You might say that the rabbit was adopted because the fire company is as quick as a bunny responding to emergencies. You might be right but that is not the reason for the bunny.

This is the opening paragraph from the "Rothsville Bicentennial 1790-1990" history authored for the Bicentennial Committee by local Armin Sohns. "Warwick Township is one of the original townships laid out in 1729 at the formation of Lancaster County. The earliest settlers in the vacinity of what is now Rothsville were John Mussleman (Musselman) in 1734, Paul Tettenhauer in 1739, Peter Fahrney in 1742, Andrew Musselman in 1747, an Peter Lane in 1756. In 1790, Philip Roth acquired 90 acres of land and built a tavern at the junction of the Newport and Lititz roads." It is this Philip Roth for whom Rothsville is named. The tavern is still standing and bears the name of "The White Swan".

As settlers began to take up residence in the area, the settlement took on the name "Haussa Barrick". This is the local idom for the German "Hasenberg". The tranlation is Rabbit Hill probably in response to the large number of wild rabbits in the area or those raised by the German farmers. A road named Rabbit Hill Road runs from Newport Road east of town to Church Road. The name of the town was changed to Rothsville sometime after 1847 when a post office was established.

The rabbit on our patch symbolizes the earliest begins as Haussa Barrick, Rabbit Hill.