History Museums
South of the city.



Two historic sites of note are located south of the city: the Conestoga Area Historical Society and the Hans Herr House. Let's visit the former first.

The Conestoga Area Historical Society is more than an easily missed local museum, it's a complex of buildings with an overall theme, the history of much of the area of Lancaster's early development. It includes a surprisingly good collection of artifacts housed on two floors of an 1865 tobacco shed, and: a restored 1733 log cabin, an active blacksmith shop, a restored stone house, a bake oven, five craftsman shops, a turnpike toll house, and a museum shop. The only negative aspect of this fine complex is that at present it's only open from 1:00 to 4:00 PM on Saturday and Sunday.



Our second, and last, destination south of the city is the Hans Herr House ; built in 1719 it is the oldest existing home in Lancaster County. It's also the home of the leader of the group of Mennonites who came to the area in 1711 as the first group of European settlers. On a personal note, Hans Herr was my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great maternal grandfather.

Like the museum above, this is a complex containing the house, several barns and outbuildings, a blacksmith shop, bake oven, smoke house, exhibit buildings, a garden, an orchard with antique apple varieties, farm equipment, and two other 19th century homes. A 45-minute tour provides details about the house and the Herrs; after that visitors are free to roam the grounds and see the other exhibits. Note: don't be turned off by the web site, it doesn't do justice to the house or complex.






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