Pennsylvania German Arts and Antiques

A Link to my New Blog: Historic Mennonite Farms - Lititz, Pennsylvania

Image: Lee J. Stoltzfus

Check out my new blog about historic Mennonite sites near Lititz: Click Here

Berks County Hex Signs in "The Washington Post"

 

Image: The Washington Post

"The tour started in Kutztown, about midway between Reading and Allentown, and ended near Hamburg, taking us along two-lane roads that wound through villages dotted with stately old stone houses and modest newer ones."

Read this article.

Patrick Donmoyer: Hex Sign Researcher

 

Readingeagle.com

 

"As a Kutztown University student in the summer of 2008, Patrick J. Donmoyer began documenting hex signs on Berks County barns."

"Traveling the county's rural byways, he would photograph hex signs - sometimes called barn stars - on about 425 barns."

Read this article.

Waynesboro Sisters-in-law Publish "Royers of Renfrew"

"The novel illuminates the life of the Royer family, whose German Baptist farmstead has been restored and interpreted to the period and is home to Renfrew Museum and Park and Renfrew Institute for Cultural and Environmental Studies."

Read this article.

Barn Tour in Lower Macungie Township

"The evening prior to the event, architectural historian and author Greg Huber presented a slide lecture on the evolution and construction of barns in the area to over 100 barn enthusiasts. "

Read this article.

Garden Party at Lebanon Log House

 
Image: Lebanon Daily News 
 
"The house was constructed in the 1760s and lies within the area that was the first to be laid out by Lebanon founder George Steitz."

Read this article.

Barn Hex Signs in Macungie

"They are concentrated in and around the northwestern and western Lehigh County and in Berks County."

"Some say they're just decoration while others say there is a definite message in a hex sign."

Read this article.

Mennonite Reenactors in Ontario, Canada

"Each girl will take on the persona of lady of the Fry House, a restored Pennsylvania German Mennonite home on the museum grounds, as they guide visitors along the museum grounds. Dressed in period costume, the two students will lead visitors through the museum and its accompanying buildings — the Fry House and school house."

Read this article.

Mertztown UCC Church Receives Walbert Bequest

 
Image: The Morning Call

"The small white church founded by Pennsylvania Germans in 1734 held special meaning to Walbert. Her late husband, Woodrow, a blue-ribbon-winning pig farmer, went there as a boy, praying in a sanctuary that was built in 1852 and is adorned with intricate stained glass."

Read this article.

Mennonite Girls: Fearless on Rooftops to Help Hurricane Katrina Survivors

 
Image: NBC Nightly News

NBC news crews have noticed that Mennonites are often among the first to arrive at disaster areas, to assist victims. 

So NBC recently did an excellent news story about conservative Mennonites assisting Hurricane Katrina survivors.

It's a terrific story, even though the news guy says the Mennonites speak "Dutch" when they actually speak German.

The news video, and a second accompanying video are here.