Pennsylvania German Arts and Antiques

Heirloom Gardens in Lancaster County

"Long before that, the Heirloom Seed Project at Landis Valley Farm Museum was working to preserve old varieties. The project began in 1985, making it one of the earliest in the country, and at Landis Valley, the focus is narrow."

"All the plants that grow in the Heirloom Seed Project's gardens are varieties the Pennsylvania Germans grew from 1750 to 1940. Many of those varieties have names with a distinct Lancaster County sound, such as Amish paste tomato, Grandma Hershey's sugar peas, Pennsylvania German red lima beans, and Lancaster sure crop corn."

Read this article.

Target Stores Help Monroe County Teach Fraktur Art

"The Monroe County Historical Association is pleased to announce a partnership with Target for sponsorship of its Educational Outreach Traveling Trunk Program. ...An art project highlighting Pennsylvania German fraktur art for area schools will culminate in an exhibit of student work at the Driebe Freight Station Art Gallery."

Read this article.

York County's Pine Shade Farm to Be Auctioned

"'It's one of the most beautiful farms I've ever seen, not only in York County, but around the country,' said Hartsook."

"Only 30 minutes from northern Baltimore, nestled into the gently rolling countryside of York County, Pine Shade Farm's 105 acres is like a picture postcard of Southern Pennsylvania farm country."

Read this article.

(Image: eMediaWire)

Pennsylvania German Belsnickel / Santa Claus Sells for $25,300

"A floor bidder prevailed on the 25-inch Belsnickel designed to reflect the holiday gift-giver in circa 1870 Pennsylvania German style. With glass eyes, wooden teeth and a horsehair beard, the well-detailed figure held a toy sack and many miniature toys. It more than doubled its low estimate to bring $25,300."

Read this article at Antiques and the Arts Online.

(Image: Antiques and the Arts Online.)

Pennsylvania Museum Stores Featured in "Central Penn Business News"

"In 1991, the Heritage Center of Lancaster County Inc. used a $5,000 donation to start a small gift shop at its museum in downtown Lancaster. Fifteen years later, that investment has paid off many times over."

"The nonprofit now runs two gift shops: one at the Lancaster Cultural History Museum and another at the nearby Lancaster Quilt & Textile Museum. Those shops, which total about 1,250 square feet, generated almost $393,600 in sales last year. That’s nearly $315 per square foot."

Read this article.

Mary Jeanne Carter Opens a "Made in PA" Shop in Lebanon

"Her shop includes Pennsylvania German folk artwork, such as Marta Urban’s Fraktur clocks and Annie Giblin’s more traditional folk art. Urban is from western Pennsylvania, and Giblin is from Lititz."

"Among the treasures in her shop are items from L.E. Smith Glass and Irvin’s Country Tinware, both of Mt. Pleasant, homemade rugs from Family Heirloom Weavers of Red Lion, York County, and Stoltzfus Custom Weaving of Lancaster.'

Read this article.

Family Heir-loom Weavers is Here.

(Image: Family Heir-loom Weavers)

Lower Salford's Apple Butter Frolic

"Stirring a copper kettle of apple butter was Jeff Godshall‚ a member of the Mennonite Historical Society. Copper is always used to keep the apple butter from sticking to the side of the kettle‚ he said."

“'It takes 12 hours to make a batch‚ or six to seven gallons of finished apple butter‚' he said."

Read this article.

Fulton County Historical Society House Tour is This Weekend

"Fulton County Historical Society is offering its annual tour of area homes during the Fulton Fall Folk Festival weekend, on both Saturday and Sunday afternoons, October 21 and 22, from 1:00 to 5:00 pm. Tickets, for a donation of $10, are available by mail to Box 115, McConnellsburg, PA 17233, or at the Fulton House, 112 Lincoln Way East, during the event. Each ticket is good for both days."

Read this article.

Fulton County Historical Society is Here.

(Image: Fulton County Historical Society, Inc.)

Lancaster County Auction to Benefit Nickel Mines Amish

"LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - The sale of donated items will run alongside an internationally known auction this weekend and benefit victims of the West Nickel Mines School shootings."

"A selection of Amish goods, from buggies to quilts and furniture to shoofly pies, will be auctioned off this weekend to raise funds for the victims of the West Nickel Mines School shootings."

Read this article.

Martin Auctioneers is Here.

(Image: Martin Auctioneers, Inc)

Darwin Bearley: Ohio Amish Quilt Collector

"Some 70 percent of America's Amish live in three states: Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana, but it's in Ohio, where most of the Amish live."

"Ohio's Holmes and Wayne counties now have the largest Amish population in the United States, and thus the world, as there are no longer any Amish in Europe, according to the essay A Plain Art: Ohio Amish Quilts, by Jonathan Holstein in Antique Ohio Amish Quilts, The Darwin D. Bearley Collection."

Read this article in Akron Beacon Journal.

(Image: David Foster/ Akron Beacon Journal)