Rooted in Tradition
Current owners Bonnie and Cliff Pereschuk at the market. Bonnie is the third generation of the Cronise family to run the market.
Dating back almost a century, Cronise Market Place and Olde Homestead in Boonsboro deliver a taste of the past
By April Bartel
Along the scenic stretch of Main Street in Boonsboro stands a cherished piece of local history—Cronise Market Place and its companion shop, the Olde Homestead. With roots reaching back nearly a century, this third-generation family business has grown alongside the town, evolving from a humble fruit stand to a vibrant destination for seasonal produce, handcrafted gifts, and timeless charm.
The story begins in 1927 when Esbey and Annie Cronise built a Craftsman-style brick home at the edge of town to accommodate their growing brood. A year later, in 1928, the family opened a fruit and vegetable stand next door. That home, lovingly restored and repurposed, is now the Olde Homestead gift shop. Bonnie Pereschuk, current co-owner with her husband Cliff, fondly recalls working at the market as a girl. The couple took over operations from Bonnie’s uncle in 1996 and opened the decor shop in 2011.
Margaret “Pinkie” Cronise Houpt, one of 13 children in the second generation of Cronise Market. She was 16 years old in this picture from 1938.
“I named it the Olde Homestead because it was our original family home,” she says. Bonnie’s mother, the youngest of 13 Cronise siblings, grew up there. “Cliff and I worked weekends here when I had a different career,” Bonnie says. “Eventually, we took it on full time. It’s grown a lot over the years.”
Though the original Cronise family orchards and farmland are no longer in operation, the market remains true to its agricultural roots, sourcing fresh fruits and vegetables from local growers just five minutes to an hour away.
In the height of fall, visitors can expect everything from late-season corn and plump tomatoes to squash, peppers, melons, and pumpkins. The stand offers more than 20 apple varieties (also available in bulk quantities) and fresh-pressed cider from Ivy Hill in Smithsburg.
“It tastes like liquid apples,” Bonnie says with a smile. McCutcheon’s cider, jams, and sauces—produced by another long-standing local farm family—are available year-round.
Cronise Market is open from spring through Christmas Eve, with peak seasons ahead marked by the arrival of mums and asters in fall, followed by fresh-cut Christmas trees, handmade wreaths, and roping for the holidays. The market also stocks local milk, eggs, cheese, and honey throughout the year. Recent additions include Amish pies and cookies, Rice Krispie “cake” treats, and bread from Frederick’s Stone Hearth Bakery. This year, they even added Windy Knoll ice cream to the lineup.
Behind the market, visitors will find a garden center with heirloom and special variety plants, soil amendments, and decorative flags or cement statues. The stand’s rustic character, open-air charm, and nostalgic feel have remained largely intact—a deliberate choice.
“My goal is to keep it as close to the original as possible so people can see what things were like way back when,” Bonnie says.
The Olde Homestead, which opened in December 2011, has grown into a two-story treasure trove of country/farmhouse, traditional, and eclectic decor. Inside, visitors can browse everything from soy candles and Silver Forest jewelry to handcrafted Meadowbrook gourds from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Challa handbags, linens, and a host of locally made items. Bonnie, who says she has always had an artistic side, takes pride in the evolving nature of the shop.
“I like when people come in and tell me they know they’ll always find something good here,” she says.
Ross Cronise at the market in 1965. He was in the second generation that ran Cronise Market.
Open year-round, the Olde Homestead also hosts four open houses each year in the spring and fall and two leading up to Christmas. The fall open house is especially popular, coinciding with Boonsboro Days in early September. Guests can expect seasonal sales, door prizes, and a food truck on Saturday. In November, holiday open houses offer festive inspiration; while spring 2026 brings participation in the Hagerstown Community College Flower Show in March, a much-anticipated event that also heralds the market’s official reopening for the season.
As a small, family business, Sundays remain a day of rest—except during special events. “We try to post updates on Facebook so people know about events and hours,” Bonnie adds.
As the Cronise Market Place approaches its 100th anniversary in 2028, Bonnie is already looking ahead.
“We did a big celebration for the 75th. We’ll definitely do even more for the centennial,” she says. Plans will likely include food vendors, festivities, sales, and the unmistakable sense of hometown connection.
For those who haven’t discovered its treasures yet, Cronise Market Place and the Olde Homestead are more than just stops on a weekend drive—they are a taste of living history. Those who make the trip will find a legacy business greater than the sum of its parts, firmly rooted in community and tradition.