour will be around 45 minutes long.”

The full list of activities can be found below:

5:00-7:00 pm - Lick Creek Band Performance

7:00-9:00 pm - Salem High School Guitar Club Performance

Murder & Mayhem Tours - 6:00-10:00 pm

Soda Fountain and Ice Cream - 5:00-9:00 pm

“In some ways, it feels like it was just the other day when we got started here, and sometimes it feels like it was forever ago,” laughed Marshall. “Pharmacy has changed a lot in 40 years. We’ve had some things go on in here like the fire and stuff that may have changed the look of things, but just pharmacy itself, as with all of health care, in 40 years has made some big changes… When we bought the store in 1985, there wasn’t even a computer in the store. So, I’ve got a picture in one of my scrapbooks of when we bought our first computer in 1986. That was a big deal in 1986! Basically, it was just a fancy typewriter, but now it does a lot more than that.

“The Salem Square still kind of looks the same,” she continued. “But of course, there was Dan Marr, and before that there was Pennington’s. So, there’s always been at least two independent pharmacies on the Square. Back in the 1930s I think there were three or four. Heaven Scent Gifts started in 1981, and, I forget when they started, but La Gene Jewelers has been here a while. And next door (PNC Bank) has always been a bank, just with different names. But other than that, we’re really the oldest thing still here. But yes, there have been a lot of changes during that period of time.”

Marshall then began to speak about a special project she has been working on to commemorate all of her former employees.

“I’ve got an ad up here for my former employees… I first started trying to make a list of names of all the people that have worked for me over the years, but when I got up to 100, I stopped,” she laughed. “And I knew I was missing some people too. So, I bought some quilt squares, and I’m asking any of my former employees to come back and sign one of the squares. Then, I’m going to have somebody make me a quilt out of it after they’ve all signed it.”

The Salem Apothecary has been a staple in the community for 40 years now, but it has been in Washington County for 150 years under a few different names – which is quite an accomplishment! Be sure to come out and show your support for one of the oldest businesses around on this Friday night from 5:00-9:00 pm.