Rothsville is like many small villages across Lancaster County in that it features its own unique history. Sharyn Deater has her own history with Rothsville, a personal history.

Deater is Rothsville's unofficial town historian, an accidental local expert, if you will. Not because she remembers everything, but because she has much to remember.

"I have my own history here in Rothsville," said Deater. "I raised one child here. I lived here in this house with my husband for 54 years. I've lived here so long. I like the land."

After occupying two other residences in town, in 1970 Deater and her husband, Raymond Wolf Deater, moved into her current home, one of the oldest houses in Rothsville. Ray passed just last year.

Rothsville was founded in 1790 by Philip Roth, builder of the White Swan Tavern. The town was formerly known as Rabbit Hill for the abundance of bunnies in the locale.

Time has its own way of turning dreams into memories.

"I do care about the history of Rothsville," said Deater. "It just enthuses me. I like the idea of knowing it's where I live. I just got involved in looking at the history of Rothsville. I wanted to know."

"I'm not up on it like I used to be," she continued. "There are some things I don't remember anymore. Time has sure gone by. It goes so fast."

Officially, Rothsville is a census-designated place and an unincorporated community located in Warwick Township 3 miles from Lititz. The total area of Rothsville is 2.5 square miles.

The 2000 census showed that 3,017 people resided in Rothsville.

"History has always been important to me," said Deater. "I didn't do well in it in school, but I liked it. We can learn from history. There's a lot to learn from history."

Rothsville's western boundary is located just on the other side of the "Y" that connects Route 772 and Newport Road, while the Cocalico Creek serves as its eastern boundary. Rothsville grew up around the 2.5-mile stretch of road once known as Rabbit Hill Road that still connects travelers from Lititz to Brownstown and Route 222 and back.

"Most of the houses are concentrated on Newport Road and Route 772," said Deater. "It was mostly townspeople and people from Lancaster and the local vicinities. The lay of the land is pretty much the same as it was way back."

"Stagecoaches used to go up the muddy road (Newport) and they'd get stuck," she continued. "They'd have to get out and push the buggies up the hill."

Gone now are the post office, the general store, the butcher shop, Rothsville High School, small industry, Reading railroad passenger service, the popular sulky racetrack and Deater Cigar Factory. What remains are a mini market, the Rothsville Fire Company, a rail-to-trail, farms, churches and a couple of restaurants, including the White Swan.

Raymond Deater's great-grandparents founded and operated the Deater Cigar Factory.

"Rothsville was known for cigars," said Deater.

Rothsville is one of 94 unincorporated communities or census-designated places in Lancaster County.

"It's just another town in Lancaster County," said Deater. "There are a lot of nice towns in Lancaster County. They're all over the place. There are an awful lot of little towns like Rothsville. The towns grew and grew and grew, and they have history to them."